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Article: Mount Vernon's checkered past.(FEATURES)(BOOKS)(Book review)
- Article from:
- The Christian Science Monitor
- Article date:
- February 19, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 The Christian Science Publishing Society. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Richard Horan
When George Washington passed away on December 14, 1799, 316 slaves lived at Mount Vernon. There is a general misconception that upon his death, all were freed.
In fact, in Washington's last will and testament, he bequeathed his slaves to his wife Martha, and upon her death he requested that they be emancipated. No doubt our heroic first president's heart was in the right place, but what was he thinking? Might not people who'd been promised their freedom upon the death of their owner try to precipitate that event prematurely?
Although there were sincere friendships between Martha and some of the enslaved African-Americans ...