Hercules (Chef), -1812

Hercules was a member of the Mount Vernon enslaved community and became widely admired for his culinary skills displayed after George Washington's first retirement following the American Revolution. Hercules first appears in the historic record for the Mount Vernon Estate in 1770. Previous to his arrival at Mount Vernon, Hercules worked as a ferryman for Washington’s neighbor John Posey. Hercules was married to Alice, a Custis family dower slave owned by Martha Washington. The couple had three children during their marriage: Richmond (1777), Evey (1782), and Delia (1785). Although it is not known exactly when Hercules started working as a cook at Mount Vernon, the 1786 Mount Vernon slave census lists him as the chief cook at the Mansion House.

Hercules was one of nine slaves brought by George Washington to Philadelphia in 1790 to work in the President's House. Hercules' cooking was very much loved in the Washington household, and was "familiarly termed Uncle Harkless." He was able to bring his son Richmond, to Philadelphia. He was also given other special privileges not entitled to most of Washington's slaves.

In 1797, Hercules escaped to freedom and lived the rest of his life in New York. Washington was angered and confused by the decision to run away, believing that Hercules lived a privileged life. Washington's last will and testament, written in July 1799 before his death that December, provided for the eventual emancipation, care, and education of his slaves, following the death of Martha Washington. However, he had no legal control over whether the Custis family dower slaves would gain their freedom. As a result, Hercules' children remained enslaved, even after Martha Washington’s death in May 1802.