I am probably super late to this particularly horrifying party, but I came across someone on Twitter mentioning that George Washington's teeth were made from the teeth of slaves. And at first I was a bit confused because I had always thought they were made from ivory. Or at least that's what I was taught in school. But nope. Turns out they were at least partially made out of teeth pulled from the mouths of slaves.
Here is an excerpt from the official Mount Vernon website on the issue
Am I an idiot and this is super widely known or this a more recent thing? Because I've gone my whole life thinking his teeth were made of ivory. This is fucking horrific.
Here is an excerpt from the official Mount Vernon website on the issue
According to George Washington's ledger, on May 8, 1784, he paid 6 pounds 2 shillings to "Negros for 9 Teeth on Acct of Dr Lemoin".
Whether the teeth provided by the Mount Vernon enslaved people were simply being sold to the dentist for any patient who needed them or intended for George Washington, is unknown. Since Washington paid for the teeth it suggests that they were either for his own use or for someone in his family. It is important to note that while Washington paid these enslaved people for their teeth it does not mean they had a real option to refuse his request.
Washington and Teeth from Enslaved People
www.mountvernon.org
Am I an idiot and this is super widely known or this a more recent thing? Because I've gone my whole life thinking his teeth were made of ivory. This is fucking horrific.