Master George's people : George Washington, his slaves, and his revolutionary transformation
(Book)

Includes bibliographical references, articles, websites and index.

As first President of the United States of America and before, George Washington was a legendary leader of men. He had high expectations concerning his soldiers, and his employees at his home in Mount Vernon. He expected his workers at the home he loved to be loyal and work from sun up to sun down. The only thing is that his workers were slaves..."my people" he called them. He regarded them as his property and although he helped founded a document celebrating "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" as unalienable rights, at the same time human beings were being bought and sold for his and his own family's comfort as did many others at that time. It seemed to matter little to him of their desires or comfort. Considering the life of some slaves, they had a small measure of provision, mostly trying to maintain his property for maximum use and profitability. After twenty-five years, he drew up a will in which after his death, the slaves he owned, (some were not his but his wife's family's and had to be returned to their original master) and some did belong to his wife, Martha and she finally emancipated them not because she agreed that they should be, but because she feared for her life after her husband's death. At the end of his life he may have seen that it was morally wrong but seemd more concerned about his reputation, although he did provide for one slave who had been particularly loyal to him.