Dine & Dialogue – Thy Will Be Done: George Washington’s Legacy of Slavery and the Fight for American Memory

How should we remember George Washington’s entanglement in slavery? Americans have argued over that question for nearly 250 years. More than any other Founding Father, Washington’s ties to slavery have vexed us. He enslaved more people than any of his fellow founders, yet he was the only one of them to emancipate the people he held in bondage. Since his death, Americans have grappled with this contradiction, shaping, and reshaping our collective memory of Washington and slavery—along with our understanding of the nation.

As debates about the founders’ participation in the system of slavery continue to roil public discourse, Marks shows with new clarity that Americans have never collectively reconciled Washington’s conflicted legacy. By truly grappling with Washington’s role as enslaver and emancipator, we may come to better understand the nation and ourselves.

John Garrison Marks is a historian, writer, and author of Black Freedom in the Age of Slavery.

For those who purcase a lecture and dinner ticket: dinner will be held at the Filson immediately following the lecture.