Intertwined tells the story of the more than 577 people enslaved by George and Martha Washington at Mount Vernon. Told through the biographies of Sambo Anderson, Davy Gray, William Lee, Kate, Ona Judge, Nancy Carter Quander, Edmund Parker, Caroline Branham, and the Washingtons, this eight-part podcast series explores the lives and labors of Mount Vernon’s enslaved community, and how we interpret slavery at the historic site today. Intertwined is narrated by Brenda Parker and is a production of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association and CD Squared. www.georgewashingtonpodcast.com
https://www.georgewashingtonpodcast.com
episode 10: Intertwined Stories: Finding Hercules Posey
In Intertwined Stories, we’re taking a deeper dive into the history behind the podcast Intertwined: The Enslaved Community at George Washington’s Mount Vernon by bringing you extended versions of some of the interviews with the series' contributors.
In Episode 5 of Intertwined we encountered Hercules Posey, a man enslaved by the Washingtons, worked as their chef, and who self-emancipated from Mount Vernon in February 1797. For over 200 years, we had little idea of Posey’s whereabouts after he left the plantation. But thanks to recent research, now we do.
To learn more about Hercules Posey, we talked to Ramin Ganeshram. She’s a chef herself, historian, and the Executive Director of the Westport Museum for History and Culture in Westport, Connecticut.
Intertwined’s co-creator Jeanette Patrick served as the lead interviewer for our conversation with Ganeshram. We pick up the story with Posey’s flight to freedom in February 1797. And you won’t believe what happens next.
Intertwined is narrated by Brenda Parker and is a production of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association and CD Squared. Full transcripts, show notes, and bibliographies for Intertwined are available at www.georgewashingtonpodcast.com.