After retiring from public service, Washington drew up a new will. It granted immediate freedom to his personal slave William Lee along with an annuity of $30 for the rest of his life.
He also declared that upon the death of his wife, all of his slaves should be freed. His heirs were to provide financially for the older slaves, and his heirs were also to provide an education for the younger slaves so that they would be equipped for all sorts of employment.
Upon Washington’s death, Martha freed all of his slaves, likely out of fear that one of them would attempt to murder her knowing that it would mean their freedom.
Washington had hoped such an example would be followed by the other slave-holding southerners. It was to be another 62 years until the Civil War would begin, and slavery would finally end.
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