Buried Lives

McClafferty has written a monumental book about the lives of the slaves that lived and worked at George Washington's Mount Vernon. The bulk of the book is devoted to chronicling the lives of six out of hundreds of slaves known to have been the property of our nation's first president. William Lee, Christopher Sheels, Caroline Branham, Peter Hardiman, Ona Maria Judge, and Hercules are the enslaved people featured in this work. These six people are larger-than-life figures whose individual stories tell a deeper one about the history of America and the everyday evil and horror of American slavery. Though enslaved, they served this country during some of its most turbulent times, fighting in the Revolutionary War, taking care of Washington's person, and guarding Washington's papers as the Continental Army moved from place to place during the years of combat. This book includes photos of re-enactors at Mount Vernon as well as artifacts there and abundant archival reproductions. What is known about these figures comes mainly from George Washington himself, as the author relates in her introduction. With regard to what is unknown about the lives of the enslaved people, McClafferty takes liberties in making inferences about their motives and histories. In speculating why Lee, for instance, did not take the opportunity to escape to freedom in the British army, she does not discuss the penalties meted out to a captured fugitive slave but presents his choice as a binary one: stay with Washington or go. At another point, she suggests that Judge's white father, an indentured servant, "may have loved" her enslaved mother, without adding that an enslaved woman could not resist the sexual advances of a white man. These and other elisions make this a work that objectifies its subjects.Although the light shed on Washington as slaveholder is a welcome one, the voices of the enslaved are still not heard. (source notes, bibliography, picture credits, acknowledgments, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)

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Starred review from November 15, 2018
Grades 6-10 *Starred Review* At the age of eleven George Washington inherited ten human beings, and he would own people his entire life. In this handsome, large-format book, the first five chapters describe what is known about six enslaved individuals who worked at Mount Vernon under George Washington, whose lives are fairly well documented. William Lee served as Washington's personal valet before, during, and after the Revolutionary War. Christopher Sheels became Washington's next valet. Caroline Hardiman was a seamstress. Her husband, Peter Hardiman, managed horse breeding at Mount Vernon. Both Oney Judge, Martha Washington's personal maid, and Hercules, the family's renowned cook, later made their separate escapes from slavery. Some of McClafferty's portrayals of these little-known historical people are more detailed than others, but all are factual and fascinating. While learning about their lives, readers will also see how Washington's views on slavery shifted over the years. Among the many beautiful color illustrations are period paintings as well as photos of sites and artifacts. The final chapter describes ongoing archaeological work at the cemetery where Mount Vernon's enslaved people were buried. The meticulous back matter links quotes to many primary sources as well as more recent works. An enlightening presentation on slavery in the late 1700s.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)