Afternoon dears, welcome to you. I'm Caroline, Caroline Branham, the chambermaid to the Washingtons, it's a pleasure to make
y'all's acquaintance. Master Washington he set
me out here this day. He told me, "Caroline, go
outta doors now bear greetings to my guests, be of assistance
answering curiosities and queries and such." So, that's what I'm doing. I'm a chambermaid, normally
I'm inside of the house tending to the needs of the family, the visitors and the guests, like yourselves. Yes, more specifically I
belong to the Custis family. I'm what you call a dower slave and such. Meaning that I'm property
of the Custis Estate. Mrs Washington, she was
married before and such. So, she received us after the
death of her first husband. Ah, forgive me, I'm doing
all this rambling and such. Is there any curiosities or queries that y'all might like to ask? Do tell me where you're visiting from, are you visiting from nearby, one of the neighboring farms and such? Are you part of the Fairfax community? I just need to know these things, just need to know so much,
but I'm here, I'm always here. I start my days right early, right early, I do, round and about
four of the clock, I rise. Round about the time
that the cocks outside my window get to crowing. They some noisy creatures, chickens is. But, they tasty, so that's good, yeah. I'm in inside the house
by way of the kitchen, I bid greetings to Lucy
and Nathan (laughs), they's our cooks now, ever
since Hercules up and run off. But, that's another story
for another time, yes. I fetch heated water from them and I take it straight way upstairs to the bedchamber Master
and Mistress Washington and there inside I light
the fires in the fireplace. I do that at five of the
clock, Master Washington likes to rise at five of the clock. He is quite timely,
quite timely altogether. He's often said that a
man should be to work well before the time the sun
has warmed the earth. I then assist Mrs
Washington with her dressing and grooming needs for the day. I clean and empty out the chamber pots. Always mindful of course, to leave a touch of clean water in 'em afterwards. It helps to stave off odor, trust me it really does help. I make the beds and change the linens and then I go throughout
the rest of the household, sweeping, polishing, mopping, dusting, whatever needs to be done. At seven of the clock
we do have our breaking of the fast and Master
Washington is right anxious to enjoy himself some mush cakes. Except for he don't call
them mush cakes no more, he calls them hoe cakes. And, eats his all fancy
like with honey and butter, swimming in honey and butter. Most days I'm about that house from garret to cellar it seems. Turning mattresses and cleaning
out the fireplaces and, cleaning out whatever it is
that needs to be cleaned out. Most days I'm finally dismissed
from the household round and about nine of the clock only
to start my day all over again. Only to start my day all over again, it seems as if it's never
ended from the day before. And, somewhere in there I'm
supposed to get my sewing done, I'm also considered as a seamstress. I'm responsible for sewing clothes for the slaves on this here farm. I make for them nine
articles of clothing each and every week and so they
are ready for their rations of clothing when it comes
time to get our rations of clothing, we get a
ration of clothing and such. A couple of garments
of this particular sort and a couple of that particular sort to last us throughout the year. Oh, oh forgive me, I have
been rambling on far too much. Again, are there any
queries or curiosities that I could be of assistance
with answering for you today? Oh, yes Ms. Yeomans, let's see. What does motivate or empower
me as an enslaved individual so that I can persevere through
this reality of slavery? Well, I'd like to say, faith. Faith and God that He's going to provide and do exactly as
He says He's going to do. Love for my fellow mankind, even though they not always consider
me as mankind or human. And hope, hope that tomorrow's gonna be different than today is. If I don't have hope at least,
I don't think I'd be able to get up the next day,
each and every day. Hopefully enough that's
answer for your query. Thank you for asking. Oh, how do I do my laundry? Well goodness, most times I take care of the linens for the
household on Mondays. I go throughout the whole
entirety of the household with the families and the
guests that are there. And, I take in the
linens and whatever it is that needs to be taken in. Most times I take those things
down to Dolsey and Vina. They's our washer women,
down in the washhouse. But, I've learned growing up how to tend to most of the garments. Old Daw, she is so wise. She come up here with Mrs
Washington way back in 1759. She taught me, "Now Caroline,
