Why Did George Washington Have Slaves?
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- čas přidán 15. 06. 2024
- George Washington was the first President of the United States and one of the founding fathers, but he was also a slave owner. Our associate curator discusses in depth why George Washington owned slaves, and how his views on it evolved during his lifetime.
#AskMountVernon
So basically... he was a slave owner till the day he died.
The answer she gave was clearly intended to deceive the kid
@@hueyfreeman1983 no. It’s the exact truth.
If you have a basic mindset then that’s on you
@@hueyfreeman1983 lol stop
@@Scrimparmy underrated comment.
When Washington was president the Capitol was in Philadelphia. Pennslyvania had a law that allowed a slave to free themselves
if they resided in the state for more than 6 months. This freeing of their slaves would have costed the Washingtons nothing.
But the Washingtons aware of this law rotated their House slaves between Virginia and Philadelphia
so their slaves wouldn't reside in Pennsylvania longer than 6 consecutive months and not be able to seek their freedom in PA. They even at times moved slaves to NJ for a few days to interrupt their PA residency period.
Ona Judge one of Martha's slaves escaped during Washington's last year in office,Washington tried to have her captured and
forcibly returned to slavery but failed. He even tried multiple times to have her returned to slavery after he retired from office.
The Washingtons clearly made efforts to inhibit their slaves freedom when losing them meant inconvenience.
jefflewis4 He even wrote a Thank You letter approving a slave being whipped for disobedience
KenWB3, Is there a link to this letter anywhere?
Will you give up your Cellphone that is being made in Sweat Shops in China? Will you stop Using CZcams which also uses Slave Labor Globally?
KenWB3 Washington’s death letter said he wanted to free all his slaves upon his wife’s death and his wife freed all of the slaves before she even died.
@Arran Robeson yes but these devices are made by slaves, so why would u ever support a business that is doing something u hate
Lmao...he could have just kept them and PAID THEM if he was truly against slavery. 🤦🏾♂️
I think there were laws that made it illegal for slaves to be paid when they are owned. people at the time believed that black people were not human beings and should not have rights and they were to be nothing but property. To them, it wasn’t racism, they believed it as a “fact”. So the idea of slaves getting paid was a legit joke back then. Even if someone, like Washington, didn’t like the idea of slavery. He did eventually freed his slaves, but it shouldn’t be left out that the first president of USA was a slave owner. Even if he treated his slaves fairly.
Then it would increase cost of business thus driving up prices of his business. Other businesses would run him out of business. Got any bright solutions for that problem? Edit: Also he did do exactly as you said. He freed some slaves and paid them but was unsuccessful at keeping it up.
@@underruze6848 canI get a source for that? I want to know when george washington started to pay his slaves.
Washington was land rich and cash poor
He not only freed his slaves but he also left them an inheritance to take care of them after his death.
"could seem like a contradiction" . . . . YES IT CERTAINLY DOES
don't hate the player hate the game. change is not overnight, you could see evidence washington and his family went to alternative ways to make slave lives better because he knew he couldnt abolish slavery in his lifetime. The fact the many, many, african americans freely chose their surname to be Washington is a monument to his attitude towards slavery.
@@otkandjuicers1626 I think we are all evolving. Evolution requires glancing backwards and forging forwards
@luke skywalker you are growing strong in the force i see.
Washington remains as the only president to not be affiliated with neither D or R
@@otkandjuicers1626 exactly ppl are so ignorant. Washington was a progressive thinker in the truest sense
For the love of money is the root of all evil. That's true yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Amen
George Washington inherited slaves at the age of 11 and Virginia law made the freeing of slaves very difficult and sometimes impossible.
Virginia outlawed the freeing of dower slaves(slaves of a deceased husband given to the wife e.g. Martha Washington)
Virginia law made it illegal for freed slaves to remain and visit with the Dower slaves (hence Washington’s concern about separation of families with the intermarriages of Washington and Dower slaves)
Starting in the 1770’s Washington refused the purchase and selling of slaves even when doing so hurt him financially.
Washington tried to sell or sublet some of his property to fund the emancipation of some of slaves(the effort failed because there were no takers)
In 1774 he signed Virginia legislation that was intended to stop the state from engaging in the slave trade
In 1776 he backed the 1st draft of the declaration that condemned GB for engaging in the slave trade
In 1789 he signed the NW land ordinance the banned slavery in NW territory
In 1794 he signed into law the banning of the exportation of slaves
He created a nation that was 1st to end the slave trade and 4th the end slavery(out of the 128 countries that existed at the time) with northern states being first territories in the world to end.
Washington freed all of his slaves with his will, paid for their education and covered those who were unable to provide for themselves.
Don’t judge a man in history by the worst thing about him common among the people at his time but rather by the things he did to change the world. He was better than the Virginian men of his time.
He knew perfectly well the issue . He upset his Lifelong friend Lafayette over this .
Slavery is as old as time. Every nation and people have enslaved people in one form or another. George Washington was born into a world of slavery and realized it was a horrible institution. This was radical thinking at the time. The USA inherited slavery from the world. Slavery did not start in the USA it started to end in the USA. We like to look back and say I would never do that but we all still benefit from forms of slavery today. iPhones are made in sweat shops where people commit suicide because they can’t leave. We have cheap clothes that are made by children in India and Pakistan. We have cheap food picked by immigrants who make 25 cents per hour and live in shacks and sleep on dirt floors. We drive huge luxury SUVs when we know that climate change will kill millions of people. The gas we use is manufactured by third country nationals (slaves) in the Middle East. Our life style in the USA is not possible with out various forms of modern slavery. But we look the other way and pretend it’s not happening because we like cheap stuff. So think again before you think how awful our fathers were and how holy we are.
Slavery is as old as time but race based chattel slavery was very new. And your hero's supported it.
and whose at fault for that??
Sex slavery exists right now in some hotels.
Michael Jordan has a lot of money. He is black and he is African American. And Michael Jordan was not born with money. Please be like Mike.
