Philip Fendall II: Anti-Slavery in Antebellum Washington

Philip Fendall II was the first child to be born at the Lee-Fendall House and a first cousin of Robert E. Lee, although he held anti-slavery views despite his upbringing. Fendall’s prolific political and legal career, however, placed him on both sides of the slavery debate in Antebellum Washington during the rise of the abolitionist movement. This lecture will examine primary source material, in relation to Fendall’s environment, to determine the extent of his anti-slavery sentiments.

Madeline Feierstein is an Alexandria, VA historian specializing in psychiatric institutions, military hospitals, and prisons. A native of Washington, D.C., her work has been showcased across the Capital Region. As the Lead Historian for the Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden, Madeline leads efforts to document the sick, injured, and imprisoned soldiers that passed through Civil War Alexandria. Additionally, she is a member of Emerging Civil War, supports the National Museum of Civil War Medicine,…