if you wish for your garments to stay bright white, you need to dry those things off in the sunlight. But, if you wish for your
colors ne'er to fade, dry those garments off in the shade. And, she's taught me how
to make a milk water wash for my red garments and such. And, make sure that I have a
good amount of mordant or salt to rinse my garments to make sure that things don't stain
or the colors don't run. We use things like salt or lemon that provides a touch of acid
to scrub out stains as well. We do laundry like I expect
you would do your laundry. You do do your laundry, don't you? (laughs) However much, it's somebody
else's job and responsibility. I'm just supposed to see to the mending of these particular things as I fetch them from the visitors and the guests and the family members
inside of the household. But, thank you for your query. Oh, my family. (laughs) You actually wanna know about my family? Well, I got me six living children. Four girls and two boys,
my boys are my oldest one and my youngest one. They are named Wilson and Peter. Peter's named after his father's likeness. My girls are right there in the middle. Wilson is 15 years of age, 15! My goodness gracious he is
growing into such a man. Master Washington gave
him his work assignment, just recently. You see, children round here they get their formal work assignment
from Master Washington anywhere as young as 10 years of age. But most, no later than 14 years of age. It's at the age of 15 or 16, I do believe that Master Washington is
responsible for paying tithes or taxes upon us as property and such. And my boy, Wilson he
was assigned as a footman so he has himself a nice,
fancy livery of white and red, Master Washington likes for
his male servants to wear. And, their livery and the
color of the coat of arms. A livery is like a, fashioned
after a three piece suit on a slightly military aspects, as well. Oh, you should seeing him as of late. He struts about, struts
about, struts about. He says to me the other
day, "Mamma, mamma, mamma, call me by my name." And, I said, "You Wilson, my boy Wilson." He says, "No mamma, call me by my name, my title, what I do
for Master Washington." I says, "Very well."
wishing to encourage him, I says, "You are Wilson the footman." He says, "No mamma, no." I said, "What you mean, no mamma, no?" He says, "Mamma, mamma call
me by my (clears throat) my fancy french name." I said, "What's that?" He says, "Mamma, I am a Postillon." "Huh, Postillon, my posterior. Child, I'll call you as
I see fit to call you. (laughing) Gave you your name in the
first place." I says to him. He likes to think a touch
much more of himself just because he has fancy garments to wear. It matters not what garments you wear if you're still considered
as somebodies property. My girls, my oldest of which is Rachel. She's soon to be 12 years of age. She's the oldest of the
girls and then I have Jemima, she's named after my mamma, dear child. Leanthe, she's eight years of age. And then Polly, she's five. And, the older children look in after the younger children
when I'm away at work. But, thank you for asking your query. And, of course, I'm married
to my beloved Peter Hardiman. (squeals) Peter Hardiman, (clears
throat) he is a groomsman and a breeder for Master Washington. He came up here with a purchase
of a horse some years back. Even know it's not legally
recognized as being husband and wife, I still like
to call him my beloved. My Peter, my Peter Hardiman. But, that's all I have to tell you about my beautiful family. But, thank you for asking,
it means right much to me. Oh, the clothes that I have upon? Well, because I work
inside the mansion house I'm required to wear garments that are of (sighs) lesser quality
in fabric and such of the Washington's of the household. But, still in all pleasant and pleasing to the eyesight of the
visitors and the guests. And, just like my son,
Wilson and the rest of the footman and the
butlers and the menservants and such are required to wear
a certain garments and such to where we are seen (sighs) in a particular light. And, the things that I have upon myself and that I'm required
to wear in accordance to the customs and the laws
of this particular time are sumptuary laws say that
an enslaved person is supposed to wear garments of calico
and check and stripes and things of that particular nature. Very often time my garments
are made out of hemp or linen. Inset are course and uncomfortable. Only reason I'm wearing a printed dress is because I work inside the house. Those whom I make garments for
that work out in the fields and other places, their
garments are quite plain. Very uncomfortable and
it's very easy to identify their status and such in
the society of this world. Thank you for asking
that question, Ms. Donna. Oh goodness gracious, what
is a typical day like? (laughs) A typical day is right long, right long. It seems that Master
