- Christopher Sheels
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Detail from The Washington Family by Edward Savage (1789-96). This servant probably is Christopher Sheels.
Christopher Sheels (born ca. 1774), was a "dower" slave at George Washington's Virginia plantation, Mount Vernon, who was owned by the estate of Martha Washington's first husband, Daniel Parke Custis. As widow, Martha had the lifetime use of more than 100 Custis slaves (including Sheels), hence the term "dower."[1]
Contents
Presidential Household
He was among the 7 slaves — Oney Judge, Austin, Giles, Paris, Moll, Christopher Sheels, William Lee — brought to New York City in 1789 to work in the first presidential residence. Following the transfer of the national capital to Philadelphia in 1790, he was among the 9 — Oney Judge, Austin, Giles, Paris, Moll, Hercules, Richmond, Christopher Sheels, "Postilion" Joe (Richardson)[2] — to work in the President's House.[3] He took the place of his uncle, William Lee, as the President's "body servant."
Pennsylvania had begun an abolition of slavery in 1780, and prohibited non-residents from holding slaves in the state longer than 6 months. If held beyond that period, the state's Gradual Abolition Act[4] gave slaves the legal power to free themselves.[5] Washington argued (privately) that his presence in Pennsylvania was solely a consequence of Philadelphia's being the temporary seat of the federal government, and that the state law should not apply to him. On the advice of his attorney general, Edmund Randolph, he systematically rotated the President's House slaves in and out of the state to prevent their establishing a 6-month continuous residency.[6] This rotation was itself a violation of Pennsylvania law, but the President's actions were not challenged.
As the first 6-month deadline approached in May 1791, Martha Washington took Sheels and Oney Judge on a two-day trip to Trenton, New Jersey,[7] interrupting their Pennsylvania residencies.[8]
Mount Vernon
Sheels was permanently returned to Mount Vernon by January 1792, and worked as a waiter, serving the family meals.[9] Washington returned to Virginia in March 1797, following his second term as President.
In September 1799, Washington discovered a note at Mount Vernon outlining an escape plan for Sheels and his fiancee. (The note proves that Sheels could read.) Washington foiled the escape.[10] Three months later, Sheels was at his bedside when Washington died on December 14, 1799.
As a "dower," Sheels was not one of the 124 slaves freed under the terms of George Washington's will. Following Martha Washington's 1802 death, he was one of the 153 "dower" slaves inherited by her 4 grandchildren, but it is not known which.
See also
- Samuel Osgood House (New York City) — First Presidential Mansion.
- Alexander Macomb House (New York City) — Second Presidential Mansion.
- President's House (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) — Third Presidential Mansion.
References
- ^ Slavery By the Numbers from www.ushistory.org
- ^ Joe's wife Sarah took the surname Richardson after she was freed by Washington's will. Joe was a "dower" slave and was not freed.
- ^ The President's House in Philadelphia
- ^ Pennsylvania's Gradual Abolition Act (1780)
- ^ Enslaved minors were required to work as indentured servants until age 28, when they would be free.
- ^ By strict legal interpretation, a slave's residency could be terminated by spending one day outside the state. Unscrupulous slaveholders exploited this loophole until Pennsylvania eliminated it through a 1788 amendment to the Gradual Abolition Act. See President Washington's dilemma.
- ^ Gen. Philemon Dickinson House
- ^ Tobias Lear to George Washington, May 15, 1791. "On tuesday Mrs Washington proposes going over to Jersey for a few days—she makes her visit to Mrs Dickinson. Mrs Washington takes the children with her & Christopher & Oney."
- ^ Christopher Sheels from www.ushistory.org
- ^ Slaves at the President's House
Categories: 1780s births | 19th-century deaths | American slaves | George Washington | Custis family of Virginia
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