What Is The Connection Between George Washington And Slavery

As the very first president of the United States, George Washington is a distinguished figure in American history. Nonetheless, Washington was born a slaveholder. In the article “Washington, The Quakers, and Slavery” there is a focus on the connection between Washington and the Quakers and how the two were connected because of slavery. Washington’s brother died in possession of more than 200 slaves. Washington believed in a slaveholder’s right to his property. This is a more conservative view which many Quakers disagreed with. Washington made the claim that “that there is not a man living who wishes more sincerely than I do to see a plan adopted for the abolition of it; but there is only one proper and effectual mode by which it can be accomplished,
Washington would claim that he wanted the legislature for abolition, but he would then go on to say that he is unsure of what his opinion on a law may be. When Congress adopted an amended version of the committees’ report stating that Congress was not allowed to interfere with the slave trade until 1808—as was a mentioned in the Constitution—Washington showed blatant signs of relief that the issue had been put down. However, Washington also often showed signs of being ashamed and embarrassed of his role as a slave-master. In 1794, Washington told Tobias Lear of his desire to dispose of some of his western land and he also claimed his chief motive was to liberate the slaves residing in that territory. Two years before Washington’s death, he shared his wish that the Virginia legislature adopt some plan of abolition to his nephew. Washington drafted a provision for the gradual emancipation of his slaves when he was drawing up his will in 1798. Quakers were ecstatic upon hearing this. Robert M. Hazelton of the Quakers “felt they had won a most important point in the campaign for freedom.” This was crucial and monumental in their eyes; it was such an accomplishment because it pushed forward their ideal of