George Washington was born February 22, 1732.  His parents were Augustine and Mary Ball Washington. His father died when George was eleven and left him a great deal of property, including slaves.
   
How could a man committed to freedom own slaves?  The slave trade was introduced to Virginia in 1619.  When George Washington came on the scene the question of the morality of slavery wasn’t even discussed.  In 1765, when our founding fathers began to examine our relationship with Britain the view of slavery began to change.

Why didn’t George Washington free his slaves?  The Virginia legislature passed laws that made it difficult to do so.  If you set a slave free, you had to pay in order to export them from the country.  Concerning slavery, Washington said in a letter to Robert Morris on "I can only say that there is not a man living who wishes more sincerely than I do to see a plan adopted for the abolition of it…"  Later he wrote, "I wish from my soul that the legislature of this State could see the policy of a gradual abolition of slavery."

Washington’s last will and testament shows the passion he had for freeing slaves.  He wrote that upon his and his wife’s death his slaves would be freed.  Of one particular slave named William Lee he left an annuity of $30 a year plus clothing and victuals and the option of being free if he wanted it.  William Lee was injured and unable to walk.
 
George Washington died December 14, 1799 at age sixty-seven. He had developed pneumonia and laryngitis while riding in the snow and rain. He died with his Doctor and personal secretary at his side. His last words were “'tis well.”