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Article: George Washington Owned Slaves Who Basically Ran His Mount Vernon Estate.(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Jet
- Article date:
- March 1, 1999
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 Johnson Publishing Co. 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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As the nation celebrates Black History Month, historians are recalling little-known history facts, including the fact that President George Washington, "The Father of Our Country," owned slaves.
Not only did Washington have slaves, he did little to free them during his lifetime. As the country's first president, he also did not do anything to abolish the institution of slavery.
Washington was 11 years old when he inherited 10 slaves from his father. It was a normal fact of life for well-to-do White people to have slaves during that time period, historians point out.
Washington freed his slaves after he died in 1799. "Upon the decease of my wife ...