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Washington at the Plow: The Founding Farmer and the Question of Slavery
George Washington spent more of his working life farming than he did at war or in political office. For over forty years, he devoted himself to the improvement of agriculture. Washington at the Plow depicts the first farmer of America as a leading practitioner of the New Husbandry, a transatlantic movement that spearheaded advancements in crop rotation. A tireless experimentalist, Washington pulled up his tobacco and switched to wheat production, leading the way for the rest of the country. He filled his library with the latest agricultural treatises and pioneered land-management techniques that he hoped would guide small farmers, strengthen agrarian society, and ensure the prosperity of the nation. He saw enslaved field workers and artisans as means of agricultural development and tried repeatedly to adapt slave labor to new kinds of farming. But Washington eventually found that forced labor could not achieve the productivity he desired. His inability to reconcile ideals of scientific farming and rural order with race-based slavery led him to reconsider the traditional foundations of the Virginia plantation. As Bruce Ragsdale shows, it was the inefficacy of chattel slavery, as much as moral revulsion at the practice, that informed Washington's famous decision to free his slaves after his death.
352 pages, Hardcover
Published October 12, 2021
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191 people want to read
About the author
Bruce A. Ragsdale
18 books3 followersBruce A. Ragsdale served for twenty years as director of the Federal Judicial History Office at the Federal Judicial Center. The author of A Planters’ Republic: The Search for Economic Independence in Revolutionary Virginia, he has been a fellow at the Washington Library at Mount Vernon and the International Center for Jefferson Studies.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 16, 2022
The First Farmer questions Slavery.
This is an extremely well-written, well-documented book about George Washington, the slave-holding farmer. It is also the best by far of the very few non-children’s books about Washington as a farmer. As reference, there was one book in 1915 (republished in 2012) by Hayworth (168 pages, 19 slavery mentions), one in 2002 by Fusonie (66 pages), one in 2013 by Matteson (34 pages), one in 2017 by Ragsdale and West (about 100 pages, with 11 mentions of slavery), and now this one in 2021 by Ragsdale (358 pages with numerous slavery mentions). Thus the book is easily the most definitive book about George Washington’s life as a farmer, a life he cherished more than his generalship and presidency, and a life celebrated by others as a reprise of Rome’s fabled Cincinnatus.
The book details Washington’s efforts to move away from America’s draining and stifling dependency upon England’s neo-mercantilistic system, which exchanged soil-depleting American tobacco for British finished goods. As Washington moved into a more-profitable system of producing wheat for domestic and foreign markets, he confronted the challenge of integrating the English model of agricultural improvement with his prime labor force of slaves. Not the least of Washington’s problems was the marginal soil found at Mount Vernon. At any rate, given the energy, curiosity, and sense of organization Washington possessed, he quickly set up elaborate systems to optimize his profits. This was no small feat, as wheat farming was much more complicated than tobacco farming. It required intense training of his slaves, whose motivation depended upon near-constant supervision over the dawn-to-dusk six-day workweeks Washington, the oftentimes micromanager, imposed upon them.
In Washington’s very-large-farmer elitist model of agricultural of improvement, he read and corresponded widely, developing an international reputation as a wise experimentalist, sharing his detailed findings with anyone of repute who would listen. Nevertheless, despite all his efforts, Washington slowly realized that for him, despite his highly creative and enterprising innovations, his heavily slave-dependent model was not working. Certainly, it wouldn’t work for farmers less gifted than himself. And, while Washington led with example by freeing his slaves in his will, it left him at something of a loss as to how the nation would progress with slavery deeply embedded in its soul.
In general, the book throws fascinating detail upon fascinating detail upon the gist of the book as mentioned above. The author explores logic trails of both agriculture and slavery, noting how they were intertwined and cleverly filling in the blanks to show the integrated workings of Washington’s efforts at slave-based farming. In doing so, Ragsdale leaves us with an extremely well-done book. An unabashed admirer of George Washington, I found no errors of fact or typography, something quite unusual. However, despite a generous notes section, I did miss seeing a bibliography.
Bottom-line: I highly recommend this book as a very worthy addition to any Washington library. I personally am waiting for the relatively high $28 Kindle price to come down a bit before getting my own copy. But, courtesy of my library, read and enjoy it, I just did!
Of possible interest: George Washington's Liberty Key: Mount Vernon's Bastille Key - the Mystery and Magic of Its Body, Mind, and Soul, a best-seller at Mount Vernon. “Character is Key for Liberty!”
This is an extremely well-written, well-documented book about George Washington, the slave-holding farmer. It is also the best by far of the very few non-children’s books about Washington as a farmer. As reference, there was one book in 1915 (republished in 2012) by Hayworth (168 pages, 19 slavery mentions), one in 2002 by Fusonie (66 pages), one in 2013 by Matteson (34 pages), one in 2017 by Ragsdale and West (about 100 pages, with 11 mentions of slavery), and now this one in 2021 by Ragsdale (358 pages with numerous slavery mentions). Thus the book is easily the most definitive book about George Washington’s life as a farmer, a life he cherished more than his generalship and presidency, and a life celebrated by others as a reprise of Rome’s fabled Cincinnatus.
