Why didn't General Washington want slaves to join the army?

Answer 1

There are a lot of factors concerning that, but we'll stick to the basics.

At the time, slaves were vital to the success of the thirteen colonies. Plantation owners in the southern colonies in particular depended on slaves to be successful in growing and harvesting cash crops, like tobbacco and cotton. If the slaves were to be freed, it would be a severe economic blow to the colonies.

It is also important to consider that the Thirteen Colonies could not even be considered a country at the time of the Revolutionary War. It would be more accurate to say that they were more like the Greek City-States, united at the core by a sense of brotherhood and a common enemy but still lacking a unified sense of itself as a nation. Without the success of the southern colonies, the yet-to-be-born country may have been easily subjugated by the English before it was able to stand on its feet. This played into the politics of the Continental Congress, too. Many colonies, mostly southern, knew they depended on slaves to thrive, and threatened to pull financial and military support from the Continental Congress if slaves were to be armed. They greatly feared an insurrection of slaves, and would not allow the raising of former slaves as soldiers.

As to why George Washington did not allow slaves to join the army: first, he was a Virginian plantation owner and slaveowner himself. And it is believed he feared a revolt as well. He also understood that the issue of slavery was a hot subject at the time, and pushing the issue could tear the new nation in two. But even if he had wanted to allow slaves to join the army, Congress would not allow it, so it is a moot point.

There is one final point to observe: The British Army did allow runaway slaves to fight for the Crown in exchange for their freedom. And it could be interpreted as a punitive action against the rebellious colonies. By doing this, the British were simultaneously hurting the Americans by encouraging slaves to escape, which cost their owners in both money and work, and adding their to their own force at a fraction of the cost. This was seen as a very unpopular move in the Colonies, and neither George Washington nor the Continental Congress wanted to follow in their actions.