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An Imperfect God: George Washington, His Slaves and the Creation of America
An Imperfect God George Washington His Slaves and the Creation of America Author:Henry Wiencek 'Wiencek is a fine writer, a careful historian and an accomplished genealogist who engagingly invites readers into his researches.' - Raymond Seitz, "Daily Telegraph". George Washington's will decreed that all his slaves were to be freed; an action that has fuelled controversy, speculation and intrigue ever since. In this groundbreaking work, He... more »nry Wiencek explores the founding father's engagement with slavery at every stage of his life - as a soldier, politician, president and statesman. Based on a meticulous examination of private papers, court records and the voluminous Washington archives, Wiencek recounts the moral transformation that culminated in the emancipation of his slaves. Was this perhaps because - as the oral history of Mount Vernon's slave descendants has long asserted - he'd had a son by a slave called Venus? Using newly discovered evidence, Wiencek argues that this could indeed have been true..."An Imperfect God" is a fascinating and thought-provoking piece of historical detection and a masterpiece of biography.« less