Farming
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18th Century Fishing Techniques
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October 18, 2019
Each spring, when fish began running past Mount Vernon's ten-mile shoreline, enslaved workers, overseers, and indentured servants dropped everything and headed to the river to haul in and process more than a million fish, in a matter of weeks. For almost 40 years, these fishing operations brought in food for George Washington's enslaved and paid workers, and by selling the surplus, provided additional profits for his estate. Samuel Murphy, manager of historic trades at Mount Vernon, describes George Washington's lucrative fishing business.
Learn more: https://www.mountvernon.org/the-estate-gardens/historic-trades/fisheries/fishing-operations/