c-span2 is a public service. >> visit cspanshop.org, c-span's online store and safe during our father's day sale now, save 20% on the latest collection of c-span, home to core, and more. something for every c-span can never purchase of support nonprofit operations. the c-span show father's day do going on now is used to ensure the org. >> a look at the nation's first president, how dideorge washington experimtation with forming influence views on slavery? his thoughts on washington in the question of slavery. >> in the summer of 1787 in the midst of the constitutional convention, georgeve washington

recorded having in his diary observing from our recent work entering into conversation, i received the following information in respect to the cultivating buckwheat and application of the green. diary entries throughout his life he makes observations on crops and farming practices and cap several accounts improvement in agriculture practices in his words searchable website hosted by the national archives national historic publications and records and overtime hislt ideas about agriculture and agriculture never changed in his own experiences and application of modern farming techniques in today's program we hear from other crews new book washington discusses changes and examines how washington's coming question the alliance on flavor and

served 20 years as director of the judicial office of the judicial center. economic independence in virginia and fellow of washington library and the international center forn jefferson studies. now it's hear from bruce. thank you for joining us. >> i'm delighted to have theo opportunity to speak. wowonderful resource as correspondence from washington that madee it so accessible too this research. the book is an attempt to write history of washington's life and his life as a farmer still stands as the most important untold story.

without a sense of why the preferred and it's an additional kind of leadership and establishing the united states. the first farmers of america. russia has been celebrated for many first and the first farmers ofof america is one that's been lost in the nation's memory and i wanted to find out why it would have been so important to washington soon after he left secured american independence why was it so important to turn

to farming in his service to the nation? i also wanted to uncover the side of washington and his military and political life. fhe considered farming activity best suited to his disposition. he certainly enjoyed it more than other activities, it was more rewarding than any other victory would be. it is hard to discern elsewhere in his life, a man deeply connected to the natural world around him and you find intellectual curiosity and engagement with the world of enlightenment on both sides of the atlantic became an important part of the person he wanted to be and what he wants to bring to his for me.

there's never just a private enterprise. agriculture is better be one of the most important' foundations of america's place in the world strict ability among a community of nations and in all of his innovation was always looking for larger direction of economic economypolitical supported by different kinds of agriculture. 1760s when he moved away which he abandons, he sees the opportunity for the restrictions of the empire and traded without restrictions and the navigation and it makes more independent and self-directed and then after the revolutionary war he adopts

a program diversified farming that he thinks would be the foundation of the nation's commercial prosperity and erprovide commercial interests that would have the nation together. it was another demonstration of leadership he e exercised as boh military and political leader. they also wanted to construct a side of heroic washington representatives inam this sculpture created for the state capital in the celebration of washington as the american cincinnati. his return from the army hold the example to defend their

republic and refuse to offer arbitrary power. in the 18th century, it was an ideal virtue and he became representation and more powerful with his deep engagement and farmingg in 1783. the presentation, he's showing washington as he takes off his military cloak and hangs uput hs sword and the plow is awaiting his life in this representation of washington is notable because

in consultation with franklin and jefferson and somebody from washington recited to present washingtonon with stress associated with the issuance and was alwayswa associated with th, represents washington with the plow, it was manufactured by the carpenters and blacksmiths it becomes another representation of washington service through his embrace. washington is association but the plow as president in 1797 and it was created to celebrate the event.

washington surrenders liberty but he getser gestures and the plow. as the images suggest, after 1783 from farming on the public stage is being closely watched by europeans and americans in this idea of doing the public good and any expectations of washington faces later emphasis on the benefits of agriculture improvement in the expectations are new reckoning with slavery in the new year's following the

revolution work. more than any other dimension in his life discern how washington ultimately have this freedom that runs throughout that. and as a farmer we can find his changing attitude toward slavery. the story of washington the story of washington enslaved in slave labor were inseparable to washington throughout his entire life as a farmer. he once said he didn't like to write about it or i talk about t in terms of his management of agricultural labor he can see

the change in the record of daily interaction of enslaved labor. and then decide to have a way to emancipate and we have this process through his record farming and reorganization. this example of each document in 1799 toward the end of his life he gave a detailed description of enslaved labor and this has only come to light by mount vernon and what was interesting