Washington is very intent on making sure that everybody
has to labor, everybody. Things for every male and female slave to do as much labor in
24 hours as their bodies without effecting their health
constitution would allow of. Sometimes this makes me
think that I'm supposed to work and work and work
until I feel like I'm gonna die and if I don't die then keep working. Yes, there's always
something for me to be doing. We very often times have
more than one assignment and as I said, my primary
responsibility is the chambermaid. To sweep and polish and mop and dust and see to the needs of
the family and the visitors and the guests and such inside
of the mansion household. On times when I a moment
I'm required to do sewing and that things of that particular nature. My days can be anywhere as long as (sighs) 12 to 15 hours. Oh, and the holiday season
are the most dreaded. Understand me, I undertend
that it is a time for visitors and guests and family to
gather themselves together, to be with one another and such. But, that requires for
my day to be even longer. Even though the visitors, even though those that work out in the
fields and the skilled laborers and such are working from sun to sun. My days, my work days can
extend far beyond that. Just as theirs can go in
comparison to the season. But, my season, the holiday
seasons are never ending as it seems to where there is much revelry and entertainment and such
well throughout the night time. Thank you again for asking that query. Hopefully that's answer enough for you. Is there anything else that I could be of assistance with, dears? Oh, Ms. Kimberly Stern wants
to know, where did I grow up? What was it like when I was growing up? Oh well, I was born around here. But my mamma, my mamma she come
up here from New Kent County down there near Williamsburg. See she was dowry property
of Mrs Washington. Mrs Washington being a Custis before, her first husband Daniel Parke Custis. Very wealthy planter, very wealthy. I mean Master Washington
is moderately wealthy with 8000 acres but her first
husband quite, quite wealthy. Sadly enough in the eight
years that they were married, her life was not all
fanciful as you might think. And, that two of the four
children that she'd given birth to did succumb to illness
and died in their infancy. And, no sooner than she was grieving the loss of her second
daughter, and such a child that her husband unexpectedly died. And so, Mrs Washington was
responsible for holding trust to all of the property, slaves, land, whatever holdings there
were and to pass them on into the children from that marriage. And so, my mamma came up
here, I was born here, this is the only home I've
ever known, right here. And so, life is very much like it is now into where I've always known work. And I, I've known times of sorrow and times of love and times of loss. Same as anybody else I expect. But, thank you for asking, Ms. Kimberly. Let's see. (laughs) Ms. Emily Wozniak, she
wants to know whether or not I interact with any other enslaved people from other homes and such. Of course, I got myself a community. We's all family around here, even though if not by blood we's all family. And, there some cabins that do
contain more than one family, in those small cabins. We live here on the property,
they set aside behind gates and behind fences and
such is our living spaces. And then, there are others that
stay in the slave quarters. But before then, we used
to all stay together in a house for families. It was a large two-story wooden structure and everybody was there,
it was like grandmas and cousins and aunts
and nieces and nephews. Never any privacy and always
quite noisy and smelly. But, we loved it 'cause
we was all together. So, I know most everybody here on this particular mansion house farm. The outer farms I only have occasion to have acquaintance with
those that work here. But, their families on
the other farms and such. So, I know of them by conversation. But thank you, for asking that query. Oh goodness gracious, I expect
I can probably speak upon this as the Washingtons
are nowhere nearby. They get so upset when you talk about this particular subject. Ms. Brenda Turner wants to
know if I've heard anything from Ona since she up and
left a couple of years back and what do I feel or think about Master Washington pursuing her? Well no, I haven't
heard any news about her and very often times though if
a guest does mention her name I will ask them if they have any knowledge of her wellbeing or whereabouts. Her mother, well, her sister now as
her mother has passed greatly missed her and that was before she was sent in her place to go and become property of (sighs) Ms. Eliza. And, Master Washington in his attempts to retrieve the property of his wife I thought that it was gone
about in a very peculiar manner. And that, in private conversation I've heard him say so
