The enslaved often participated in local economies, both formal and informal, selling out their work when possible, their goods, and, it turns out, even their teeth. Yes, even slaves were known to sell their teeth. Poorer people sold them often to the wealthy, in an age where teeth decay was early and common. While using human teeth may seem macabre to us today, it wasn’t so uncommon in the 18th-century. Researchers like Thompson have tried to painstakingly make the best guesses, based on what we know of the era in which Washington lived. Because while we do know a bit about Washington’s dental habits, we don’t know much of anything of the teeth gotten from slaves in his possession. In comment sections, others wedded to the sacredness of the first president try to the deny Washington possibly had human teeth at all–much less those of slaves. Personal blogs, and even some news sites, conjure up images of enslaved people having their mouths pried open and their teeth yanked out. Since then, the history has taken on a life of its own. This tidbit, located in that ledger so innocuously between rather banal quotidian mentions, was rooted out (all puns intended) by another research specialist at the Washington Papers, Mary V. Yet as Kathryn Gehred, a Research Specialist with the Washington Papers, informs, the first president’s teeth weren’t wooden (as folklore suggests) but instead made from “a variety of materials.” Some of those likely included the teeth of slaves. George Washington’s dental problems are part of the American popular narrative. Jean-Pierre Le Mayeur, the first president’s dentist. Lemoire, which historians believe is most probably a transliterated spelling of Dr. The payment was made to the man who had acquired them–Dr. The teeth, giving an idea of their relative importance, were a full 6 pounds and 2 shillings. The windows cost 19 shillings and 8 pence while the Nankeen cost 1 pound. The small sentence is jotted down beneath a payment for a repair of windows in Washington’s Alexandria house (a small dwelling he built back in 1769 for short stays), and compensation to a Captain Jones for some Nankeen–a cream or yellow durable cotton cloth imported from China. It was written by Lund Washington, distant cousin of George Washington who oversaw the Mount Vernon plantations as Estate Manager from 1764 to 1785. 179, part of the financial documents making up the George Washington Papers at the University of Virginia. You can find that little notation in Ledger B, 1772-1793 p. Lemoire” –Lund Washington, Mount Vernon plantation, Account Book dated 1784. “By Cash pd Negroes for 9 Teeth on Acct of Dr. The illustration for the story (above) is by the artist Odera Igbokwe

A bit below on the history, and speculation, that inspired it. My short fantasy story “The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington” appeared this month in Fireside Fiction magazine.

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