Mount Vernon's commercial distillery began in 1797; earlier farm still purchases in 1761/1762 are a different fact. Corn/wheat evidence in 1797 is not the exact recipe of the modern reconstruction. Include enslaved workers.
The narrative connects plantation agriculture, experienced management, and market demand.
James Anderson persuaded George Washington that surplus grain and existing labor could support a commercial distillery; the operation expanded into a large, purpose-built multi-still business.
PDF sheet 44
PDF sheet 40
Chapter 2 — George Washington and James Anderson
2026-09-29: fresh supplied-copy review covered all 320 sheets and 87 enlarged visuals. This entry is checked for fidelity to the cited passage, not independent truth. Copy lacks at least endnotes 39–56; earlier complete-source wording is superseded. Mount Vernon's commercial distillery began in 1797; earlier farm still purchases in 1761/1762 are a different fact. Corn/wheat evidence in 1797 is not the exact recipe of the modern reconstruction. Include enslaved workers.
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