The book details Washington’s efforts to move away from America’s draining and stifling dependency upon England’s neo-mercantilistic system, which exchanged soil-depleting American tobacco for British finished goods. As Washington moved into a more-profitable system of producing wheat for domestic and foreign markets, he confronted the challenge of integrating the English model of agricultural improvement with his prime labor force of slaves. Not the least of Washington’s problems was the marginal soil found at Mount Vernon. At any rate, given the energy, curiosity, and sense of organization Washington possessed, he quickly set up elaborate systems to optimize his profits. This was no small feat, as wheat farming was much more complicated than tobacco farming. It required intense training of his slaves, whose motivation depended upon near-constant supervision over the dawn-to-dusk six-day workweeks Washington, the oftentimes micromanager, imposed upon them.
In Washington’s very-large-farmer elitist model of agricultural of improvement, he read and corresponded widely, developing an international reputation as a wise experimentalist, sharing his detailed findings with anyone of repute who would listen. Nevertheless, despite all his efforts, Washington slowly realized that for him, despite his highly creative and enterprising innovations, his heavily slave-dependent model was not working. Certainly, it wouldn’t work for farmers less gifted than himself. And, while Washington led with example by freeing his slaves in his will, it left him at something of a loss as to how the nation would progress with slavery deeply embedded in its soul.
In general, the book throws fascinating detail upon fascinating detail upon the gist of the book as mentioned above. The author explores logic trails of both agriculture and slavery, noting how they were intertwined and cleverly filling in the blanks to show the integrated workings of Washington’s efforts at slave-based farming. In doing so, Ragsdale leaves us with an extremely well-done book. An unabashed admirer of George Washington, I found no errors of fact or typography, something quite unusual. However, despite a generous notes section, I did miss seeing a bibliography.
Bottom-line: I highly recommend this book as a very worthy addition to any Washington library. I personally am waiting for the relatively high $28 Kindle price to come down a bit before getting my own copy. But, courtesy of my library, read and enjoy it, I just did!
Of possible interest: George Washington's Liberty Key: Mount Vernon's Bastille Key - the Mystery and Magic of Its Body, Mind, and Soul, a best-seller at Mount Vernon. “Character is Key for Liberty!”
July 1, 2024
I had to read this for a workshop I'm attending next week. I don't really read history, and if you ever want a deep dive into colonial agriculture, this is your book. Well written. Don't read while reclining.
January 7, 2022
If I hear the word “husbandry” one more time, I think I’ll chuck this book in the trash!
Solid historical book, and I learned a lot about Washington as a farmer. It was just incredibly bland.
Solid historical book, and I learned a lot about Washington as a farmer. It was just incredibly bland.
July 20, 2025
More like a 3.5 - I would say the first half of the book is kind of boring but the second half is v good
December 5, 2021
Ragsdale has written an engaging study of the farmer Washington. His legacy is a mixed one that combines a thirst for knowledge of English farming techniques and a heavy reliance of enslaved people in order to accomplish his master plans. Looking at Washington's correspondence and ledger books gives the reader an opportunity to enter the First President's mind as he is constantly on the search for new ways to increase the yield on his plantations. Yet, Washington, even though he was prodded by such anti-slavery notables like Lafayette and David Stuart, could not advocate emancipation during his lifetime. In some ways, Washington was a product of the North with his more benevolent treatment of slaves at times yet he was purely Southern in his beliefs that they did not warrant freedom the same as whites enjoyed. Also, Washington was not a true exponent of democracy because he held a strong belief in a hierarchical vision of society for both black and poorer whites. This book is a fascinating study of the agricultural Washington. I thought that Washington had been covered from top to bottom but this book proved me wrong. I hope I am proven wrong many more times in the future.
September 26, 2025
This is a really good book with an exhaustive account of Washington's work as a farmer, plantation owner, slave holder, and "American Cincinnatus."
The key argument to the book is how Washington used "Enlightenment" thinking to explore ways to make agriculture better and more efficient. This was the underlying logic behind his decisions from the way that he tested seeds, soils, implements, and of course different labor strategies. In this book, readers get to experience Washington in a different light; he's not the general or the president, even. He's Washington the landowner and fascinating entrepreneur, working to maximize the land and profits.
Of course there's an obvious elephant in the room of Washington as slave holder. Ragsdale does a great job of describing Washington, without trying to venerate or condemn him. In some ways, the Enlightenment thinking informed Washington's complex relationship with slavery. He approached the institution with a mix of disdain, wishing it wasn't necessary, but also a resolve to make it work efficiently with concepts of discipline and an unsettling detachment from slaves at times. There were stories of slaves, overseers, and plantation managers that show Washington's hands on approach to the day to day operations at Mount Vernon. It's a wonderful depth to understand how this iconic American truly spent his days.
My critique of the book is that it seemed to overly state the obvious thesis of Washington utilizing Enlightenment strategies to inform his decisions. He continually went to find the best in English agricultural practices, hiring managers from England to bring those techniques to Washington's Virginia holdings. The repeated discussions of these matters of efficiency seemed a bit redundant. However, since each of these stories is supported with strong primary source information, I can't really fault Ragsdale for reiterating the point. It is a solid, credible argument.
