George Washington Freed Slaves Only After His and Martha's Deaths

What was said

"He never actually does set them all free though. I thought he did in his will. Well, not in his lifetime exactly. He doesn't set them free in his lifetime. There's a complication because actually Martha owns most of them. Exactly. But he kind of makes provisions for when she dies that they will be set free."

Despite expressing desire to be free of slavery and saying he longed to set his slaves free, Washington never freed them during his lifetime. Most were owned by Martha, and he only made provisions in his will for their eventual freedom after both he and Martha died. The discussion reveals Washington's moral contradiction: acknowledging slavery was wrong while perpetuating it throughout his life.