Isaac, Enslaved Carpenter

Isaac, Enslaved Carpenter

Isaac was an enslaved carpenter living at Mount Vernon from 1773 to 1801. Learn more about his life with these visualizations, which include a family tree and a word cloud about the tasks he was commonly assigned.
Ricketts’ Circus in Philadelphia

Ricketts’ Circus in Philadelphia

On April 24th, 1793, the Presidential Household Accounts indicate that Washington “[paid] for 8 tickets for the Circus.” This circus was the first in the United States. In this illustrated visualization, information about the circus’s history, the performances...
“Shoemaker Will”: A Timeline of William Lee’s Life

“Shoemaker Will”: A Timeline of William Lee’s Life

William Lee—who preferred to be called by that name, though Washington often called him “Billy” or “Will”—was George Washington’s enslaved valet for 20 years. During that time, Lee rarely left Washington’s side, meaning that there are numerous records preserving Lee’s...