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| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Collection Reference Number | GLC03705 |
| From Archive Folder | Documents Relating to 1786 |
| Title | George Washington to John Francis Mercer regarding slaves |
| Date | 9 September 1786 |
| Author | Washington, George (1732-1799) |
| Recipient | Mercer, John Francis |
| Document Type | Correspondence |
| Content Description | Washington replies to a letter from Mercer, noting that he would have replied sooner, but he had a fever. Expresses his plan to never purchase another slave, and his wish that slavery be abolished by "slow, sure & imperceptible degrees." Discusses financial matters, mentioning a debt he owes Governor George Clinton of New York, which was supposed to have been repaid within twelve months of "the Peace" (1783). For what remains of the loan, Washington is paying seven percent interest. Mentions another, higher debt he owes to an unspecified individual, and that repayment of this loan may be postponed. |
| Subjects | President Health and Medical Slavery Slave Sale African American History Abolition Mount Vernon Finance Debt Treaty Peace |
| People | Washington, George (1732-1799) Mercer, John Francis (1759-1821) Clinton, George (1739-1812) |
| Place written | Mount Vernon, Virginia |
| Theme | The Presidency; Slavery & Abolition; Health & Medicine; African Americans |
| Sub-collection | The Gilder Lehrman Collection, 1493-1859 |
| Additional Information | Mercer served in the Revolutionary War and was a member of Continental Congress. He attended the Constitutional Convention, served in various state political posts (for Virginia and then Maryland), and was Governor of Maryland 1801-1803. In this brief note, written at a time when he owned some 277 slaves, George Washington expresses his hopes for the gradual abolition of slavery. This letter not only reveals Washington's principles and distaste for slavery, but also an outlook shared by many of the founders, including many from the upper South. Many of the new nation's leaders desperately wanted to find gradualist solutions to America's deepest-rooted problem. In his will, Washington provided for the emancipation of his slaves following his wife's death. Signer of the U.S. Constitution. |
| Copyright | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History |
| Module | Settlement, Commerce, Revolution and Reform: 1493-1859 |
| Transcript | Show/hide |