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"There is not a man living who wishes more sincerely than I do, to see a plan adopted for the abolition of it."
-- George Washington on slavery, 1783
As Washington grew older, he found it increasingly difficult to justify slavery in a country founded on liberty. And he questioned its value to the economy. He also believed that the slavery question would tear the country apart -- and so, like many others, he refused to address it publicly. Instead, he acted privately and freed his slaves in his will, setting an example for others to follow. |