about this document was it was a detailed description of individual laborers and what he sees as the strength and makes clear the individuals largely through labor and their value but it shows close personal connection and personal engagement not available in any place other than army records. when i started to research for the h book i found the trajectoy of washington's life : i now think are two of the most important contributions of the as i undertook the research and the death of washington's commitment to british agriculture or agriculturalri

improvement in the middle decades of the 18th century transformation of the remarkable increases in productivity and as soon as washington in 1750 is determined to adopt those practices to bring it in to create new farming and agriculture that would open up new opportunities and provide a new world for him. he learnss about this almost entirely through books beginning in 1759, heto starts order new books in london and it's one of the most important, thomas hales body and he not only takes

extensive notes but very specifically creates experiments he undertakes, changes and cultivation after he receives this and other books and one of the largest libraries in virginia at the time and learns about practical agriculture but also a culture of farming promoted by gentlemen and speaks on illustrates these farmers often take efforts with great agriculture, often presented their improvements as civic, patriotic service for undertaking experiments that

would leave farmers to improve and washington failed in this that the virginia take on this world with demonstrating you army and diversified farming and open up new kinds of commercial opportunity. what's even more surprising is the commitment increases over time and stronger and stronger after independence from the empire and still deeply committed to these british models. 1785 he announces he wants to undertake complete course isus practiced in the best farming counties in england and it's not just new crops, it's an elaborate complicated system and

especially frustration and leads him to redesign the entire agricultural landscape over thousands ofac acres and demand they have a new infrastructure of farming including but aswashington felt were largest firms in the united states, they probably were all constructed on the basis of their sophisticated british models. at the same time washington begins the most important agriculture great britain and they become his confidant and guides as he implements new types of farming after 1785. the second closely related surprise was enormous effort

that washingtonex extended to adopt enslaved labor to this collocated course and larger notions with enslaved labor unique to washington, everyone else is trying to do a on the skill and it is as challenge he understands is also unique to him. a couple of occasions in correspondence as they are done with managing labor and relying on slave labor for agriculture and those comments combined with a few marks in the 1780s that he supported the principle of abolition many stories on washington is trying to extricate himself and he sees

the future of american agriculture going in that direction and the time he announced this confirming, he takes decisive actions to increasese reliance on enslaved labor and adapt new kinds of farming and find new value in enslaved labor he's acquired. he relies on enslaved years at four of the five plantations involved with commercial agriculture and tries to replace those who he paid with enslaved labors v especially those who me

the agriculture movements with their players who would build tremendous agricultural structures and this complicated journey. most enslaved labors working in the fields in washington imposes a new specialization labor, a specialization of labor by gender and puts more cultural work responsibility of enslaved women were more enslaved men are working asked craftsman. his carefully constructed program to take the labor he had and apply it to farming. washington understood what he was trying to do was

unprecedented and certainly in the british agricultural treatment he had, he devises a new supervision of being enslaved and allows him to supervised more closely than he ever had before and has weekly work reports which eventually are kept in a bookkeeping format and is being recorded and each plantation is for the number of flavors they had and for the work in slavery's did over the course of a week and received it every week prepared on a saturday and from 1785 allow him

to exercise enormous supervision even when he's not at mount vernon and as a resident he devoted this in writing a detailed instruction for the manager in response to that. if these are one example of the many records washington kept, he had a pension for all kinds of record-keeping and the record is probably the most documented in the chesapeake in the 18th century and also made possible -- here's an example

detailed toan offer for his innovative forces, a complicated instruction and at the bottom he provides details on how the lumber was to be cut and explained which lumber was to be gathered and brought from alexandria and it's one of the busiest times of presidency and a weekk before elected to a second term and came back from the field and creates this account how many are in a pound and how many seats are needed to fill various acres and looking

for a new efficiency and remarkable attention to detail. many of the records related to slave and work reports and in the record visions of the enslaved and sued in those detailed records are construction of the lives and work of the enslaved and the toys been perfect because it's almost entirely washington and any input from the enslaved themselves and they are plantation records for reconstruction of the work of the enslaved and many historians

were possible in the view of far more, a better record for david ray, he was in enslaved overseer, he started as a field worker and later learned how to create a beach and trade or craft in washington trying to do it rather than hire the enormous expense. in 1770 it was made only the second enslaved overseer of the formwork he had worked for 30 years and works on several different forms over that time he probably knew the land better

