Buried Lives: The Enslaved People of George Washington’s Mount Vernon

Many books have been written about George Washington, it’s hard to believe there can be a genuinely fresh take on his life, but Buried Lives is an entirely new take on his experience at Mount Vernon—Washington’s estate.
If one visits Mount Vernon and takes a tour, there is little mention of the many slaves Washington owned, but it’s apparent that such a huge estate could not have been run and could not have created such wealth without the slaves.

Author Carla Killough McClafferty has done her homework; her research shines throughout this fantastic book.

Adults and youngsters twelve and up will enjoy this fascinating look at six of Washington’s slaves. These slaves were not field slaves, but they worked in the house with family members and had jobs like seamstress and horse breeder.

Since very few slaves were taught to read or write, primary sources such as diaries and letters by slaves are nearly nonexistent; however, writings by Washington and others detail much of the slaves’ daily lives.

McClafferty’s writings are lively, and she uses excellent storytelling techniques. The section on the archaeological work going on today is fascinating.