much as to where he wishes for this institution to be
abolished or to go away. But, yet and still he is trying to pursue the property of his wife. I expect it might have something to do with the simple fact that
being that he is responsible for repayment of any property
that is lost or damaged. And, those are my thoughts
and such for the most part. But, if you truly want to
know how I feel about it, I am very, very happy
that she was brave enough to pursue her chance at
liberty, her own freedom. Thank you for being brave enough to ask that query Ms. Brenda Turner. Are there any other curiosities? (giggles) And, the query is does Brenda sing? (laughs) Hello everybody! (laughs) We're gonna take that moment
in this particular question to go ahead and answer it
as my person, as myself. My name is Brenda Parker and I'm a historical character
interpreter here at Mount Vernon and I'm really enjoying this opportunity and I will be answering questions both as far as Caroline is
concerned and as myself. But, this particular
query came from Debbie and she wanted to know
whether or not I also sing. Yes, I do also sing, I have
that particular talent. As you might be able to see
in the far background there's these beautiful little
African symbols back there. Mara Maasai, my beautiful sun Cofer bird. I do a program, a special program here on occasion called "Mara Maasai" and it's music, messages and memories. So, it's a lot of songs
that were written down and documented after, let
me see, after the civil war, as far as most of them go. Some of them have of
course their ties to slavey and that time period, but
if you see me singing here on the property I'm
more than likely either in that particular program or either I'm giving a song tribute
down at our cemetery. The cemetery for the enslaved
and other African Americans that were here, lived and
worked here on the property. So, thank you for asking
that question Debbie and giving me a chance
to step out of character (laughs) altogether and everything. So, the next question,
have any other questions? What is my process for giving
voice to enslaved people? Thank you for asking
that particular question. And, we have been blessed
to have Teaching Tuesdays where Sadie Trout comes
on and she was speaking the other day about source documents, primary source documents and
secondary source documents. And, we are so privileged
here at Mount Vernon to have all of these letters and papers of General Washington and
him being a very meticulous and detailed note maker, you
can go into the inventory list and see a name and you can
actually take that name and read it a little
bit further on and see, this is their work position,
this is their approximate age. You can look in daily or weekly journals and see that the person was distributed this amount of clothing or this person was ill that particular day. So, what I do is I take
the name of a person. I try to find them in
the sources that we have as to whether or not they were born here. Or, whether or not they were brought here with Caroline Branham I did not, we still don't know whether
or not she was born here. I like to choose to say
that she was born here in order to extend the narrative and talk about the fact
that a large amount of the population initially came as part of Mrs. Washington's
dower, property and estate. And, that way I can talk
about people from you know, different places of avengers
here at Mount Vernon. And, it might be something
as simple as also if you wanted to create
this kind of persona or a life for somebody on your own. It might be as simple as you saying, "Where did this teacup
that I have come from?" So, you can take the object
and you can backtrack and say, "This was made
here, this was purchased here and this is the person who was using it." In addition to, this is the
person that was using it, who was the person that
was making the product that you're eating out of
or that you're you know, that you're actually enjoying
you know, the cup of tea. So, you can go to hands of the people that were actually making the food or actually handling
that particular teacup, cleaning that particular
teacup and that set. You know, responsible for
you know, presenting it or putting it out and it gives
you wonderful opportunities if you just take a simple object and then expand or go outward
you know, as to all the hands and all the people that might have handled it during that particular time. Next question, thank you
(laughs) Mr. Ray for asking that. How did you get your start as an interpreter at Mount Vernon? Was it love of history or acting or teaching that led me here? Thank you for asking that Ms. Mili. Actually it's a very odd
process how I ended up here at Mount Vernon as a historic
character interpreter. I actually started working
at Mount Vernon for the Mount Vernon Ladies'