@@stikupartist3698 Africans were brought to the USA because they were the cheapest and most abundant supply of slaves at the time. Why were they so abundant? Because Africans enslaved other Africans and put them in a warehouse at the ports of Africa where all ships had to do was pull up and load their boats with slaves. It was like the Costco of slaves at the time. It was purely a business decision. The whole image of the movie Roots where a white guy runs through the African brush and captures Africans is false. Does anyone really think a white European could have out smarted a native African in their own country? Once the slaves got to the Americas the predominately white Christian population had to justify why they had slaves. So, they made up a story that blacks were not equal therefore it was ok to enslave blacks.
I feel bad for this lady because she has to say this with a fraught face: (paraphrasing) George Washington wanted to emancipate his slaves, but after doing some research found out it would affect his lifestyle as a slave owner and decided not to
exactly what i was thinking the whole way!
🙄 It's amazing how superior you act while actively benefitting from the largest slave ring in human history.
Let's talk about modern slavery, like Chinese sweatshop labor for example.
Do you own a TV, phone, car, computer, or bike? Cause chances are it was made, at least in part, with Chinese slave labor.
(Paraphrasing) CuddlyChud wanted to end slavery but after doing some research found out it would affect his lifestyle, so decided to ignore it.
@@Redx6504 quit defending these old slavers, we’re not talking about sweatshops in china, we’re talking about the so-called founding fathers of this nation, who were not very nice people.
@@Redx6504... Stop being stupid. Washington had first hand involvement in the heinous act of human trafficking and most likely rape and murder. You think George Washington was beyond having hung at least ONE of those Black slaves as an example. George Washington is less of a human being than Michael Vick.
@@Redx6504 rubbish. I've been to China and there no such thing as "slaves" like the US did. People get paid and have the freedom to go their own way.
Washington was born and raised on a plantation, surrounded by slaves. It wasn’t right, but it’s understandable why he was desensitized to any poor treatment towards the enslaved
No, it isnt understandable at all....
@@simninja95655 not everyone, we have to be clear about that. There were plenty of rich and powerful men openly opposed to slavery, and plenty of former slave owners that freed theirs because they felt conflicted (as as they should have) the difference here is GW felt bad, and saw they issues with slavery, yet kept his worked enslaved because it benefited him and it would have cost money to free them. So he chose to look out for himself and his wealth as oppose to setting human beings free. I'd understand if he was brainwashed by the society and truly saw nothing wrong because it just was how it was, but by his own admission he saw there was a moral dilemma and made a conscious decision not to free his slaves until he was dead and could no longer be effected either positively or negatively $$$ wise
@@simninja95655 it really is sad how u are willing to defend slavery because it gives your business a competitive chance.... be well
@@ninorivera407 99.9% did slavery so SHUT UP!!!
@@deleteduser1877 so if today 99.9% of ppl kidnapped, enslaved, raped, and tortured innocent people based solely off the color of their skin today it would be okay decades later just because the greater population was doing it? I mean it says a lot about you if you're willing to die on that hill but okay, maybe you're right.
Slavery will always be a part of Washington's Legacy unfortuantely. The thing I remember him most for however, is the greatest descion he ever made as our first President. He willingly walked away from being crowned the New King George. He became one if the very few Men in. History to be offered extraordinary power, and to say no. He maintained our Republic and didn't allow us to become a Monarchy.
No it’a not
Exactly
The same people that say Washington should've know better are typing this on their IPhones and Chromebooks, that are made in Sweat Shops in China. When asked if they would give these items up, they say no.
We didn't enslave those Chinese people.
@@stikupartist3698 we didn't enslave those Africans............
@@FernandoMartinez-pv1id we have historical proof those Europeans and Americans did. Those Chinese sweat shop slaves are enslaved by their own people.
@@stikupartist3698 so it's ok to profit and live easier lives from Slave Labor as long as you weren't the ones who enslaved them? That means 99% of the South was right to do so as well?
@@stikupartist3698 we as in us today and White People of today, didn't enslave those Africans...........
I've had the opportunity to listen to Jessie Macleod answering some questions and enjoyed her answers in details. She did a great job.
People need to understand that slavery, though a horrific trade and institution, was seen as a norm then. Not just here in the United States but in many places and different societies across the world. Romans, warring tribes in the Middle East, Native Americans, all took prisoners during times of war and often put them to use as forced labor. I had several members of my family who owned slaves in Maryland and Virginia during the 18th century. One owned a slave transportation ship. It's bizarre and a bit unsettling but the past cannot be changed and we cannot blame our ancestors for doing what was considered just another source of income. No matter how evil
AMEN
I'm still mad that you killed Carla Jean Moss.
hancock63 She sucks at coin toss. There...
hancock63 And I'm still mad that you didn't see Lo Armistead before he died
Penultimate Hortator Slavery still has consequences in today's time. There is much racial tension between whites and blacks today thanks in part to slavery (other reasons include the fallout from Reconstruction and conflicts during the height of the Civil Rights era). But it is not something that can be helped because slavery has always been a part of this country's history. The first arrived via the Dutch in 1617, ten years after the founding of Jamestown. This was long before the American Revolution brought up questions on liberty, the equality of men and independence from tyranny. Would America be a better place if slavery did not occur? Yes I'm sure, but we can't change the past nor blame those that lived decades/centuries ago for having a role in something that was considered natural to them. Look at abortion; it is a horrific act that is somehow justified by being Constitutional via Roe v Wade. Do I support it? No. Do I think it needs to be abolished? Yes. But I cannot blame the many women and young girls for having it done simply because they see it as a natural procedure and a personal liberty, no matter how immoral I think it is. If there is anyone to blame, in my opinion, it is not those that have it done but those that rally for it and support it as if they need it to keep the nation from falling apart. They are the ones to blame for advocating it without giving consideration to how the other side sees it. Back to slavery, a man with a family and enough money to own a large farm or plantation keeps it maintained via slave labor. Is he at fault? Well, in a way, yes because he is taking part in it, even if he sees it as a need for his way of life. But what about those in government? Shouldn't they be more at fault for not seeing it as immoral and abolishing it right away? If there are any ancestors to be at true fault, it is those that push for something to continue, not those that are enticed into doing it
Is the slavery of today horrible and evil and do you speak out about it? Or is American slavery the only bad slavery? Slavery was a world wide institution at this time in history. American was the second nation, after Britain, to do something about it. Hence the Civil War. Also, listen again to this woman,it doesn’t seem you all understand all of what she was saying. Many of the comments are based solely on emotion but studying life then, the history of how life was at that time, is what will make an informed opinion. Know of what you speak- that’s a pretty good way to live.
It was the worst slavery bc it was based on race.
Slavery, and the atrocities of it, is and always will be wrong. Doesn't matter if it was universal...it IS WRONG! And those who participated in it for fifty lucre and wrong for it! Those are not jusy enotions. Those are truthful facts.
One thing that no one ever brings up in these videos is the fact that, at that time in history, even if you freed your own slaves it didn't mean that someone else couldn't enslave them again, some people like Jefferson was aware of this, Jefferson on the other hand tried to educate his slaves and even set up a system to allow them to buy their freedom and the education to keep them from being enslaved again.
Jefferson will always be one the Top G’s in American history
The other reason according to David Barton was that state law prohibited the freeing of slaves short of posthumous expiration of the owner.
So many butthurt people in the comments...over a man who's been dead for over 200 yrs. Amazing.
Unfortunately, today's it's sad that some people want to hold historical figures like Washington and Jefferson to today's standards and norms. Only wish that people could open a book and learn more about Washington and Jefferson, instead of calling for their statutes and monuments to be torn down.
We can judge him by his own time, niether of the two freed slaves while they were alive. Thousands of slave holders had actually done it.
What is most unfortunate is that our American historical institutions are largely hijacked by globalists special interests and not what is left of America, but by the Left of America, that have wholesaled our heritage and history, destroying the integrity of our nation to suit their agenda of Political Correctness, the new religion that replaces God and Jesus Christ.The bases are loaded with millennial weaned on Marxist Kool-Aide, thanks to the academy. In every conceivable way we will find a way to milk the racist meme, even at the inception of this video that exploits a child to hammer home the racist agenda. Give it a rest. Humanity needs to learn to take responsibility for their actions and to forget themselves long enough to give thanks to our Creator for the gift of life. Little do these idiots realize they are slaves to Marxism.
Thank you Thomas the first abolitionist I can think of very forward thinker you are going to visit your estate in New Rochelle soon.
Stop trying to sugarcoat what both Washington and Jefferson were.They were both racist hypocrites.
@@jayk7149 They might have been, but they did come from a much less enlightened era. I feel FDR to be much worse for the internment of Japanese Americans during WW2!
It's easy to be "morally superior" when you were born in the 20th or 21st Centuries instead of Virginia in the 18th Century. Washington was a man and sometimes a great man. By being conflicted he went against his peers and what he was taught by his parents. We were lucky to have him as our first president.
Let's not forget, these people saying they would've done better, are using Cellphones that are put together in Sweat Shops in China.
@@FernandoMartinez-pv1id is that a justification for slavery?
@@jaimebriseno9824 is the entertainment you get from your phone a justification for the Slaves that made it?
@@FernandoMartinez-pv1id Nice, I love it, great take.
@@jaimebriseno9824 No one here is justifying nothing, he's just pointing modern folks hypocrisy of portraying themselves as bastions of morals and ethics (this is not justification, go study some rhetoric and logic and stop spreading sh*t you hear from TikTok, buddy) when in reality you're nothing different from your ancestors.
It is really easy to condemn a man 250 years after the fact for not having the same moral sensibilities that we do, but that's not how life works. Every society practiced slavery throughout the world's history (to one degree or another). It wasn't until Christians in the UK and America stood up to ban it that anything got done. That's worth pointing out.
Christian slave owners went to church on Sunday and brutalized and taped slaves on Monday
Slaves joined George Washington during the war he did not know them personally they worked together for a brief time and returned back to their separate lives
Can you share a source for that please?
there were also slaves that joined British during the Revolutionary War after the British promised freedom to slaves that joined to fight for the British
after the war was over, British refused Washington's demand to get the runaway African American slaves
the African American slave loyalists joined the other Loyalists in Nova Scotia
I think it came down to money for most slave owners not wanting to abolish slavery. Most wealth that people had would have been lost if they didn’t own slaves. Washington took part in some questionable activities to avoid the laws of that time that would have granted freedom to some of his slaves. He basically moved slaves from in and out of Philadelphia so they couldn’t be granted freedom. At the time if you were a slave and you lived in Philadelphia for at least 6 months then you were eligible for freedom. So he moved them around to other states so they couldn’t be eligible and granted their freedom. So I don’t believe he was feeling all to bad about the practice. Although he was worried about how history would remember him and that’s why he wanted his slaves granted freedom after his and Martha’s death.
I don’t know if that’s true or not but if it is, that’s upsetting considering Washington was a devout Christian and the Bible says to let slaves go once they paid their debts.
Two books I recommend, " Intellectuals and Society " and Black Rednecks and White Liberals " both by Thomas Sowell. He has much to say regarding the topic of this video.
Basically, he didn't want to lose all the free labor and he didn't want to do the work himself.
So in a way his struggle with losing$$$ outweighed the freeing of slaves. Sounds like a great man.
You're using a Cellphone that was made in a Sweat Shop in China. Stop acting like you would've done anything different.
Fernando Martinez hmmmmmm interesting
But let’s say he freed his slaves. Wouldn’t someone else enslave them?
Easy to talk when your not the one losing money.
They would’ve just been enslaved by someone else if he freed them anyway
Thank you for a comprehensive and fair treatment of what is an incredibly complex subject. One that today's advocates refuse to recognize cannot be treated as if 21st century norms, persons, laws, customs and resources were available in the late 18th century. The man remains and should remain a hero even if a flawed human being. Like all of us.
He was a man who spoke out of both sides of his mouth, and wouldn't stop doing the thing that he knew was wrong. He was no hero, he was just a guy.
@@mikehammerbach9413 He wasn’t “just a guy”. Without him the country doesn’t exist.
You are just a guy. When you die no one will care that you ever lived.
against slavery hmmm... since when did he do anything for enslaved people his whole term? in fact, didn't he break his OWN LAW to keep his slaves from leaving? sure he thought slavery was wrong but when it came to his slaves... he thought they were "lucky" because they got to wear "nicer" clothes and he thought," who wouldn't want to be the president's slave?" HIS WIFE WAS EVEN WORSE she RELIED on slaves and had no intention of freeing them. they treated their own slaves like crap honestly, they were so naive and narcissistic!!! a friend literally while CATCHING ONE OF HIS SLAVES wrote to George with a changed mindset saying that it was wrong what he was doing and really told the president off... george was offended... that's it... he had so many chances to let his slaves go and change his midset but didn't... schools don't teach how he treated slaves or how he acted outside of being the president, they let kids look up to him even though there's nothing to look up to. sure he was a genuinely good president but a good person?... Nah there's always another side of people that no one wants to talk about, even if it is as serious and big as the first president of the united states... please educate yourselves on people, and no matter what ALWAYS look at it from another view and don't just look up to someone when you barely know them... cause at the end of the day... THERE STRANGERS!! yep schools don't teach that. anyway, on a positive note, I hope you're having a good day :) God bless you!!
Owning slaves in colonial Virginia was as controversial as owning an automobile is today. Not to equate the practices morally, but to question it would have made most people stop, blink, and ask what in the world you were talking about.
This was unfortunately true
Looking back at history reveals a real darkside. Hearing how he debated the financial aspect makes me wonder at all if his humanitarian interests were even the main reason. So sad wtf
It is sad but you got to remember like the video said he has to make money to live too and the part he lived in relied heavily on slavery. I say the fact that he even considered and tried to find ways to emancipate his slaves made him a good and more progressive person than the rest of the people at the time.
@@unknownindividual6323 being progressive for his time is still a really low bar. Besides, it's just hypocritical to sign a constitution that says all men are created equal and then own other human beings. It kinda takes a lot of the founding father's credibility away
@@magicmagic8188 You want to complain don't you. It ain't low bar and wasn't hypocritical for them because they probably meant white men during that time.
@@unknownindividual6323 you seriously don't see the issue of them only meaning white men when discussing liberty?
@@magicmagic8188 Never said that, just said it wasnt hypocritical. Plus it means all humans now does it, that's what matters.
Same reason I have a car. Never wanted it. It is simply the only way I could be competitive enough to survive my situation
Still not an excuse for owning people as property - and THAT is the contradiction in what we’re taught about the people of that time.
And yet you still own the Car, and the Cellphone that was made in a Sweat Shop in China. Will you give those up?
@@FernandoMartinez-pv1id
It's like you didn't even read what I wrote and replied withe some propaganda FOX news noises.
Read it again and think about it again.
Reluctantly, and sparingly using a car while advocating for a fundamental change (getting rid of capitalism and sweat-shops/slavery) is not the same thing as pretending people are property. If you read what I actually wrote, it is clear I am proscribing any and all treatment of people as property.
I'm also an antinatalist, and and advocate for the abolition of reproduction.
Consciousness with negative valences is the root of all that is "wrong" in the world. And yet we are helplessly inflicted both with it, and a survival imperative in that *the subjective experience of dying* is a harm. Basically: biology is hell.
The hypocrisy lies in those of you who keep reproducing, thus perpetuating the infliction of all pain suffering and death on consciousness.
TL;DR your response is a straw man and the tu quo que fallacy.
@@thejackanapes5866 I read it and guess what, It sounded like an excuse. Since when is Socialism not associated with Slave Labor? I don't watch Fox News but nice try.
@@thejackanapes5866 relictantly using a Cellphone made in China, clothes made in Thailand and Mexico, ignoring the Slavery that Takes place in Islamic Countries today?
@@thejackanapes5866 I'm pretty sure commenting on CZcams isn't using a Cellphone sparingly, but go ahead and keep defelcting your hypocrisy.
So maybe I missed something...why was their slaves to begin with and then later In life you need em to fight a war then there still not seen as humans or have any rights. Then you feel bad about having slaves but you don’t wanna give em up because it would be a financial burden for you wow or just inconvenienced him.
Crazy how slaves were only seen as 3/5 of humans yet the slave owners still had sex with them by rape.
@@mrsbdubc2174 I don't think thats entirely true. The three-fifths compromise was not an attempt to quantify the personhood of enslaved peoples, but was a compromise on how to account for population disparities between the north and south. If slaves were not counted as a part of the states census population, then representation for southern states in congress would be drastically lower than the northern states. So the south want five-fifths (or all) slaves to be counted, the northern states wanted zero-fifths (or none) of the slaves counted on the census because their (the slaves) interests would have effectively zero representation in congress and if they were counted, they would actually bolster those with competing/opposing interests.
The world at the time, alongside world discovery created the market for slaves. or might i say, expanded it. as the Spanish and the Dutch explored the world opening new trade routs, and lots of spices. however, an alternative big trade arose from putting natives on ships to use as slaves, and sell back in the old world. at some point bigger world powers got involved like Britain and France, ect. As colonies, they were just another market for these big powers, and the importation of slaves boomed to help settlers start their lives in the new world.
Yeah the world was a different place 200 years ago. Who knew!
@@Scrimparmy these are humans stfu
well he was against slavery but it would have been a financial inconvenience to do the right thing so better probably not to do it while at least while he was still alive cuz you know once he's not alive anymore it's not really his problem is it LOL
His lifestyle was more important than doing the right thing.
George Washington inherited slaves at the age of 11 and Virginia law made the freeing of slaves very difficult and sometimes impossible.
Virginia outlawed the freeing of dower slaves(slaves of a deceased husband given to the wife e.g. Martha Washington)
Virginia law made it illegal for freed slaves to remain and visit with the Dower slaves (hence Washington’s concern about separation of families with the intermarriages of Washington and Dower slaves)
Starting in the 1770’s Washington refused the purchase and selling of slaves even when doing so hurt him financially.
Washington tried to sell or sublet some of his property to fund the emancipation of some of slaves(the effort failed because there were no takers)
In 1774 he signed Virginia legislation that was intended to stop the state from engaging in the slave trade
In 1776 he backed the 1st draft of the declaration that condemned GB for engaging in the slave trade
In 1789 he signed the NW land ordinance the banned slavery in NW territory
In 1794 he signed into law the banning of the exportation of slaves
He created a nation that was 1st to end the slave trade and 4th the end slavery(out of the 128 countries that existed at the time) with northern states being the first territories in the world to end slavery.
Washington freed all of his slaves with his will, paid for their education and covered those who were unable to provide for themselves.
Don’t judge a man in history by the worst thing about him common among the people at his time but rather by the things he did to change the world. He was better than the Virginian men of his time.
@@kevinrasmussen663 so instead of giving FACTUAL reasons of WHY he perpetuated CRIMES you list a litany of worthless excuses 😏 that in the end makes him and so called founders of the constitution as hypocrites and LIARS.
@@beberodriguez2358 Many of the Founders were abolitionists who didn’t own slaves, banned slavery in their own states and founded anti-slavery societies. People such a John Adams, Samuel Adams, Benjamin Rush, Alexander Hamilton, John Hancock, John Jay, Benjamin Franklin, etc. and many others.
Even if I give you that argument it’s still a false caricature to lump all of the founders as that.
@@beberodriguez2358 And Frederick Douglass studied the founding documents and the debates and he recognized the constitution as an anti slavery document
@@beberodriguez2358 And the Founders set forth the motions that would enable America to be among the first nations to end the wicked institution.
First once again! Lol love youuu guyyys!
What about Virginia law not allowing folks to free their slaves
Those haters, and oh so virtuous need to learn some history. Its just what people did in those days. You can not compare today's social standards to the past. In 100 years from now, people will say the same thing about our current social standards and think to themselves "how could they" just as they do now. Think about that for a moment.
Summary-
He wanted to free them but he was addicted to free labor and the life style it provided
And it could’ve bankrupt him and he didn’t actually own half of them
George Washington inherited slaves at the age of 11 and Virginia law made the freeing of slaves very difficult and sometimes impossible.
Virginia outlawed the freeing of dower slaves(slaves of a deceased husband given to the wife e.g. Martha Washington)
Virginia law made it illegal for freed slaves to remain and visit with the Dower slaves (hence Washington’s concern about separation of families with the intermarriages of Washington and Dower slaves)
Starting in the 1770’s Washington refused the purchase and selling of slaves even when doing so hurt him financially.
Washington tried to sell or sublet some of his property to fund the emancipation of some of slaves(the effort failed because there were no takers)
In 1774 he signed Virginia legislation that was intended to stop the state from engaging in the slave trade
In 1776 he backed the 1st draft of the declaration that condemned GB for engaging in the slave trade
In 1789 he signed the NW land ordinance the banned slavery in NW territory
In 1794 he signed into law the banning of the exportation of slaves
He created a nation that was 1st to end the slave trade and 4th the end slavery(out of the 128 countries that existed at the time) with northern states being first territories in the world to end.
Washington freed all of his slaves with his will, paid for their education and covered those who were unable to provide for themselves.
Don’t judge a man in history by the worst thing about him common among the people at his time but rather by the things he did to change the world. He was better than the Virginian men of his time.
To the point of the person above. It was his refusal to separate slave families that made him much further in debt
Wasn't free labor. Slaves were fed, clothed, housed, educated and received medical attention. Income came in the form of constructive receipt or in-kind payment. Currency payment--at that time--would have been highly impractical.
@@infonomics that’s called the cost of doing business. The labor was free
Yes he owned slaves but as soon after the revolutionary war he completely changed his mind and became anti slavery! oh and technically didn't own them!! Yeah right!
Yeah well? He risk his life for the new country USA
@@htoodoh5770 exactly
@@htoodoh5770 That has been told to you by the same kind of people, who are telling you this crap!
We the people know that this was George Washington counselor aka Tutor or teacher but never a slave the truth shall set u free 🙋🙋🙋🙋👌👌🌅🌅🌅
If people in the USA did not start slavery, never started segregation and never started racism. Life for Black and non Black people in the USA would be a better place.
This is odd because I read some of this I’m saying on the mount vernon website
I get that people will criticize Washington for his practice of slavery. But just remember that he founded the very country that eventually allowed for the abolition of slavery, albeit it took a bloody civil war to do so.
It was a 1st step and better than any one of us would have done at the time.
And at the time, the new country was in a fragile state. If he had pushed for emancipation, it could have catalyzed a civil war that would have torn the country apart before it had the chance to prosper.
Its unfortunate and sad that slavery was commonplace back then. But what this man did should not be discarded because of his perpetuation of slavery. His leadership and valor during the revolution is why we are all here today. Its so easy to judge another person. Hindsight is always 20/20. But if any of is were to put ourselves in his shoes, we would not be able to accomplish 1/100th of what Washington did.
So your saying during this time slavery was needed and Washington doesn’t deserve the criticism. If so I completely disagree with your whole statement.
Cookies N' Milk good deeds to who?
That's not at all what he said.
Great Britain ended slavery before USA did though.
32 years earlier
I can’t believe their is still family separation
Illegals are not bought and sold like slaves were. They voluntarily come tothe USA. Not even close to slavery.
@@b52270 True, but if the central focus is that family separation is one of the greatest evils of slavery to a man who relies on slavery for his income, then it must also be true that it's one of the greatest evils of our current immigration policy. Regardless of anything else, both of these perspectives use the same basis for justification, so that's something to think about. Whether or not we agree politically, I think we can all agree on that basic premise.
It'd be nicer to have a conversation about it than an argument though, so... ball's in everyone's court now. I mean, it's 2020. Let's try to sharpen our collective vision together.
