I know that several of my ancestors were freed by the Will of Charles Yates in 1811. Yates was a friend of George Washingtons, and a businessman in Fredericksburg. He left one of the freedmen $500 in his Will, which was used to purchase property. My ancestors remained in Fredericksburg until prior to the Civil War. I did not find any documents requiring them to leave the area after manumission. 

Anita 


-- Paul Finkelman <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
The fact is that thousands of Virignians did what Jefferson refused to
do; they freed their slaves; moreover the 1806 law did not require
"exile" but only made manumssion in state more difficult.  Thousands of
slaves gained their freedom in VA after 1806; indeed Jefferson freed 5
slvaes in his will and they were allowed to stay in the state.
 Jefferson did not believe blacks ought to be free. They are "pests on
society" he told Edward Coles, his neighbor.  He opposed any efforts to
end slavery in Virginia.  But, as Henry so wisely notes, facts are facts.

Paul Finkelman

Henry Wiencek wrote:

>I shall now take out my cudgel and accuse Mr. Dixon of George
>Washington-bashing! (Kidding.)  I have great respect for Mr. Dixon's
>knowledge of the law but here he is in error: "One post asserted that
>Washington waived this requirement that the slave leave Virginia after one
>year, which Washington had no authority to do."  Washington died in 1799,
>the act requiring exile was passed in 1806.  His other points about GW, the
>dower slaves, etc., are half right at best.  For the third time I will now
>urge a list member to look at my book on GW and slavery: "An Imperfect God."
> I turned up a lot of new information, primary material never published
>before.  GW's manumission seems to irritate Jefferson partisans because they
>can't explain it away and it DOES make TJ look bad by comparison.  I was
>compelled to share a stage with the redoubtable Alf Mapp, who spluttered in
>genteel scholarly rage at the GW/TJ comparison.  Facts are facts.  Sorry!
>
>Henry Wiencek
>Charlottesville
>
>To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions
>at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
>
>

--
Paul Finkelman
Chapman Distinguished Professor of Law
University of Tulsa College of Law
3120 East 4th Place
Tulsa, OK   74104-3189

918-631-3706 (office)
918-631-2194 (fax)

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