The washingtons' plantation

Let us now turn our attention to a man who played an important part in the history of the USA. George Washington was born on a Potomac plantation, on February 22, 1732. His father was a wealthy tobacco planter of Virginia. He owned land along the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers.

Tobacco was to the Virginians what beaver skins were to the French. It had bought everything in the Washington house. Once a year a ship from England landed at the plantation warf. It brought what the Washingtons needed for the coming year, and it would take back to England the Washington tobacco.

We can imagine little George Washington standing with the rest of his family to watch the unloading of the ship. Here would come a beautiful table, boxes of dresses, shoes, suits, and pieces of cloth; there, packages of books, boxes of pepper and other spices, tools, and medicine. Perhaps George might notice several strange young men on board the ship, new servants.

Besides bond servants, George Washington's father owned many negro slaves. They lived in little cabins a short distance from the master's big house. The negro men worked in the tobacco fields under the direction of a white overseer. Some of the women did the cooking and cleaning inside the house.

George's father spent all day riding over his estate to see that the work was being done well. Tobacco wears out soil very quickly. A Virginia planter often bought more land near his estate. This land, covered with great forest trees, had to be cleared.

As everybody in those days rode horseback, the Washingtons owned many fine horses. George learned to ride a horse even before he went to school. He looked forward to the time when he could go fox hunting with his father and elder brothers.

George's mother was kept busy in the house. She had to train the slaves to cook, churn, dust, spin, and sew. Most of the clothes her family wore came from England, but the slaves wore homespun. Cloth had to be woven and made into garments for thirty or forty slaves.

The plantations in Virginia were far apart, and sometimes many miles of bad road lay between them and the nearest village. When the Virginians went to see each other, their visits sometimes lasted several weeks. Often travellers were invited to spend the night at the Washington home. The strangers would sometimes have much to tell about what was happening in New York, in Boston, or in England. Such visitors took the place of newspapers.

Notes:

George Washington — Джордж Вашингтон (1732-1799),

первый президент США (1789-1797)

beaver skins — шкуры бобров

the unloading of the ship — разгрузка корабля

Perhaps George might notice several strange young men on board the ship — Вероятно, Джордж мог заметить на борту корабля нескольких незнакомых молодых людей

overseer — надсмотрщик

Tobacco wears out soil very quickly. — Табак быстро ис­тощает почву

to look forward to something — с нетерпением ожидать чего-либо

She had to train the slaves to cook, churn, dust, spin, and sew — Ей приходилось обучать рабов готовить пищу, сбивать масло, смахивать пыль, прясть и шить одежду

homespun — домотканное полотно

cloth — ткань

were far apart — находились на большом расстоянии друг от друга

to last — длиться, продолжаться

EXERCISES

1. Переведите на русский язык:

A Potomac plantation, a wealthy tobacco planter of Virginia, a ship from England, several strange young men, many negro slaves, George's father, with his father and elder brothers.

2. Выпишите из текста предложения, содержащие следующие словосочетания и переведите их на русский язык:

The plantations in Virginia, the unloading of the ship, homespun, a Virginia planter, what was happening in New York, in Boston, or in England, the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers.

3. Составьте предложения со следующими словами и словосочетаниями:

George Washington, besides, bond servants, George Washington's father, school, in the house, many negro slaves.

4. Ответьте на следующие вопросы:

1. Where was George Washington born?

2. Where did he live when a boy?

3. What have you known about the life on a Virginia plantation?

4. Were the plantations in Virginia far apart?

How did plantation owners know what was happening in the world?