George Washington - One of the First Abolitionists

                I had planned on making my first blog post about Washington’s views on political parties.  I felt this was appropriate considering the focus on the wrangling between the Democrats and Republicans.  However, after receiving an email regarding the covering of a statue of George Washington by the NAACP during the annual South Carolina Martin Luther King rally in January of this year, and upon reading that they had covered this statue for the past four years, I had to respond. 

                 There is a quote, sited on the day, by an unnamed source and sited as having come from a member of the NAACP in South Carolina; the quote, “The Statue has been covered so as not to offend anyone. “  In a later public statement, the NAACP said the statue had been covered to a make a better back drop for the speeches and a video presentation that was going to be played.  It is important to note however, that the video presentation was not ready on the day of the rally so it was not shown.  Yet, the statue was still covered.  In addition, the statue had been covered during the rally for the three previous years. 

                 If it was covered to prevent giving offense to anyone attending the rally, my questions is; who would it offend?  Anyone educated in their history would know that George Washington, while born into a slave owning family, changed his opinions on slavery during the revolutionary war.  He can now be considered one of the first abolitionists.

                It was Washington’s greatest wish that slavery be abolished.  He supported the idea of legislation to do away with slavery over time, understanding that the basis of income in the south was agriculture and that to do away with slavery abruptly, would cause many to lose their lands and lively hoods.  However, he didn’t believe that anyone should traffic in the sale of Human beings.

                Washington stopped purchasing slaves well before the end of the revolutionary war.  He also stopped selling his slaves.  Even though, at the end of the revolutionary war, he was over $120,000 in debt.  The sale of one slave would have paid the taxes on Mount Vernon for a year, but he refused to sell a human being as you would cattle or horses.  In later years, despite the fact that he had twice as many slaves as were needed to run his plantation, an additional expense which would have helped to contributed to his debt, he continued his practice of not selling slaves.  He firmly believed in keeping families together. 

             He was also a strong supporter of the abolition of slavery, but knew it had to be a legislated act accomplished over time.  In a letter to the Marquis de Lafayette he wrote that petitions were presented to the Virginia Assembly to abolish slavery in 1786 but they could scarcely obtain a reading.  He let it be known that he would support any such measure. 

There were only two ways to free slaves legally in Virginia during Washington’s life.  One was by deed and one was by will.  Washington did not free his slaves while he lived as he would have had to give up Mount Vernon to do it.  He sold land instead of people to help pay his debts and ultimately had to take a loan a year prior to his death to keep his plantation running.  However, he did free his slaves in his will, requesting that all slaves at Mount Vernon be freed upon the death of Martha.  This did not include those slaves that were acquired by dower, who came to the Estate as a result of marriage.  These slaves were not his to free.  He also made provisions in his will instructing his heirs to continue to care for the elderly and infirm and to ensure that the young were educated and taught a trade.

So why would the appearance of a statue, the statue of the father of our country, the statue of a man who believed in the freedom of all people, offend anyone?  And why isn’t Washington’s name included when we speak about Abolitionists.  I would think that a statue of George Washington would be something to be desired at an event sponsored by the NAACP, not something to be hidden.  But then I know my history.  Do they?  Do you?  Our founding fathers were amazing men, and ones worth taking the time to get to know.  To really know, from original sources and in their own words.