George Washington, a figure known for his leadership in the founding of the United States, is also remembered for a less noble aspect of his history: his deliberate evasion of Pennsylvania’s Gradual Abolition Act to maintain ownership of his enslaved people. This law, passed on March 1, 1780, was a pioneering piece of legislation aimed at ending slavery in the state. It declared that any slave who lived there for more than six months would be freed.
Washington, who had inherited his first ten slaves when he was just ten years old, found himself in a predicament when he moved to Philadelphia. The Gradual Abolition Act not only prohibited the importation of slaves into the state but also promised freedom to those who were enslaved within its borders for more than six months. However, Washington was not prepared to release his slaves.
Erica Armstrong Dunbar, in a report for a widely known publication, explains how Washington exploited legal loopholes to keep his slaves. “Washington developed a canny strategy that would protect his property and allow him to avoid public scrutiny,” Dunbar writes. “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.” In correspondence to his personal secretary Tobias Lear in 1791, Washington advised to keep this practice discrete, emphasizing, “I request that these Sentiments and this advise may be known to none but yourself & Mrs. Washington.”
Despite Washington’s efforts, Ona Judge, a 22-year-old slave, took her fate into her own hands. She escaped and found freedom in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, among the many who sought liberty through their own means or via the fledgling network later known as the Underground Railroad. The New England Historical Society states that Washington was furious due to what he perceived as Judge’s lack of gratitude, and he believed that she had been persuaded to flee rather than making the decision to escape of her own accord.
Throughout an extensive three-year search, Washington was unable to locate Judge. Furthermore, it is important to note that Washington was not the only president who owned slaves. Zachary Taylor, the 12th president, possessed 100 slaves during his time in office, and Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th president, emancipated his slaves prior to the outbreak of the Civil War.
Relevant articles:
– George Washington Used Legal Loopholes to Avoid Freeing His Slaves