Weaving Accounts, 1767 - 1771 [Washington]

This volume, in Washington's hand, records the work done at his weaving workshop at Mount Vernon. The workshop was run by Thomas Davis, a weaver Washington employed. The volume lists the yardage the weavers produced, with information about fiber (wool, linen, cotton), patterns, weaves, quantities, prices, purchasers, and how long each order took to make. In addition to fabric, the weavers made harness, bed ticking, fishnets, and carpet. The records in this book show that much of what the weaving workshop produced was used at Mount Vernon, while some was purchased by Washington's neighbors. The weavers were a mixture of slaves and free white workers, and some details of their working lives are recorded here. These records show Washington's interest in economic self-sufficiency at a time when American colonists were starting to boycott British goods. On the last page are Washington's notes comparing the costs of making woven goods at Mount Vernon with the prices of English imports. See: https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2015/03/george-washington-and-the-weaving-of-american-history/.

There are 15 pages.

Washington, George. George Washington Papers, Series 5, Financial Papers: Weaving Accounts, 1767 - 1771. /1771, 1767. Manuscript/Mixed Material. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/mgw500006/. (Accessed February 16, 2017.)

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Weaving Accounts, 1767 - 1771

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