Smearing George Washington

[Monkeyleg]

One point not mentioned is that Washington was wealthy enough to buy his slaves' freedom. Thomas Jefferson was not that wealthy, and so could not afford to buy freedom for his slaves.

As despicable a practice as it was and still is, the fact also remains that African men, women and children were sold into slavery by other African men.

I find it odd that we as a nation have put WWII behind us, at least in terms of animosity toward Germany and Japan, and embrace those countries, yet we cannot let 140 year-old wounds from our own history heal.

A great-great uncle of mine was an indentured servant who worked for his patron long after the Emancipation Proclamation. A great aunt of my wife's was forced to be a "comfort woman" for the SS at a concentration camp in Poland.

These are not things my wife or I think about often, if at all, because they are in the past.

 

[Byron Quick]

One point not mentioned is that Washington was wealthy enough to buy his slaves' freedom. Thomas Jefferson was not that wealthy, and so could not afford to buy freedom for his slaves.

They were both very wealthy. Washington was a good manager of wealth and his grew by a large margin. He only emancipated his slaves upon his death. Thomas Jefferson was not a good manager of wealth and he was extravagant in his purchasing throughout his life. He died in debt. His slaves were part of his estate that his creditors had claim to. I do not believe that he could have legally freed them until his creditors were paid. There were liens on Jefferson's entire estate.