Why do people see George Washington as a hero even though he owned slaves?

Question

I don't get it. Why is he a hero? The mother ****** owned slaves!!!

Answer 1

He was a hero for what he did in the revolutionary war NOT for being PC or even a "just man" He advanced his troops in the dead of a record braking cold winter in an era that this was UN HEARD OF. All armies in that era halted and encamped until spring before advancing. That's one way he is considered a hero.

Answer 2

Let me spell this out for you so that there is no shadow of a doubt in your mind. George Washington was a hero because he led this nation to victory against the British. With his fellow generals and the Continental Congress, the man brought about a nation where men (and please finish before closing the window in disgust) were able to be governed fairly.

Now, I do not condone that he owned slaves. The practice is repugnant in every way. However, think of it like this. The freedoms upon which this nation was founded ultimately led to the abolition of slavery across the United States. Guess what would have happened if Britain had stayed in charge? We would have been a mercantilism society for a far longer period of time, and they would have continued to utilize slaves for a greater profit. You must see that what this man did in feverishly working to capture freedom for a nation ultimately led to freedom for all of mankind. I hope that this was able to help you see why he is considered such a hero.

Answer 3

That isn't the only basis to judge him on. You have to remember that at the time, slavery was widely accepted. Abolition was on no one's mind. I'm not condoning it, but people need to look at the situation from the other person's perspective. Besides, practically every president owned slaves while it was still legal, before it became a moral issue.

To answer your question directly, Washington was a general in the American Revolution and then the first United States President. He is a symbol for the beginning of the US.

Answer 4

You have to understand the times. It is not simply a black and white issue. (No pun intended)

Slavery was questioned from the get-go. Many wanted slavery outlawed outright. However, the main arguement was economic. Southerners had paid a lot of money for slaves, and stood to loose out big time if slaves were freed. And Northerners were scared that the influx of freed black workers would take their jobs (sort of like today how people are racist against mexican migrants.) A compromise was reached, which eventually boiled over into the civil war. An important lesson is to be learned herel the same reason people have such a visceral hatred of mexican immigrants are the same reasons people were against freeing slaves. Religion also played a part in it. The Bible makes frequent references to slavery, noting how a slave should love and respect his master. It was used as a tool to not only perpetuate prejudice against blacks, but against women as well.

I agree that there really is no support to be given to any institution that allows for slaves, but at the same time, there were a lot of pragmatic issues that kept many intellectuals from freeing their slaves. Just keep that in mind anytime someone tells you that compromise is essential to daily life. Economic and religious prejudices kept rational supporters of freedom from consistently applying their beliefs. And that compromise eventually led to the most destructive war the U.S has ever fought.

Answer 5

I'm afraid you are the one who is in the wrong. You can't judge the past by the present... Slavery and owning slaves WAS LEGAL for another 100 years after Washington... and ALL of the founding Fathers owned slaves... not just Washington. Thomas Jefferson had several hundred alone.

Answer 6

We have to evaluate people in the context of their times. Most wealthy Americans owned slaves. Washington led the revolution that freed the uS from the British. He suffered great personal deprivation and succeeded against overwhelming odds. There is no doubt that the revolution would have failed without him.

Does this mean he was perfect? Of course not. But if we expect perfection from those we admire, there will be few heros left.

Answer 7

Well a lot of people think the Roosevelts were an outstanding American family. Their wealth came from the slave trade. Isaac Roosevelt, FDR's grandfather was a slave trader.

If you could really check the background of a lot of people, north and south, you will find there are many whose hands were not clean. They were involved one way or another.

Also I might add Abraham Lincoln's wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, owned slaves and continued to do so after the Civil War. Actually Lincoln originally wanted to send them all back to Africa.

Answer 8

He was a revolutionary man in his time. He had ideas that were progressive for his time, and they started the path towards the freedoms that we enjoy today. Washington probably didn't envision an America where men and women of all races participate in government. However, he, along with his contemporaries, set up a government that was flexible enough to take care of the changes that he couldn't forsee. That is what made the men of his time great.

Answer 9

**Just because something is LEGAL does not make it right. It was legal to kill Jewish people in Germany during the Holocaust. So to the White people who say that slavery was OK b/c it was legal, watch Schindler's List and tell me if THAT was OK b/c it was legal to kill 6 million Jewish people.

GW was a hero to the Whites because he led troops during the american revolution and he was the 1st president, so he helped found the newly independent nation. He owned slaves, so he was not a hero for the Africans in America who were not even considered a full person.

He's an American hero, but he does not have to be YOUR hero. He's not my hero, but seeing as how i do live in this country that he helped found, I can respect his contribution to America.

Answer 10

There's a book called "An Imperfect God: George Washington" which deals with this question. I highly recommend it. Unlike any other Founding Father, he let his slaves go in his will. But I understand your discomfort. Here's the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Imperfect-God-Washington-Creation-America/dp/0374175268/ref=sr_1_1/103-6077341-4896631?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181267279&sr=1-1