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Why did Robert E. Lee continue to keep slaves on the Arlington estate if he would be happy to allow them to leave?
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Strictly speaking, Arlington and the slaves were the property of Lee's wife. She was the granddaughter of Martha Washington and had inherited the slaves and the land. Lee could manage the operation, but would have been personally liable for allowing the value of the estate to diminish through his actions, such as freeing all the valuable slaves, if he had had the power to do so. But, since most of them were not his, he did not have the actual legal authority to free them.
Lee's children stood to inherit Arlington. A slave man in his prime was worth perhaps $1000 on the market. In many places this was enough money to buy 500 acres of farmland. On many plantations the market value of the slaves was greater than that of the soil they tilled. Freeing the slaves would have reduced the value of the bequest to his children by more than half. And without them, it would have been difficult to farm the land. But anyway, Lee lacked the legal authority to free the slaves, if he had been able to face the idea of such a vast diminishment of what he would see left to his children.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
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What did general Robert e lee think was wrong to own?
Slaves. He was the most revered and respected person in the Confederacy and he was against slavery. He freed the slaves that had come to him by way of his father-in-law's estate will.
What happened to all of General Robert E. Lee's slaves?
The last of the slaves inherited by Lee's wife were freed in 1862 at the start of the war. Most stayed on at the plantation or at the federally established Freedman's Village on the property. Their descendants still live in Arlington County Robert E Lee granted his personal slave freedom in 1858
Why was General Robert E. Lee called Morse Robert E. Lee?
I think it was what his slaves called him: 'Marse Robert'.
Did Jesse James own slaves?
His parents Robert and Zerelda owned 6-7 slaves from 1850-60. The slaves worked their Clay County farm.
Was he a slave General Robert E. Lee?
Slaves did not become Confederate Generals, my friend!
What did general Robert e lee think was wrong to own?
Slaves. He was the most revered and respected person in the Confederacy and he was against slavery. He freed the slaves that had come to him by way of his father-in-law's estate will.
What happened to all of General Robert E. Lee's slaves?
The last of the slaves inherited by Lee's wife were freed in 1862 at the start of the war. Most stayed on at the plantation or at the federally established Freedman's Village on the property. Their descendants still live in Arlington County Robert E Lee granted his personal slave freedom in 1858
How slaves from India lived on the estate and the conditions they lived in?
They were slaves....so bad.
Did Robert Livingston own slaves?
Yes, Robert Livingston did own slaves. He was a prominent figure in American history who came from a wealthy family with ties to slavery.
Did Robert yates own slaves?
no.
Did Richard Bassett own slaves?
Yes, Richard Bassett did own slaves. He was a prominent Delaware politician and judge who owned slaves on his estate.
Why was General Robert E. Lee called Morse Robert E. Lee?
I think it was what his slaves called him: 'Marse Robert'.
Why did the African came to Trinidad?
they came to work as slaves on a sugar plantation estate
Why did the slaves continue to travel into Canada?
Because Canada is a free country.
What has the author Robert Harborough Sherard written?
Robert Harborough Sherard has written: 'The child-slaves of Britain'
Were there slaves at the Biltmore estate plantation in ashville North Carolina?
No, the Biltmore Estate was build about 20 years after the civil war ended and slavery was abolished.
Did Jesse James own slaves?
His parents Robert and Zerelda owned 6-7 slaves from 1850-60. The slaves worked their Clay County farm.