I am not sure that I would assign this book, but if I ever make reference to Washington "the man" as opposed to the legend, this is a must-cite book. I think it could work for a class on Colonial history, although it feels more suited for graduate school and beyond. I'm sure that some aficionados will enjoy this depth, but it's both too long and too dense to be useful at the undergrad level (nor do I think it was the author's intention to write a book for that level). Nevertheless, I was glad I spent time with this book and its argument. It will stay with me, certainly.
The key argument to the book is how Washington used "Enlightenment" thinking to explore ways to make agriculture better and more efficient. This was the underlying logic behind his decisions from the way that he tested seeds, soils, implements, and of course different labor strategies. In this book, readers get to experience Washington in a different light; he's not the general or the president, even. He's Washington the landowner and fascinating entrepreneur, working to maximize the land and profits.
Of course there's an obvious elephant in the room of Washington as slave holder. Ragsdale does a great job of describing Washington, without trying to venerate or condemn him. In some ways, the Enlightenment thinking informed Washington's complex relationship with slavery. He approached the institution with a mix of disdain, wishing it wasn't necessary, but also a resolve to make it work efficiently with concepts of discipline and an unsettling detachment from slaves at times. There were stories of slaves, overseers, and plantation managers that show Washington's hands on approach to the day to day operations at Mount Vernon. It's a wonderful depth to understand how this iconic American truly spent his days.
My critique of the book is that it seemed to overly state the obvious thesis of Washington utilizing Enlightenment strategies to inform his decisions. He continually went to find the best in English agricultural practices, hiring managers from England to bring those techniques to Washington's Virginia holdings. The repeated discussions of these matters of efficiency seemed a bit redundant. However, since each of these stories is supported with strong primary source information, I can't really fault Ragsdale for reiterating the point. It is a solid, credible argument.
I am not sure that I would assign this book, but if I ever make reference to Washington "the man" as opposed to the legend, this is a must-cite book. I think it could work for a class on Colonial history, although it feels more suited for graduate school and beyond. I'm sure that some aficionados will enjoy this depth, but it's both too long and too dense to be useful at the undergrad level (nor do I think it was the author's intention to write a book for that level). Nevertheless, I was glad I spent time with this book and its argument. It will stay with me, certainly.
March 23, 2023
This was really well researched and informative, however at the same time it was repetitive and chronologically disorganized. The author writes like a true historian and not like a novel writer. He’s definitely an expert in this area but that doesn’t always correlate to an entertaining communicator of the subject matter.
You’re going to read the word treatises over 60 times, at that point like I get it, it’s just redundant. This book was 275 pages with a handful of pictures, across 8 chapters. I really didn’t appreciate the 34 pages per chapter average. The subject matter is already dry - operations of Mount Vernon in the 1700s - to have that long of chapters with an author who is repetitive and writes like a scientific historian and this was a painful read. I almost quit halfway through, however to motivate myself I read two chapters of Eric Jay Dolin’s Leviathan and told myself I had to finish this book on Washington before I could resume.
As mentioned, the book is well researched. It’s really overly detailed on staffing changes, however there’s interesting parts such as Washington’s commitment to crop rotations and value-added products. By far the most interesting part was Royal Gift, but it’s sadly brief.
You’re going to read the word treatises over 60 times, at that point like I get it, it’s just redundant. This book was 275 pages with a handful of pictures, across 8 chapters. I really didn’t appreciate the 34 pages per chapter average. The subject matter is already dry - operations of Mount Vernon in the 1700s - to have that long of chapters with an author who is repetitive and writes like a scientific historian and this was a painful read. I almost quit halfway through, however to motivate myself I read two chapters of Eric Jay Dolin’s Leviathan and told myself I had to finish this book on Washington before I could resume.
As mentioned, the book is well researched. It’s really overly detailed on staffing changes, however there’s interesting parts such as Washington’s commitment to crop rotations and value-added products. By far the most interesting part was Royal Gift, but it’s sadly brief.
May 23, 2022
I think this is probably the first biography of Washington I've ever read, which is funny, because it doesn't cover his military or political career at all. It does extensively the thing he undoubtedly cared the most about and what he thought would be his lasting legacy - a new system of farming for the new country and his decision to free his slaves in his will.
Washington desperately tried to update the American way of farming during his life and thought he could get the country on the right track by example. He also thought of his himself as a "good" slaveowner and was certainly not alone among the founders. By the end of his life, he realized that agriculture with slaves had no future but he didn't really do anything to convince his peers to give it up.
A complicated and brilliant man, no doubt, and this book is an impressive piece of reporting on him.
Washington desperately tried to update the American way of farming during his life and thought he could get the country on the right track by example. He also thought of his himself as a "good" slaveowner and was certainly not alone among the founders. By the end of his life, he realized that agriculture with slaves had no future but he didn't really do anything to convince his peers to give it up.
A complicated and brilliant man, no doubt, and this book is an impressive piece of reporting on him.
February 15, 2025
New view of GW
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews