George Washington
Among the first US Presidents who were pro-slavery was George Washington. Since he was 11 years old when his father died in 1743, the first president had been enslaving people for most of his life. He “inherited” 10 farm workers. Mount Vernon, Washington, used a diverse workforce of enslaved individuals throughout his adult life.
There were 119 enslaved laborers at Mount Vernon in 1774. Before Washington’s two years as president in 1786, following the Revolutionary War, the plantation had over 200 slaves, many of whom were youngsters.
A couple of months before he died, George Washington wrote in his will that all the slaves should be freed after his wife died. However, in 1800, she signed a document to agree to her husband’s dying wish; therefore, on January 1st, all the slaves were freed.
One Response
In order to understand why these presidents were pro-slavery, we must go back to the customs of the times. Those who were rich & powerful could do anything they wanted, & the law looked the other way. Slavery was an accepted institution. Not all slaves were treated badly, most had kind masters who gave them food & shelter, albeit of low quality. They worked long hours, & were exhausted at the end of a 12-hour day. The white non-slave were not much better off, working long hours for little pay, living in squalor. If a white worker got injured or died, nobody cared for the family. Corruption & bribery were rampant. Congressmen & Presidents often took bribes, or participated in crooked schemes to enrich themselves. Regretably, not much has changed!