than anyone, baby better than washington because is there a supervisor of labor and farming during the long years washington suede and revolution as president and the document is the only one that has anyte indication of this mark but there was this one receipt he marks for i having it paid for martha washington, george washington and the mark is the one indication ray himself. ray was able -- like the others they received small cash payments from washington would

buy poultry himself and after the death ofhe washington and se of livestock, he's able to purchase cattle, purchased for enslaved person but not able to purchase it more than any other week and was the so-called there were slaves controlled by the state, washington was able to use labor during his major. the slaves were divided. gthey remained enslaved. attention to detail question of farming trying to limit at mount vernon, this is the agricultural

society and agriculture which washington was an honorary member and she was in a great deal of correspondence and data and assistance in this notion of what farming will contribute to the nation. presenting this agriculture with a crown of 13 stars. like washington, they had the vision for agriculture and egress of focused primarily on trying to bring the best of british agriculture to the united states. washington in the later years of service was making references to

the life of the tree and anticipation of his life after the revolutionary war and he had biblical references and brought them into shares represented of a new peaceful area the heatsink will be based on agriculture improvement and shared agricultural movement with other nations in particular, great britain. bonds with british agriculturists and mutual projection they think has led to it and they leave their in this and almost global exchange of agricultural knowledge and

influence, general washington that things like the start of a new era of lightened exchange, this is a documentation of washington's first project after the revolutionary war and the fact that he h wanted to greet d supposed to be superior to other areas, longevity and the cost of upkeep and he decides he wants to procure spanish jack -- which is considered the best animal to brief mules but they were prohibited and when he sends out letters trying to find out how, is that simply a network of

highest level of diplomatic and in europe and attracts the attention of charles and recognizes this is a new way supporting their allies and one of the animals would be sent to washington in the united states and the one that survived -- it's almost kind of a celebrity in his own here in the farmer's almanac in massachusetts is covered in the newspapers and at

mount vernon and over the next 18 years, he participated in this global network of agriculture exchange that extends to the british empire but also diplomatic areas of the united states and received seeds over thes from all world planting wheat from southern f africa and close in africa and was sent by agriculturalists in great britain and was given to george the third and is connected with

this world of improvement and exploration of the natural world in exchange, plant exchange and it includes agricultural implements and from great britain and even more books and gave returns to practice in the detail of agriculture and can apply those lessons to farming at mount vernon. in return washington welcomed visitors to mount vernon and offers them a view of agricultural landscape unlike anything else in the united states..

this is on the map he draws in 1793 a shows the extent to which is included in the works of landscape to incorporate british farming. a visitor, people came and recognized and just looked at him particularly those in virginia, busier from europe didn't believe washington had not been here in the ideas of agricultural landscape and recognize the purpose of what washington was trying to do. the minister came to mount vernon and walks on all of arms and said they were patriotism,

these are going away for other american farmers and its detail from the map that shows he was creating views and different forms and agriculture on display and here is the tree that went to the grandest form. this image was the late 1780s early 90s one of the very few that showed housing provided for enslaved families and it's known as the house for families and

when they came to mount vernon, they saw a large number of enslaved flavors carrying out washington's innovations responsible for the changes and have brought it to mount vernon. just us agriculturalists on the sides of the atlantic recognized the powerfuler symbol the generl term farmer so a new generation of antislavery, we are convinced washington supports of them, washington emancipation would add immeasurably to the movement and encourage other people to join. good support objects and becomes

a special target among all towns. the first appeal documented is from lafayette who invited washington to join an experiment to educate enslaved flavors to supporting independent tenets on the land. washington received others from religious leaders such as methodist clergy and wanted to support of petition for abolition in virginia and quaker leaders in new york to support petitions to congress and french abolitionists came to mount vernon with a special appeal he

wanted washington to establish in virginia and like many others who appeal to washington, they are called the language from the revolution and now extend that liberty to enslaved flavor states and hopefully that in the further emancipation and slave labor in the united states. the so-called washington, the o man he called savior of america had become the liberator and enslaved black united states. it appeals to washington including those critical continue throughout his life.

her from a few private comments in support, the change in his attitude is only evident in his record as agricultural improvement. after first hearing the appeals and abolitionists and managing and slave labor and enslaved from the worst of the most inhumane parts and that are the most inhumane aspects of slavery. enslaved laborers, to protect the families of the enslaved and insisted managers provide adequate food and medical care.

