About this episode

The episode discusses George Washington's complex relationship with slavery and his contradictory legacy.

George Washington privately condemned slavery while actively holding hundreds of people in enslavement. He championed gradual emancipation plans while scheming to keep the people he enslaved from accessing them. He ruthlessly pursued a woman who escaped his enslavement and then emancipated the slaves he owned outright in his will. Washington’s complicated and contradictory legacy around slavery has been debated by Americans since his death. Joining us to discuss is Dr. John Garrison Marks , the Vice President of Research and Engagement at the American Association for State and Local History and author of Thy Will Be Done: George Washington's Legacy of Slavery and the Fight for American Memory . Our theme song is “ Frogs Legs Rag ,” composed by James Scott and performed by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under Creative Commons. The episode music is “ I think we’ve got another Washington ,” composed by George Fairman and performed by the Peerless Quartet on October 32, 2015, in New York City; the recording is in the public domain and is available via the Library of Congress National Jukebox.The episode image is “ Washington at Mount Vernon plantation, 1797 ,” lithographed and published by…

More episodes of Unsung History

• Policing Slavery & Black Rebellion in the American South · May 4, 2026 · 51 min
• Magnus Hirschfeld, Dora Richter, and the Institute for Sexual Science in Weimar Germany · April 6, 2026 · 45 min
• The Feliciana Parishes of Louisiana · March 23, 2026 · 45 min
• The Academy Awards · March 9, 2026 · 48 min
• Black History Month · February 9, 2026 · 47 min
• Reed Peggram · January 26, 2026 · 41 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Unsung History podcast page.