Instead of recognizing their independence Washington dispatched emergency aid. We should also remember that Washington came to the aid of the French who had gotten their butts beat by enslaved Haitians who rebelled and overthrew their slave masters. We now know that assertion didn’t include Black folks. Washington put this law into effect in 1790, which was a good 14 years after he signed the Declaration of Independence that asserted All Men Are Created Equal. Maybe that’s true, but this is the same Washington who signed the Fugitive Slave Law which allowed slave owners to recapture enslaved Africans even if they managed to escape to states that had abolished slavery. Some like to point out that Washington often expressed support for the gradual abolition of slavery. All 316 of them were freed by his wife Martha Washington who waited a good twelve months to honor her husband’s wishes. Some like to point out that Washington freed his slaves. There was no excuse for their participation in the horrors that were unleashed on enslaved Africans who were not considered human, which on top of being forced to work from sun up to sun down, were subjected to harsh whippings, rapes and their children being sold off. Celebrating Lincoln is understandable considering he helped put an end to the horrific institution of slavery by putting forth the Emancipation Proclamation, even though he had to be pressured by abolitionist like Frederick Douglass and others.Ĭelebrating Washington and Jefferson who were founding fathers of this country and slave owners is not the biz no matter what angle folks take. For many people it’s the conclusion of a 3 day weekend in which we are encouraged to celebrate Presidents Day where we honor Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
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