314F Spring 2025 “The Only Unavoidable Subject of Regret”: George Washington and Slavery

The early 21st century has been hard on the reputations of the Founding Fathers who were slaveholders, regardless of how significant their contributions may have been. While George Washington was the only Founder to present a plan to free his enslaved workers, it is also true that he lived with slavery and benefited from slavery throughout his life. In this unflinching but fair and balanced assessment of Washington and slavery, the instructor attempts to go beyond name-calling and examines the dilemma Washington (and the nation) faced and what his actions reveal about the man and the country he founded.

Peter R. Henriques received his PhD in History from the University of Virginia and is professor emeritus of History at George Mason University. He is the author of First and Always: A New Portrait of George Washington, Realistic Visionary: A Portrait of George Washington and The Death of George Washington: He Died As He Lived. His latest book, a brief biography “George Washington and his Quest for Honor and Fame”, published by the University of Virginia Press, will be available Fall 2025. Honors include a George Washington Fellowship by Mount Vernon and the George Washington Memorial Award given by the George Washington Masonic Memorial Association.