@@mickeyconnor830 sorry but I disagree. Illegal immigration is completely voluntary. Not even close to forced slavery and being brought on a slave ship to die or land in a foreign land to be used as forced labor. It's just not comparable as I say this as a Hispanic-American. My parents came to this country decades ago legally, and they both loved the opportunities here in this country. The only problem is our immigration laws is that they should be enforced. Illegals have attained rights that only citizens should have like getting driver's licensing in various states etc..
Even under the First Black President, Families were seperated. Goes to show that anyone is capable of anything.
The thing is illegal immigrants are separated in the same way you could say any other criminal in jail is "separated from their family" because they voluntarily came here- in many cases bring in children that aren't actually theirs or one parent bringing children against the will of the other parent- which isn't even close to comparable to slavery.
A better question to ask is...why did good ole georgy have "black" and "white" slaves yet no one talks about it. Oh and don't give me that tired old no they were indentured servants BS that people keep spouting add nausem. They might have had a chance of this chance of indentured servitude in england but they certainly didn't follow those laws here...they were sold and traded in LARGE amounts because they were cheaper than other slaves. The rich planters were the judge of ALL runaway slaves, they certainly don't have denture to them...they worked until they died.
Was it both George Washington & Thomas Jefferson who treated their slaves pretty well? No justifying being a slave owner, but compared to alot of others in the trade they gave slaves decent living conditions, food, clothing & in some cases let them earn money of their own. I wish I could just live one day back in those times to get a clue of everything better.
We have just released a new section of our website from our current Lives Bound Together exhibit that deeper explains what daily life was for the enslaved at Mount Vernon. www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/slavery/daily-life/
Treat them well or not, they were still SLAVES. Also if I'm not mistaken, didn't Jefferson say it was a necessary evil. Which means he knew it was wrong, yet did it away
Jefferson rapped one of teenage slaves. You call that treating them well?
@@jayk7149 He really couldn't do anything to end it
@@idontgiveafaboutyou BS and you know it. He didnt want to end it. Why would he. He could rape without consquences
Hundreds of years later, politics haven't changed....profit before people. HE COULD HAVE SOLD SOME OF HIS LAND!
And you could give up your Cellphone that was made in a Sweat Shop in China, yet you refuse.
@@FernandoMartinez-pv1id that is because NAFTA was passed by greedy corporate owned politicians.
@@Boofyre and yet 65 Million people voted for the Wife of the Bastard that passed it, supported it, and claims Russia is the reason she didn't win.
I used to beat that up back in the day
I wish people would recognize all the piled up issues on freeing slaves. I mean after the civil war many plantations in the south were probably empty of slaves to do work, thus damaging crop production. Obviously laws were implemented and share crops were a thing, but still, the economy definitely hurt. This video kind of proves that just by going off of what one person had to deal with. Slavery is wrong morally but once it starts it’s hard to end. It probably didn’t settle until the 1900’s.
Not only did he have slaves, but its common knowledge now that his own children were among those slaves.
Your confunding Washington with Jefferson
Rolling my eyes
I can see how someone who is very uninformed on the topic and hasn't taken the time to study history/the founding fathers would roll their eyes at this.
Also a bit of life advice for you. "It is better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt" you fool.
That is a great explanation. We often over look how hard it is to give something up that we feel is essential to our life style. How many of use are going to stop driving our cars tomorrow because of climate change, or stop eat meat, or fast food, or buying goods from counties like China that use sweatshop economies in order to mass produce goods at low price for WalMart, Target, and Costco. Let's judge our own actions before we judge historical figures like Washington.
Exactly
Washington was a human trafficker.
You’re wrong. Washington didn’t free his slaves because Virginia law forbade it at the time.
Washington could've insisted that the phrase all men are created equal makes slavery unconstitutional. he also could've pushed to end it as president.
He feared that doing so would cause the southern states to refuse to his efforts to form the United States. The fact that eighty years later the southern states tried to break the union to keep slavery proves Washington's fears were valid.
George Washington inherited slaves at the age of 11 and Virginia law made the freeing of slaves very difficult and sometimes impossible.
Virginia outlawed the freeing of dower slaves(slaves of a deceased husband given to the wife e.g. Martha Washington)
Virginia law made it illegal for freed slaves to remain and visit with the Dower slaves (hence Washington’s concern about separation of families with the intermarriages of Washington and Dower slaves)
Starting in the 1770’s Washington refused the purchase and selling of slaves even when doing so hurt him financially.
Washington tried to sell or sublet some of his property to fund the emancipation of some of slaves(the effort failed because there were no takers)
In 1774 he signed Virginia legislation that was intended to stop the state from engaging in the slave trade
In 1776 he backed the 1st draft of the declaration that condemned GB for engaging in the slave trade
In 1789 he signed the NW land ordinance the banned slavery in NW territory
In 1794 he signed into law the banning of the exportation of slaves
He created a nation that was 1st to end the slave trade and 4th the end slavery(out of the 128 countries that existed at the time) with northern states being first territories in the world to end.
Washington freed all of his slaves with his will, paid for their education and covered those who were unable to provide for themselves.
Don’t judge a man in history by the worst thing about him common among the people at his time but rather by the things he did to change the world. He was better than the Virginian men of his time.
Slavery had to be ended through legislation. President does not have power to end it at the stroke of a pen. That why the Presidents after him like John Adam’s and his son couldn’t do it. LEARN HISTORY to correct your ignorance
This is pure ignorance.
If he had done so there wouldn't be a united states of America.
After the revolution the young America was weak and divided. One of the main things that bound the early united states was strong personalities like Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington.
The revolution was to overthrow perceived tyrannies coming from the British, had Washington done this, it would have spread the popular sentiment that they threw off the shackles of one tyrant named George for another.
I suggest you read the book "Washington: A life" by Dan Chernow. Dan does a good job of laying out the life of George Washington and making you understand the type of man he was. It also explains in Washington's own words, from his own writings, why he cannot openly oppose slavery, and he laments that every day because he views the slaves that work for him as a burden, a stain on his legacy, and the biggest compromise of his ideals he never wanted to make.
So basically he "didn't like slavery" right up until it inconvenienced him....
