With the generous support of the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate, Museum & Gardens and the Fairfax Network partnered to provide schools with engaging programs. Two programs return to our line-up in celebration of African American History Month.

I Ain’t No Three Fifths of a Person:
Slavery and the Constitution

February 1, 2018 · Audience: Students in Grades 9-12

Watch on YouTube • Video (MP4) Download Request

How did the ideas and vision which formed a new nation impact the enslaved community? I Ain’t No Three Fifths of a Person: Slavery and the Constitution explores the reactions and perspectives of key members of the Mount Vernon and Monticello enslaved communities to major events during the founding of our nation.

Through dramatic reenactments students will hear the views of Billy Lee, who served as General Washington’s manservant throughout the Revolutionary War; understand the concerns of Caroline Branham and Oney Judge, who worked under Mrs. Washington’s supervision in the mansion; meet Christopher Sheels, who served as General Washington’s manservant after Billy Lee; and discover the ideas of Bob Hemmings, manservant to Thomas Jefferson.

To provide a broader historical context, the human point of view presented by the enslaved men and women in the dramatic scenes is interwoven with interviews from prominent historians and comments from the actor/historical interpreters themselves.

Hear My Story:
The Enslaved Community at Mount Vernon

February 15, 2018 · Time: 1-1:45 p.m. (ET)
Audience: Students in Grades 9-12

Register for the Webcast
Watch on YouTube • Video (MP4) Download Request

Historical interpreters from I Ain't No Three Fifths of a Person take us back to 1792 and discuss what the new constitution will mean to them. Billy Lee, who served as General Washington’s manservant during the Revolutionary War; Caroline Branham and Oney Judd, who worked under Mrs. Washington’s supervision in the mansion; Christopher Sheels,  Washington’s manservant in later years; and Bob Hemings, manservant to Thomas Jefferson, join host Kate Sullivan for a discussion on our Nation’s founding period from the point of view of the enslaved community.

This program was recorded before an audience of teachers and students at George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate, Museum & Gardens. The panel discussion and audience questions explore a variety of topics including the nature of relationships between certain slaves and their masters; the hierarchy within the enslaved community; how the enslaved received and passed on information; the realities of running away; abolition; manumission; and freedom.

Suggested Resources

Biographical Sketches of the Slaves Portrayed in the Webcasts — PDF document
Colonial America Video Series — Fairfax Network's YouTube Channel
The Slaves' Stories — Video Excerpts from the Webcasts
George Washington Stood Here...On the Issue of Slavery — Mount Vernon's Education Department Lesson Plans
The Origins of Slavery — Gilder Lehrman Institute Learning Resources
Mount Vernon Partnership Programs — Videos from the Partnership

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