Association about 11/12 years ago. Now, back in 2004 as a waiter, as a server
down in the Mount Vernon Inn. But, I've had a background,
I've earned my living for several years by
doing musical theater. More specifically children's theater. So, lots and lots and lots and
lots of children's theater. Main stage productions,
touring theater, commercials, television and things of
that particular nature. I would not have considered
myself a historian or a history buff until I
came up onto the property and I came to realize that these persons, their lives weren't scripted. So, we have to create their lives with the evidence that they've left behind in artifacts or in documentation,
paper documentation and other sources and things
of that a particular nature. As a mother of four children
who are all adults now, yay! (laughs) I was always a teacher,
I think that any parent is a teacher for the most part. And so, I really enjoyed
being able to bring a story, just a simple storybook to life. I was that kind of parent
that did all of the voices, would even encourage
my children to dress up or to act out particular parts or play with their little dolls
as the different characters. But, thank you for asking that question. Yeah, it was kind of, fate. (laughs) Or providence as the
Washingtons might say, divine providence that I
ended up in this position. When I was offered the opportunity I turned it down a
couple of years in a row and then I decided the third
time that it was presented with me that this might be something that I would be interested in doing. And, I'm so happy (laughs) that I decided to go ahead and take that opportunity. Thank you again for asking that question, are there any other questions
that I can answer for you? Oh alrighty, I think we're
probably getting down to the last few minutes. Peter Hardiman is a distant relative, how can I find out more about the enslaved community at Mount Vernon? That's from Marvin-Alonzo Greer. I am so excited that
you decided to chime in on this particular topic
and conversation today. You are always welcome to go and look at the resources that we have available here. We will make sure that we
put in the links below, (laughs) at the end of, or the close. A couple of the resources
that I have short of actually going and looking at a lot of the documents and everything. I know that Peter Hardiman was
a part of the Stuart family and that he did come initially
with a purchase of a horse. He was a jockey, I didn't
realize he was very slender and short in stature and
one particular account I think he was loaned out for somebody to use him to win a race, yay, he won. And, often times when that happened they would be given a little gratuity or a little monetary tip to
you know, to bring back home. So, hopefully you'll be able
to find out more information. If not, just continue to
hit up the resources online. Go to the website and under the "Lives Bound Together" exhibit, or George Washington/slavery
you can actually find is much of the digitized information that we have about the individual persons. If not, get in contact with
me a little bit later, Marvin. (laughs) And, another question, really quick? Is there a place on Mount Vernon that has a special meaning to you? This is asked by Amanda Williams. Yes, (sighs) my favorite
place or the place that I find the most amount
of meaning or connection would actually be the cemetery
for the enslaved people. It is located down near the water's edge. It is about 200 yards away from General Washington's new tomb and it's on the opposite side of the path. And, it is situated on a hillside, so to speak and it used to overlook what was called the hold or the swamps. And, that was of course
drained once you know, the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association got the property and everything like that. But, I can sit there and just enjoy the peace and the calm that that place, it
presents and that it offers. And, that's normally if
you come across me singing, that would be the place or
a very good place for me to actually be singing or lifting up a praise in song. But yeah, that's my favorite place on the whole entirety of the estate. And, thank you so much for
asking that question, Amanda. I believe we have to wrap up now. I thank you so very much for your time and your energy and your attention. Keep on putting questions in
and I'll try to answer them a little bit later and everything. We're also gonna list of links to the resources that I mentioned before. The Collaborative Companion book for the "Lives Bound Together" exhibit. As well as, "Buried Lives"
written by Carla McClafferty, a wonderful friend of mine. As well as, "The Enslaved
People of Mount Vernon", a wonderful book that's
written by Mary V. Thompson. Thank you again and it's been
wonderful seeing you all. (giggles)
