George Washington owned enslaved people from age eleven until his death.  At the time, large-scale tobacco planting was carried out by enslaved labor.  Large portions of the social, political, and economic society of colonial Virginia revolved making full use of enslaved labor and the buying and selling enslaved people.  Washington made no official public statements on slavery or emancipation as a Virginia legislator, as a military officer, or as president of the United States. Much is written about his “regret” over slavery and his provision in his will to free his enslaved laborers but ultimately, his views on slavery are driven by economic considerations not compassion. 

In his twenties Washington inherited the Mount Vernon plantation after the death of his brother.  He then became a farmer while continuing to serve in the colonial military.  Because he was frequently away on public service, we have detailed records of the instructions he gave his managers and overseers about how to manage the farm.  He was never a lenient manager. He connected the success of his farms with the productivity of his enslaved laborers.  He had to deal with workers who stole, drank, and lazed about as well as the cost of upkeep for his modest slave holdings. Washington fed, clothed, and housed his enslaved laborers poorly.  Washington routinely separated husbands from their wives and children. He ordered whippings for transgressions of his slaves and he constantly feared that both is hired and enslaved workers were lazy and often cheated him.  By all accounts, Washington managed his slaves as livestock not as employees. 

Washington employed fierce and cruel overseers and often threatened his enslaved servants with punishments at their hands.  When the productivity fell off, Washington would send the slaves he thought were responsible to be placed as common laborers under these Overseers threat.

Washington did monitor the health of his enslaved population but this was also to preserve his investment.  Similarly, he relentlessly runaway slaves.  It was remarked visitors that “General Washington treats his slaves far more humanely than do his fellow citizens of Virginia.” But these same visitors also noted that the slaves of Mount Vernon worked almost unceasingly and that “the condition of our peasants is infinitely happier.”

Like many other elites from the southern colonies, Washington was skeptical as to value of Black soldiers either, even freemen.  Even as Lord Dunmore was actively recruiting runaway slaves into the British Army, Washington forbade their enlistment. When a plan to enlist black soldiers was approved during the Valley Forge encampment, Washington limited on their numbers and assignments.

After the war, Washington came under intense pressure to free his enslaved laborers from his friend and comrade the Marquis de Lafayette. Lafayette told the general that if he set an example, his immense prestige would inspire others to follow it. Refusing to take any action, Washington, in private discussions with Lafayette and others, expressed a desire to see, a gradual emancipation of all enslaved American enacted by legislation.  Eventually, Washington agreed with Lafayette.  In his Last Will, Washington ordered that all of his 123 of his enslaved people be freed upon the death of his wife.  Washington conspicuously noted that it was not “in my power” to manumit the enslaved people owned by the Custis heirs but he freed those he could not pass to a direct heir of his linage. 

Technically, of the 123 slaves owned by Washington himself only a fraction would ultimately receive manumission.   The rest were “attended by such insuperable difficulties by their intermixture with the dower Negroes, as to excite the most painful sensations…to manumit them.” Translation: It would be too complicated to determine whether the slaves were prodigy of Martha’s slaves or George’s, so instead they would be owned by Martha as long as she wished.  Those that were ultimately freed were the old and ill who would have cost the estate more than they earned.

Until his death, Washington viewed his slaves, with a very few specific examples like Billie Lee,  as an economic resource not as people.

---

Want to have the
Regimental Brewmeister
at your site or event?

You can hire me.

https://colonialbrewer.com/yes-you-can-hire-me-for-your-event-or-site/