Martha freed George Washington’s enslaved people

A year after taking office as president of the United States in April 1789 and nine years before he passed away in December 1799, George Washington gave instructions in his will from July 1790 for the freedom of all the slaves he owned. Less than half, or 123 people, of the 318 slaves at Mount Vernon in 1799 belonged to George. Because he wanted to maintain the families of those who had intermarried with Martha's dower slaves, his will provided that his slaves were not to be liberated until Martha's passing. However, Martha executed a deed of manumission in December 1800, and as a result, all of her late husband's slaves were emancipated on January 1, 1801. She didn't do this to express her opposition to slavery. She was familiar with the system, as were the majority of individuals in that day and age.

The dread for her own life was what ultimately drove Martha to release George's slaves. There was a worry that these slaves may rise and murder Martha to get free. One of the interesting facts about Martha Washington is that she feared she could perish at their hands because only her death stood between them and independence. There were rumors that slaves may have started a suspicious fire at Mount Vernon.