Posted on 02/16/2015 4:36:11 PM PST by dennisw
When he was 11 years old, Washington inherited 10 slaves from his father’s estate. He continued to acquire slaves — some through the death of family members and others through direct purchase. Washington’s cache of enslaved people peaked in 1759 when he married the wealthy widow Martha Dandridge Custis. His new wife brought more than 80 slaves to the estate at Mount Vernon. On the eve of the American Revolution, nearly 150 souls were counted as part of the property there.
In 1789, Washington became the first president of the United States, a planter president who used and sanctioned black slavery. Washington needed slave labor to maintain his wealth, his lifestyle and his reputation. As he aged, Washington flirted with attempts to extricate himself from the murderous institution — “to get quit of Negroes,” as he famously wrote in 1778. But he never did.
Washington developed a canny strategy that would protect his property and allow him to avoid public scrutiny. Every six months, the president’s slaves would travel back to Mount Vernon or would journey with Mrs. Washington outside the boundaries of the state. In essence, the Washingtons reset the clock. The president was secretive when writing to his personal secretary Tobias Lear in 1791: “I request that these Sentiments and this advise may be known to none but yourself & Mrs. Washington.”
The president went on to support policies that would protect slave owners who had invested money in black lives. In 1793, Washington signed the first fugitive slave law, which allowed fugitives to be seized in any state, tried and returned to their owners. Anyone who harbored or assisted a fugitive faced a $500 penalty and possible imprisonment.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Uh oh. She has ‘whitey hair’. She won’t be taken seriously by her ‘comrades’ because she’s not ‘down wi da struggle’.
Happy birthday Mr President, from the New York slimes
I wouldn’t call him a hero of mine, but I respected him and Booker T. Washington a great deal.
Look at what those men did, and what so many Blacks today claim they can’t do.
The glaring difference is very damning.
Carver turned down a job offer from Henry Ford that could have made Carver the wealthiest black man in the country overnight.
After his death they were all freed and given land, land which now comprises a successful development with residences and shops.
Its actually an interesting article. I hadn’t read much on the details of Washington’s slave-holdings.
It is obvious that he was troubled by slavery, as evidenced by his own desire to extricate himself from it. And yet he was never able to do it. Even good people have their private hypocrisies. It doesn’t take anything away from what he accomplished in his life. It just proves that flawed men are capable of great things despite their flaws. And good men still struggle with their private failings.
Because despite his flaws he was not merely a great man, but a good man as well.
Yes.
Hmmm...looks like ERICA ARMSTRONG DUNBARFEB failed to mention THAT part of history. (They never seem to recall that muslim/slave part.)
Ain't gonna work with me!
And one more thing: I HATE this "President's Day" BS.
This means we have to lump Clinton, Obama and Carter in with the likes of Washington and Jefferson.
Because, after all, we couldn't favor one President over another one now, could we?
Booker T. Washington is someone I admire greatly.
It speaks volumes that his approach to improving and normalizing race relations through economic participation was spat upon by racist scum like W.E.B. Du Bois.
Booker T. Washington fervently believed that engaging in commerce and trades that produced quality goods and services was the way to equality...when money is on the line, good services and products at a competitive price will make people overlook the color of someone’s skin.
“Up From Slavery” is a great book, and I think it is relevant today. But black studies people like this POS probably paint him as an “Uncle Tom”.
I’m not sure it was a “murderous” institution, as a slave was valuable property.
Look what happened to Liberia when some of them went back.
This is what they run for president’s day?
The writer said that the provision was in George’s will (to be released upon Martha’s death) but that Martha’s heirs got them.
Barack actually claimed to have relatives who were descended from slavery (he was referring to his wife and daughters).
That’s his only hope for ‘legitimacy’ in claiming to having lived the ‘black’ American experience.
I think we should just go back under the sovereignty of the British Crown. It is the only decent thing to do! /sarcasm;)
That was something James Brown recognized and was grateful for. He (and others who made it) said it's sad and 'sucks' what their ancestors went through but that they (the descendants) were much better off than if they'd stayed in Africa.
Even when James Brown went to Africa for a concert coordinated with Ali/Clay's fight, he said he was more grateful to be able to live in America.
The problems in Africa in the 20th century were part of it. The potential for personal growth and wealth in America was the other part of it. He said 'no place else' could a man go from so little to so much.
Here's some of it in song (the fight concert was 1974, this was 1968).
Gee, did any Democrats own slaves? I wonder...
The Republican Party was started to remove slavery by the democrats..
If only that was spoken on some TV debate/discourse/convo.. (with long pause)...
followed by...... WELL.... respond... to slavery by democrats..
$25,000 grand in those days was enormous!
People were lucky to make a dollar a day some 100 years later.
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