The Dalzell Duet

Our final guest speakers, Robert and Lee Dalzell, gave us a unique interpretation of George Washington by looking at Mount Vernon and seeing how his running of the plantation reflected his values. Robert Dalzell is a Professor of history at Williams College in Massachusetts while Lee Dalzell recently retired as the head reference librarian from the college. They have co-authored “George Washington’s Mount Vernon: At Home in Revolutionary America,” and are currently working on a revised edition.

The Dalzell’s accompanied their remarks with a slide show that depicted Mount Vernon from the early days of 1730 up until Washington’ death in 1799. Under Washington’s direction, Mount Vernon grew from a modest size estate to a two-and-a-half story mansion with 19 large rooms and numerous out buildings including the well known round barn. The home is built of wood but Washington had the board siding carved and painted with a mixture of paint and sand so it would look like stone. The Dalzell’s credit the Redwood Library in Newport for inspiring Washington to finish his home in a similar manner. Washington also added the piazza which overlooks the Potomac River. It is unclear where Washington got the idea to add such a unique feature to his estate. While piazzas are common in Europe, Washington only traveled as far as Barbados.

The Dalzell’s spoke at length about Washington and his slaves. By reading Washington’s letters, the Dalzells have concluded that Washington grappled with the issue of slavery and what steps could be taken to free these people in an orderly manner. At one point, Washington was planning on having British farm managers who were interested in agrarian reform take over portions of Mount Vernon and farm the land with newly freed slaves. Washington felt that the one way to end slavery was to set up alternative working conditions that allowed individuals to survive and thrive on their merits. In the end, Washington freed his slaves in his will, divided Mount Vernon into four parcels, and gave away all his possessions. The Dalzells concluded that the type of control Washington exhibited throughout his life was inconsistent with the future of The United States. The will, which he kept secret from Martha, supported this new American reality.