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Combining both journalism and historical detection, Wiencek takes the reader on a modern-day journey through the places that made up Washington's world, talks to archaeologists, historians, keepers of Washington shrines and Washington's own descendants, along the way revealing a convincing, and unusual, portrait of this complex man.   At the centre of this reappraisal is the figure of West Ford, a Washington slave, whose family claim a familial connection with George Washington. 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With several thousand black and white members, the Hairstons share a complex and compelling history: divided in the time of slavery, they have come to embrace their past as one family. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe black family's story is most exceptional. It is the account of the rise of a remarkable people--the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of slaves--who took their rightful place in mainstream America. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn contrast, it has been the fate of the white family--once one of the wealthiest in America--to endure the decline and fall of the Old South, and to become an apparent metaphor for that demise. But the family's fall from grace is only part of the tale. 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In this groundbreaking work, Henry 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. . .   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With several thousand black and white members, the Hairstons share a complex and compelling history: divided in the time of slavery, they have come to embrace their past as one family.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The black family''s story is most exceptional. It is the account of the rise of a remarkable people--the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of slaves--who took their rightful place in mainstream America.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e In contrast, it has been the fate of the white family--once one of the wealthiest in America--to endure the decline and fall of the Old South, and to become an apparent metaphor for that demise. But the family''s fall from grace is only part of the tale. 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He expertly weaves the Hairstons'' stories from all sides of historical events like slave emancipation, Reconstruction, school segregation, and lynching.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Paradoxically, Wiencek demonstrates that these families found that the way to come to terms with the past was to embrace it, and this lyrical work, a parable of redemption, may in the end serve as a vital contribution to our nation''s attempt to undo the twisted historical legacy of the past.\u003c\/p\u003e has listened raptly to the tales of hundreds of Hairston relatives, including the aging scio has listened raptly to the tales of hundreds of Hairston relatives, including the aging scions of both the white and black clans. He has crisscrossed the old plantation country in Virginia, North Carolina, and Mississippi to seek out the descendants of slaves. Visiting family reunions, interviewing family members, and exploring old plantations, Wiencek combs the far-reaching branches of the Hairston family tree to gather anecdotes from members about their ancestors and piece together a family history that involves the experiences of both plantation owners and their slaves. He expertly weaves the Hairstons'' stories from all sides of historical events like slave emancipation, Reconstruction, school segregation, and lynching.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Paradoxically, Wiencek demonstrates that these families found that the way to come to terms with the past was to embrace it, and this lyrical work, a parable of redemption, may in the end serve as a vital contribution to our nation''s attempt to undo the twisted historical legacy of the past.has listened raptly to the tales of hundreds of Hairston relatives, including the aging scio the past.has listened raptly to the tales of hundreds of Hairston relatives, including the aging scions of both the white and black clans. He has crisscrossed the old plantation country in Virginia, North Carolina, and Mississippi to seek out the descendants of slaves. Visiting family reunions, interviewing family members, and exploring old plantations, Wiencek combs the far-reaching branches of the Hairston family tree to gather anecdotes from members about their ancestors and piece together a family history that involves the experiences of both plantation owners and their slaves. He expertly weaves the Hairstons'' stories from all sides of historical events like slave emancipation, Reconstruction, school segregation, and lynching.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Paradoxically, Wiencek demonstrates that these families found that the way to come to terms with the past was to embrace it, and this lyrical work, a parable of redemption, may in the end serve as a vital contribution to our nation''s attempt to undo the twisted historical legacy of the past.the past.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ WELL_READ \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49630054514961,"sku":"GOR012417249","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49639262486801,"sku":"GOR003686084","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49850209435921,"sku":"CIN0312253931G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":50347364221201,"sku":"CIN0312253931A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50784172704017,"sku":"CIN0312253931VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":50983608549649,"sku":"NIN9780312253936","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0312253931.jpg?v=1750812963"},{"product_id":"imperfect-god-book-henry-wiencek-9780374529512","title":"An Imperfect God","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAn Imperfect God\u003c\/i\u003e is a major new biography of Washington, and the first to explore his engagement with American slavery\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e When George Washington wrote his will, he made the startling decision to set his slaves free; earlier he had said that holding slaves was his \"only unavoidable subject of regret.\" In this groundbreaking work, Henry Wiencek explores the founding father''s engagement with slavery at every stage of his life--as a Virginia planter, soldier, politician, president and statesman.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Washington was born and raised among blacks and mixed-race people; he and his wife had blood ties to the slave community. 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And it was perhaps related to the possibility--as the oral history of Mount Vernon''s slave descendants has long asserted--that a slave named West Ford was the son of George and a woman named Venus; Wiencek has new evidence that this could indeed have been true.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e George Washington''s heroic stature as Father of Our Country is not diminished in this superb, nuanced portrait: now we see Washington in full as a man of his time and ahead of his time.e became president Washington had begun to see the system''s evil.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Wiencek''s revelatory narrative, based on a meticulous examination of private papers, court records, and the voluminous Washington archives, documents for the first time the moral transformation culminating in Washington''s determination to emancipate his slaves. He acted too late to keep the new republic from perpetuating slavery, but his repentance was genuine. And it was perhaps related to the possibility--as the oral history of Mount Vernon''s slave descendants has long asserted--that a slave named West Ford was the son of George and a woman named Venus; Wiencek has new evidence that this could indeed have been true.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e George Washington''s heroic stature as Father of Our Country is not diminished in this superb, nuanced portrait: now we see Washington in full as a man of his time and ahead of his time.e became president Washington had begun to see the system''s evil.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Wiencek''s revelatory narrative, based on a meticulous examination of private papers, court records, and the voluminous Washington archives, documents for the first time the moral transformation culminating in Washington''s determination to emancipate his slaves. He acted too late to keep the new republic from perpetuating slavery, but his repentance was genuine. 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The answer is a resounding yes. Henry Wiencek s eloquent, persuasive book based on new information coming from archaeological work at Monticello and on hitherto overlooked or disregarded evidence in Jefferson s papers opens up a huge, poorly understood dimension of Jefferson s world. We must, Wiencek suggests, follow the money.So far historians have offered only easy irony or paradox to explain this extraordinary Founding Father who was an emancipationist in his youth and then recoiled from his own inspiring rhetoric and equivocated about slavery, who enjoyed his renown as a revolutionary leader yet kept some of his own children as slaves. 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