George Washington personally owned 123 enslaved people at the time of his death, though 317 enslaved people lived at Mount Vernon overall, including people legally owned by Martha Washington’s estate and others he rented.

Quick context

  • Washington inherited 10 enslaved people in 1743.
  • By 1799, the Mount Vernon census counted 317 enslaved people total.
  • Of those, 123 were his own property, 153 were tied to Martha Washington’s dower estate, and the rest were rented.

Why the number varies

People often ask this in two different ways: how many he owned personally , and how many were on his plantation. Those are not the same number, which is why you’ll see different answers in different sources.

Bottom line

If you mean Washington himself , the answer is 123. If you mean all enslaved people at Mount Vernon , the answer is 317.