Washington’s will swiftly gained the public attention envisioned by its author, appearing in print almost immediately, with no less than 13 editions published in 10 different cities in 1800 alone. And yet, if Washington hoped that the decision to free his slaves would compel large numbers of his countrymen to follow his lead, he was sadly mistaken. In fact, his example failed to make a significant impression even on the members of his own family. Although Martha Washington controlled the dower slaves, they were still the property of her first husband’s estate. She only owned outright one slave, named Elish. For reasons known only to herself, she chose not to manumit Elish, instead passing him on to her grandson in her will. Of the family members who inherited the more than 150 slaves held by the Custis estate, none of them seem to have elected to free more than a very few.

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Bushrod Washington, the Supreme Court justice and nephew of George Washington, and the inheritor of the Mount Vernon mansion and 4,000 acres of the estate, never freed the Mount Vernon slaves during his ownership of the plantation. And in fact he even engaged in the practice most abhorred by his famous uncle — the disruption of slave families through public sale. Finally, almost none of George Washington’s peers, either the obscure or the famous — not Jefferson, not Madison, not Monroe — elected to follow their president’s example. We can only speculate on how much suffering and injustice might have been spared succeeding generations if they had.

This article was written by Dennis J. Pogue and originally published in the February 2004 issue of American History Magazine.For more great articles, subscribe to American History magazine today!

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