Washington's Slaveholding Legacy

George Washington owned slaves throughout his life, and while his views on slavery evolved over time, he continued to benefit from the labor of enslaved people and actively participated in the slave trade. Even after signing the 1794 Slave Trade Act, he kept moving his slaves in and out of Pennsylvania every six months to avoid them claiming freedom under a state law. The only slave emancipated immediately upon his death was William "Billy" Lee, who fought alongside Washington during the American Revolutionary War.