mount vernon partnership
With the generous support of the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, Mount Vernon and the Fairfax Network have partnered to provide schools with engaging and FREE distance learning broadcasts.
George Washington’s
Mount Vernon Estate,
Museum & Gardens
suggested RESOURCES
Africans in America
WGBH’s collection of images, documents, and biographies
Freedom for Whom? A Webquest on Slavery and the American Revolution
The role of African Americans in the Revolutionary War
George Washington Stood Here – On the Issue of Slavery
Mount Vernon's Education Department Lesson Plans
The Origins of Slavery
Learning resources from the Gilder Lehrman Institute
Slavery, the American Revolution, and the Constitution
Information from Digital History
FREE DVD
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Video Gallery
Watch video clips from previous programs.
March 28, 2012 · 1-1:45 p.m. (ET) · Grades 9-12
Watch this program anytime as an on demand video.
How did the ideas and vision which formed a new nation impact the enslaved community? I Ain’t No Three Fifths of a Person: Slavery and the Constitution explores the reactions and perspectives of key members of the Mount Vernon and Monticello enslaved communities to major events during the founding of our nation.
Through dramatic reenactments students will hear the views of Billy Lee, who served as General Washington’s manservant throughout the Revolutionary War; understand the concerns of Caroline Branham and Oney Judge, who worked under Mrs. Washington’s supervision in the mansion; meet Christopher Sheels, who served as General Washington’s manservant after Billy Lee; and discover the ideas of Bob Hemmings, manservant to Thomas Jefferson.
To provide a broader historical context, the human point of view presented by the enslaved men and women in the dramatic scenes is interwoven with interviews from prominent historians and comments from the actor/historical interpreters themselves.
Read the biographical sketches of the slaves portrayed in the program.
Read Dr. Carol Berkin's explanation of the Three-Fifths Compromise.
Slaves talk about the new constitution and what it will mean.
Standards
National Social Studies And History Standards
Era 3: Standard 1A
The student understands the causes of the American Revolution.
Era 3: Standard 1B
The student understands the principles articulated in the Declaration of Independence.
Era 3: Standard 2C
The student understands the Revolution's effects on different social groups.
Standard 2
The student comprehends a variety of historical sources
Standard 3
The student engages in historical analysis and interpretation
Standard 5
The student engages in historical issues—analysis and decision-making
Programs
The Challenges of Nationhood: Presidential Perspectives
The Constitution and
Executive Power
First In War: George Washington and the American Revolution
Founding Mothers: Remembering the Ladies
Funding a Nation: Washington, Jefferson, and Hamilton
Hear My Story: The Enslaved Community at Mount Vernon
History Notes: The Music of Washington's World
I Ain't No Three Fifths of a Person
Inaugural Visions: Presidents Washington to Obama
Seed to Table:
Farming at Mount Vernon