the way similar to the caribbean among other people in washington and improve slavery like improving agriculture. and increases demand for labor. sunup to sundown and to do all of the labor there.

and in the record and it came to recognition in washington created his own triggered to document is changing. to prepare the enslaved, washington gives great support and transformation in their

undocumented and detailed talk for any consideration of emancipation or freedom. it's that record that makes f washington so important for understanding his path to emancipation. i've already shown these forms, is created the first step toward what he thought would be a program that would allow him to emancipate the enslaved. some other kinds of dependency

and to lease his farms to show them hangover continued improvements but was not rely on them. and allow him to free the enslaved. in 1793 and it is somewhat

harder to document the change that takes place during his presidency and they consider agricultural implements agriculture he hopes to incompatible. he gets a harder perspective and understands the ways in which they separate virginia and maryland from other parts of the country the north and the same farming for slavery. it is particularly in observing farming and he comes to the conclusion that they have

included because of regular advantages but he's includes they have provided for this is the virginia has not they get the farming of pennsylvania. he understood the technologies that they are not going to endorse that. sometime he finds out he will find a way to do it self and the plan of losing his farms and a wildly impractical idea.

saying they wouldn't hand over to the united states and a number of them, it never happened. so he goes to his own actions in the summer of 17995 months before his unexpected death, he had a will that provides for the freedom of more than 120 enslaved people. he ensured there would be cared for and the young will be trained and he offered no principle in slavery and explains what he was hoping to

accomplish and his actions that they didn't. >> you reserved the time of the revolutionary war but in light of the husband he says they rise from the earth and flourished by the superior skill labor. the associate with washington butt the rural landscape and

dignity and slavery but it attracted him in the 60s and have further adoption in the 1780s. this would be agriculture and agricultural improvement with this kind of peace chose the top

and he designed. this should be part of the and he would allow them commerce and also a establish political stability but discouraged movement in the west but that is where it reminds in conflict in a denial of individual.

this particular model of agricultural improvement and convinced him and they have no place in this nation. >> thank you. a few questions here to answer. very good question many have asked, the cultivation as opposed to other prompts affected the number of enslaved workers washington needed and once he transitions as many

slave laborers, productive employment for enslaved flavors after he transitions and he recommends in these, he has this whole infrastructure of friends and there's more work to maintain and fields that are necessary. we requires far more land than other crops that require less work on a daily basis. so washington increases his needs for labor or demand for enslaved labor after. he's able to find productive work and it's only in the late

1790s that he is more labor. i would say yes, very much so and sees himself as agricultural representative of the united states and american survey of our culture duties. they had a number of leading farmers part of the audience, most notably thomas jefferson and american farming. he tries very hard to get congress to endorse an

institution of british parliament. he begins to see more in the promotion of agriculture. enslaved member laborers 20 and overseers running plantations here supervising farming and labor.

a whole plantation and they play an important role trying to find a way of increasing revenue during the revolutionary war. those of the two overseers involved. the destruction of the tobacco market. the enslaved but it is important to recognize washington entirely dependentn on slave labor. a number of them in the time in

service throughout his time as a farmer. it requires most of them as part of their contracts also training enslaved laborers in their craft and the people who drink the field. >> that's all the questions we have here. and i want to thank you all for listening toe this.

thank you. >> on american history tvs esency theories recently, white house hisril association discussion on t evolution of the white house interior design. under succession of president. here is a portion. >> the furniture which i told you i would mention, james monroe returns to the white house after the fire in the 1817 and brings this extraordinary suite of furniture cabinet maker and it is there in the white house, originally a red color, not blue. over time it becomes worn and out of fashion and it's been whittled down to one piece of

the 53 which is tragic. there was a time when there was no collection, and added could come in in the next president could come along and there was nothing that required it to stay in the white house collection. that changed with the kennedys and johnson's but this beautiful furniture comes in and by buchanan it's all gone except for one piece. kennedy took the initiative to try to reclaim as many pieces as she could. we work with her on that and other first ladies since. to this day i believe there are ten original pieces now in the white house collection. eleven? eleven pieces in the collection including that table and the fire screen you see there is the most recent. ...

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