Christopher Sheels facts for kids
Christopher Sheels was an enslaved house servant at George Washington's home, Mount Vernon, in Virginia. He was born around 1774.
As a teenager, he worked for Washington in New York City and Philadelphia. These cities were the nation's capital at the time. In 1799, Washington stopped Sheels from trying to escape Mount Vernon. Later that year, Sheels was present when George Washington died.
Contents
What Were Dower Slaves?
Christopher Sheels was owned by the estate of Daniel Parke Custis. He was Martha Washington's first husband. When Daniel Custis died, Martha was allowed to use one-third of his enslaved people for her lifetime. These people were called "dower slaves."
When Martha married George Washington in 1759, there were at least 85 dower slaves. Under Virginia law, if an enslaved mother had children, those children were also born into slavery. This was true no matter who the father was. Many generations of dower slaves were born at Mount Vernon. By 1799, there were 153 dower slaves.
George Washington freed his own 123 enslaved people in his will when he died. However, the dower slaves belonged to the Custis estate. After Martha Washington died in 1802, the Custis estate was settled. The 153 dower slaves, including Christopher Sheels, were then inherited by Martha's four grandchildren.
Christopher Sheels's Family
Christopher Sheels's mother was Alyce, an enslaved spinner at the Mount Vernon Mansion. His father might have been Christopher Sheldes, a white wagon driver. Sheels was listed as 11 years old in a census from 1786.
His grandmother, "Old Doll," was a cook at the Mansion. She was one of the first dower slaves brought to Mount Vernon in 1759.
Working for President Washington
Will Lee had been Washington's main personal servant during the American Revolution. In April 1789, Washington traveled to New York City to become the first President of the United States. Will Lee was too sick to go.
So, 14-year-old Christopher Sheels went instead. Will Lee joined him in the presidential home a few weeks later. Will Lee's brother was married to Sheels's aunt, so they were related.
Presidential Homes in New York and Philadelphia
New York City was the nation's capital from 1788 to 1790. Washington became president there on April 30, 1789. About twenty servants worked in the first presidential home. Seven of them were enslaved people from Mount Vernon. These included Oney Judge, Austin, Giles, Paris, Moll, Christopher Sheels, and William Lee.
In 1790, Congress moved the capital to Philadelphia for ten years. This was while a permanent capital was being built in District of Columbia. The President's House in Philadelphia had more servants. Initially, there were about twenty-four. Eight of these were enslaved people from Mount Vernon. They included Oney Judge, Austin, Giles, Paris, Moll, Hercules, Richmond, and Christopher Sheels.
Will Lee never worked in the Philadelphia presidential home. He returned to Mount Vernon permanently. There, he became the plantation's shoemaker. After Austin died in 1794, "Postilion Joe" (Richardson) joined the Philadelphia household.
Slavery Laws in Pennsylvania
In 1780, Pennsylvania passed the Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery. This was the first state law to begin ending slavery. However, the law was very slow. It only freed the future children of enslaved mothers. Anyone already enslaved in Pennsylvania before the law stayed enslaved for life.
The law also said that slaveholders who didn't live in Pennsylvania could keep their enslaved people for six months while in the state. But if those enslaved people stayed longer than six months, the law allowed them to become legally free.
Washington believed that Pennsylvania's law should not apply to him. He argued that he was only in Pennsylvania because it was the temporary capital. He said he was still a citizen of Virginia. His attorney general, Edmund Randolph, advised him. Washington began moving the enslaved people from the President's House in and out of Pennsylvania. This was to prevent them from staying for six continuous months. This practice was probably against a 1788 change to Pennsylvania law. But no one challenged Washington during his time in Philadelphia.
In May 1791, the first six-month deadline was near. Martha Washington took Sheels and Oney Judge on a two-day trip to Trenton, New Jersey. This trip stopped their six-month stay in Pennsylvania.
Return to Mount Vernon
By January 1792, Sheels was back at Mount Vernon for good. He worked as a waiter, serving meals to the Washington family. George Washington finished his second term as President in March 1797. He then returned to Virginia.
In September 1799, Washington found a note. It described an escape plan for Sheels and his fiancée. The note showed that Sheels could read. Washington stopped the escape. Three months later, Sheels was by Washington's bed when he died on December 14, 1799.
As a dower slave, Christopher Sheels was not among the 123 enslaved people freed by George Washington's will. After Martha Washington died in 1802, Sheels became one of the 153 dower slaves inherited by Martha's four grandchildren. There are no records of where he lived the rest of his life or when he died.
See also
- List of enslaved people of Mount Vernon
- George Washington and slavery
- Samuel Osgood House – First Presidential Mansion
- Alexander Macomb House – Second Presidential Mansion
- President's House (Philadelphia) – Third Presidential Mansion
