Mount Vernon simply cannot be separated with the man and its not what the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association want regardless. As stated on the official website, "The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association is an intrepid group of American patriots who have been preserving and promoting George Washington's Mount Vernon for more than 160 years." If the property was managed by the National Park Service, perhaps the narrative of Mount Vernon would be more expansive in scope. The justification of Outstanding Universal Value outlined in the nomination refers to Mount Vernon as an "evolved cultural landscape of the 18th-century American south". The Greenhouse located near the 'Upper Garden' is one of the highlights of the estate.

I enjoyed my time at Mount Vernon, but the founding myths of American greatness should not be inscribed on the world heritage list. While the preservationists that operate Mount Vernon have done more to address the issue of slavery, the narrative over generations that has been fed to the American public is one that justified or dismiss slavery when discussing statesmen like Washington or Jefferson. For example, common dismissals of the slavery issue include "Washington freed his slaves when he died." That is only partially correct. Yet, other relevant questions are rarely pursued, for example: What about the conditions of slaves at Mount Vernon or the stories about slaves that attempted to escape? Ongoing archaeological work has documented 87 burials sites within the the slave burial ground at Mount Vernon.

There is complexity about George Washington that felt lacking at Mount Vernon. What about his relationship with William Lee or correspondences with Phillis Wheatley? As a History teacher, I examine complexity, not simple judgements. So I view Washington with all his assets and flaws, to hopefully understand the decisions and choices he made during his life.

I am thankful the Alamo was not inscribed on the world heritage list alone, nor was it inscribed for its association with Texan Independence. That would be another example of myth clouding reality. Inscribing the San Antonio missions for the carefully chosen OUV in the nomination made sense. However, that approach would be hard to replicate here in Mount Vernon. Management of the property is a complication and the fact that the site is wildly popular, particularly with school groups makes me think we will not see another Mount Vernon nomination file. I struggle to see how Mount Vernon can make it toward inscription under these conditions.

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