Americans have been struggling with the memory of George Washington since his death. Should we celebrate his role in the creation of the nation or lament that he actively participated in and profited from the business of slave owning? Should we underscore that he freed his own slaves in his last will and testament or highlight that he never took a public position against slavery during his lifetime? Depending on the political context, historian John Garrison Marks argues that Americans have preferred to cherry-pick from Washington’s past to support their agenda in the present. Only through a fuller understanding of Washington and his legacy of slavery can we arrive at a meaningful, shared past. A conversation with John Garrison Marks about his book, Thy Will Be Done: George Washington’s Legacy of Slavery and the Struggle Over American Memory, next on the April 7th episode of the Realms of Memory podcast.
