An Imperfect God: George Washington, His Slaves, and the Creation of America

Book review by Tracey
I initially started this book as an alternative to the “trashy novels” that everyone is used to me writing about. While it is true that my personal tastes are well known, I do on occasion try to read something a little more academic. George Washington is certainly an interesting historical figure. My generation may have been the first to have school teachers question the truths behind things written about our famous American personages, and this may be one reason that I found History class pretty fascinating. My teachers had to mention gory details, like where old George may have gotten his false teeth!

This book is full of details about George Washington’s life. The author spends a lot of time referencing letters, documents, etc. that help to bring George’s world, and the time period in general into focus. Mr. Wiencek has obviously spent a lot of time researching his project.

His premises, however, is that George Washington, as he progressed in age and maturity, gradually advanced from a belief in slaveholding, to one of just the opposite. He is very thorough in his documentation of this metamorphosis. The problem is that even with all the persuasion he uses, I still am not convinced by the “proof”. The argument he makes is an interesting one, but even with all of his documentation I don’t think he wins it.

Read this book if you are interested in a personal view of our first President and the people surrounding him in the day. Read this book if you are curious about slaveholding practices and the national views on the slaves and indentured servants of the time, including sexual behaviors between races. Don’t read this book to convince yourself that George Washington was a paragon of virtue who wished to abolish slavery as early as the American Revolution. It just doesn’t wash.

Tracey.