😯😘 Touche
I don’t believe he purchased them. Could someone send me a source please. I heard he inherited his slaves at age 11 when father died and Virginia you couldn’t free the slaves
I thought his wife had owned the slaves? And her, herself never gave up her slaves. So it looks good on him.
Am I wrong?
She should of just said SHE THINKS that he choose his finances over his consciousness, instead of that song and dance to attempt to make him sound more humane.
Your correct ..it was the norm..we can't look and judge by our modern standards what happened over 200 yrs. ago. We all own minivans today and SUV's ...it's the norm...no we don't own people , but you've got to put yourself back into a whole different world. And it wasn't just about "his lifestyle that he was accustomed to "...he had thousands of acres , inventions galore, a gristmill, a distillery, he produced food , whiskey, and all kinds of other goods that were sold for people to use and consume. He was brilliant , an inventor , a farmer, a statesman , a surveyor, and a military leader, leading an entire country to freedom ! Many of these slave people were very loyal to his family and they shared bonds. He and other slave owners treated their slaves well. I see it as they ALL worked together for the liberty and freedom of America that was to come. They all had a part.
I was stunned when i saw Mount Vernon for the first time last year! What an incredible man! A patriot to the end . We would not be breathing the air of freedom today if it' were not for this one Great man.!
You are sick for trying to justify this.
I wonder how how you would feel and romanticize slavery if it had affected you and her family. Your comment is nothing short of uninsightful, shallow and unempathetic. There is NOTHING good about slavery or human bondage. And I'm sure many of Gw's so called inventions were helped into fruition by his hard working slaves.
@@MozzieMutant you are sick for still using CZcams after they've been proven to use Slave Labor.
@@b52270 yet when a Black Man who is a descendant of Slaves says he still respects Washington, you say he's not a Real Black Man. Keep in mind that you're using a Cell Phone made by Slaves in China. You're no better and History will hate all of us too.
@@MozzieMutant 200 years later Useing Car may be one of the Biggest
sins in the world does that means your tyran right now? NO
I have question: did slaves get paid for working in the farms?
Khang Hứa no. Slaves did not get paid. They were thought of as nothing more than items. You don’t pay your dishwasher.
They were beaten and raped and killed, and had no legal rights.
Hell nah !! They got free room and board free meals and medical attention.
If they got paid then they wasn't
slaves. A slave is somebody who is forced to work without pay.
What would he pay them? A dime? George was poor
100 years from now people will question practices we have, abortion perhaps or religion, we cannot apply modern morals and values to the past. we have to teach about the good and the bad in history and not repeat it.
He could've paid them wages
It's something Washington talked greatly with Lafayette about and even attempted to try and impliment but ultimately wasn't successful. You can learn more on our website: www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/marquis-de-lafayettes-plan-for-slavery/
@@oguun_garvey6531 ah it's not a myth. Are Native Americans being slaves a myth too?
@@idontgiveafaboutyou From my research, a combination of being decimated by diseases and being more resistant was a reason there were a lot less native American slaves... did you read the article
@@mountvernon
He didn't really mean what he said about wanting to free his slaves if it was going to juxtapose his lifestyle
@@lavenderflowersfall280 I disagree with this assessment greatly, I think his personal writings, writings never intended for publication, provide enough evidence to prove he hated slavery. He blamed the slaves for much of his money problems, as feeding clothing, and housing then cost him more than they made him.
He viewed slavery as unprofitable, more than anything. But he was bound by Virginia law and couldn't free them. And even if he could, he feared the potential for this to lead to slave uprisings against owners who didn't free their slaves, in the very young, very vulnerable early America, that would have likely destroyed the nation before it had a chance to become stable.
My source for this is "Washington: a life" by Ron Chernow. An amazing book that details Washington's life, from childhood till death. focusing on Washington specifically.
I suggest you give it a read, as it should give you a lot of insight into the mindset and beliefs of George Washington, and help you to separate the man from the myth that's been built around him.
At least the man was trying to do something about it
Very weakly...not if it cost him his lifestyle. Nope.
@Blackskinis Amazing You're using a Cellphone that was made in a Sweat Shop in China. Stop acting like you would've been any better.
@@b52270 You're using a Cellphone that was made in a Sweat Shop in China. Stop acting like you would've been any better. Why don't you give it up then?
@Blackskinis Amazing so when are you going to give up your Cell Phone, Laptop, and TV? They were all made in China and Mexico in Sweat Shops.
@Blackskinis Amazing same difference. Horrible conditions and lousy pay if any. Why are you defending them?
Why not simply say he wanted to benefit from them until he was dead. What's all the defence? Are you worried the slaves will haunt him?
Because it’s not that simple. Lol kind of like how you benefit from slave labor on the daily
Just imagine if he freed them,where would they go? Someone else would enslave them. The natives would kill or enslave them.
Lol pathetic
@@eduardonava6284 No no, I want you to answer his question.
lets not forget he needed slaves teeth to give the perfect set of teeth
Presenter has very beautiful teeth
In other words, it was all about Washington's personal wealth and money at the expense of others' human and civil rights.
This thumbnail wasn't a slave... Its a depiction of a moore. A slave would not have been dressed like that wearing a Turban
He trained Washington
Long answers like that just mean excuses
Short comments like this just mean ignorance.
is anything that your taking about written down by Washington himself because I have read what little he wrote and never came across all this conflicted feelings he had about slavery, therefore this is what they call hearsay , i will politely say a story.
Opinions, in attempt to make him sound more humane. That is all
Well they needed someone to work for them and of corse they go to the weakest people even today they still weak
A profiteer of slave labor is not a hero and role model for any country. We do not sugarcoat such matters. There is no such thing as a kind hearted slave owner. To force human beings into slavery whip them not pay them a livable wage or work them to death is nothing short of evil. He do have some explaining to do at the appointed time of the lord he claimed to serve.
Seem just Grumped in the work but he got money to count to what's cream
This lady seems to try and cover up for his life choices.
He was a slave owner. Why did he not free some of the ones he owned, and sell his portion of land to live somewhere cheaper?
