George Washington
Manumission Promise Upon on Passing
In his will, composed several months before his passing in December 1799, George Washington provided instructions for the liberation of all the slaves he owned, to occur after Martha Washington’s death.
George Washington was not the sole Virginian contemplating the emancipation of his slaves during this era. In 1782, as the American Revolution was concluding, the Virginia legislature passed a law that allowed slaveholders to emancipate their slaves without requiring special approval from the governor and council.
Out of the 317 slaves residing at Mount Vernon in 1799, 123 were individuals owned by George Washington, and his will specified their freedom upon Martha Washington’s demise. However, these terms didn’t encompass all the slaves at Mount Vernon. After Daniel Parke Custis, Martha Washington’s first husband, passed away without leaving a will, she obtained a life interest in one-third of his estate, including his slaves, while the remaining two-thirds went to their children.
By law, neither George nor Martha Washington could legally free these dower slaves. Upon Martha’s passing, these slaves would return to the Custis estate and be distributed among her grandchildren. In 1799, 153 slaves at Mount Vernon were part of this dower property. An additional forty slaves were rented from a neighbor, and one man, Peter Hardiman, was rented from the widow of Martha Washington’s son. All these individuals would ultimately return to their original owners.
Following state law, George Washington stipulated in his will that elderly or infirm slaves would receive support throughout their lives from his estate. Children without parents, or those whose families couldn’t ensure their education, were to be apprenticed to masters and mistresses who would teach them reading, writing, and a useful trade, with freedom granted at the age of twenty-five. Washington’s will emphasized the utmost importance of executing these provisions faithfully without evasion, neglect, or delay, especially concerning the aged and infirm.
Martha Washington chose to emancipate her late husband’s slaves ahead of her own death, possibly due to concerns for her safety in a situation where the freedom of many depended on her passing. In December 1800, Martha Washington signed a deed of manumission for her deceased husband’s slaves, and this transaction is recorded in the abstracts of the Fairfax County, Virginia, Court Records. Their freedom was ultimately realized on January 1, 1801.
