Slavery

8 Short Facts About George Washington #6

Slavery is the most obvious and most glaring of the hypocrisies at the founding of our country. There can be little doubt that the institution is at direct odds with the bedrock principals upon which our nation was founded. It was the most evil of institutions. One look at race relations in our nation today show that we have still failed to atone for our greatest sin.

It is clear that our founders were well aware of their hypocrisy. It troubled them, but they did not have the courage to take on the institution. It has been argued, from the time of the founding to this very day, that slavery had to be retained in order for the union to survive. No matter, slavery is still evil.

Washington seemed more troubled by slavery than most. As he began to plan his return to private life, he expressed his desire to free his slaves. This was, as Joseph J. Ellis expressed in his book His Excellency, an attempt "to liberate his bondsmen as well as his own conscience." Ultimately though, Washington would take no action on freeing his slaves in his own lifetime.

Unlike every other founding father that owned slaves however, Washington would, in his will, free his slaves. It does not forgive his practice in the institution or his failure to act on the issue in his lifetime. Still, it is something. It was a moral act at a time when there weren't very many where slavery was concerned.