I now view him in a different way: not a good one!
A man is known by the actions he takes and not the fancy words that he can culminate in a fancy document. I don’t want to separate families what a lame excuse.
Didn't you have someone better than him to whom dedicate the capitol city?
Only one civilisation abolished this horror when others saw nothing wrong nor immoral about it. Even today… you may be facinated to learn how are the workers treated in Qatar to build the world cup stadium. But this request courage, burning our héritage is easy and free, you are even encourage to.
Only one civilisation ended it everywhere else at an enormous human and money cost with no request for any kind of remuneration. Probably the most great exemple of abnégation in human history.
In america, our great funding fathers created the condition that allowed the end of this, not the other way around. But guess what ? It is not easy politically to end a social institution just because you feel like you have to.
Obviously , 200 years later it is easy to say : they were not fast enough to end it or, they owned slaves so they were hypocrite.
real courage and real history impact are defined by the hability of great men to create better condition for tomorrow, the ones who want to dismantle their heritage are just angry useless person.
No George Washigton, by extension, no abolition, period.
Check out Mark Hofmann.
why do y'all turn back to the history instead of giving your energy to now and fight against discrimination..
Yeah! We should be opposing modern slavery!
So let's talk about China, and our complacent reliance on their cruelty towards their citizens to maintain our lifestyles. 🤔
So the reason why Washington didn’t free his slaves was because... it was expensive.
Glad you did not watch the video!
Man if he the one that made this country hands down him and his boys he could of still before it got to out of hand like it did and also killed other tribes on his journey
Who tf called their children Daniella bro vanilla
Sorry that was Washington slaves more like his advisory look how hes looking that was his advisory
He sure did.
so
How does this have a like? Did you give it to yourself?
Mind if I put tax on your burgers?
There is only one true answer about why any of those vaunted Founders owned human beings as slaves: The Profit from the free labor; the money from selling human bodies down the river. They could not have held their magnificent slave plantations without the free labor. Washington had his escaped chef pursued, so stop telling me that he was doubtful about owning humans as property. Martha Washington had her lady's servant pursued for years. They considered those people their property.
Sweetheart I know you're reading off the prompter can you please tell the person directing you to tell you to add a little bit of emotions for your voice and face
true
She here's to educate, not entertain bro
Good narrative to cleanse a prominent slave owner.
So he was the good kind of slave master. Sarcasm alert.
King George and Queen Charlotte did not own slaves and regarded slavery immoral, unjust, and an abomination. In 1770, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and other slaveowners formed a scheme to prevent the royal governor of Virginia from abolishing slavery. It must be emphasized that George Washington often times beat and whipped the slaves, never paid the enslaved workers who worked in the fields. He continued to separate family members to make a quick profit until he died. As a young man, he should have sold small parcels of land and given them to the enslaved Africans after freei g them. The enslaved Africans were forced to live under very horrible, dangerous conditions by George Washington.
It didn't seem to bother those two that slavery was brought to their colonies. Unfuckingbelievable that you defend the British empire then turn around criticize George Washington. You're either a Brit or an American who has a hard on for the Brits.A lot of former colonies have a beef with the Brits. God bless George Washington and you can gtfooh.
So he wasn't against slavery during the pre revolutionary war? It makes me question his morality!! SMDH
Blane Walker he was a man of his time. As you know slavery was legal back them so it was ok in that sense. Let’s not forget the time they were in was hard they did not have groceries stores, cars, or electronics tools that we take for granted. One more thing the idea of all men are created equally was a very new. So please don’t think that you are more righteous then this man. Because I doubt you would hold on to your morals if you was living in that time
You're using a Cellphone that was made in a Sweat Shop in China. Stop acting like you would've been any better.
and yet he and the others said all men are created equal and called blacks men.
wish i had true religion when i was her age
Washington wasn't against slavery, as you yourself have said in a quite convoluted way.
Slavery is a terrible thing, but I’m beginning to understand more why people owned them at the time. It was beyond a tough time in those days. I think if I lived in those days I’d have probably owned slaves too, and went on the same moral course Washington did.
Wow smfhhh sad
So you would have practice the norm, which included adhering to the "Willey Lynch Letter" on how to manage your slaves. You would have to disciplined your slaves: taking them to the lash to gain obedience. I'm quite sure George had done just that...at least ONCE in his life.
It was prophesized and came into fruition. Nefarious machinations.
Slavery has existed since the beginning of mankind. It still exists today. Every race has been affected. Modern day slavery has upwards of 40 million people. We all benefit from it. From clothing, foods, technology ect. You are benefiting from someone else's misery somewhere else in the world. So for those of you who go after someone from a different century, I want to know what you are doing today in the 21st century to help fight against modern day slavery. Are you actively involved with an organization? If you're not please spare me your outrage against GW or any other historical figure. Put down those stones you're casting. You all go to bed at night not giving it a second thought about it. Native Americans had slaves yet they've been romanticized by a lot of people. Isn't that funny how some groups get a pass.
Enslaved people say foundational black Americans because we built this country
😅
What any of you don’t realize is this was the 1700’s. Slavery wasn’t considered wrong at all. Washington after years of owning them realized it was wrong. Look at his will. The man felt bad and as for abolishing slavery it wasn’t possible at that time. We just got United and most likely the people would’ve charged Washington with treason and hung him for even suggesting the end of slavery. Lincoln was in the best position possible for what he did. Washington is said to be aware and understanding how others felt. He made it right at the end. He could’ve raped his slave and treated them horribly like Thomas Jefferson. He and Jefferson were at odds when he died because Washington didn’t agree with what he did and how he treated his slaves.
MOST of THESE replies on The WHY'S are soooo delusional 😳 and defy logic that replying to them w reason and SOUND logic is complete waste of time.
Excuse after excuse after excuse he wanted to free his slaves but he couldn't funny he wanted to do this when he couldn't emancipation did this but he couldn't excuse after excuse after excuse such a BS she must have told herself this 20 times so it's so that she couldn't believe it
You're a child.
Crack open a book for once in your life.
because he could