When did Robert E. Lee free his slaves?

Answer 1

Lee was never a slave.

He was a traditional landed aristocrat, who owned many slaves. As General-in-Chief of the Confederate armies, he was the slave-owners' champion.

Lee's attitude to slavery is often debated. It seems that he disliked slavery, but disliked slaves even more. He had a personal reason for this. His father-in-law had earned popularity among his slaves by declaring that they would all be freed on his death. When he died, the terms of the will did not provide for this to happen until the estate had been legally disposed-of - a process that took about two years.

As executor of the will, Lee had to manage the angry slaves, sometimes having to order severe punishments, including whippings.

Still, when the war came, Lee was reluctant to join the Confederates, and only did so because his home-state of Virginia had voted to leave the Union, and he considered himself a Virginian first and an American second.

Answer 2

Not till two years after his father-in-law's death, when the terms of the will had been put into effect.

The old man had gained popularity with his slaves by promising that they would be freed on his death. They did not understand about the execution of the will, and became highly rebellious. Lee had to control them with the whip.