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Hundreds of people continued to be enslaved at MV after he died, just not the ones GW owned. The people Martha enslaved were owned by first husband’s estate, weren’t freed, disbursed to his heirs after she died. Bushrod Wash inherits MV after their deaths, brings his own enslaved people to MV.

Fwiw, emancipating people in your will was fairly typical at the time. And the people he had legal ownership of—123 of them—DID get their freedom a year after he died, they didn’t have to wait until Martha Washington died. That’s a lot of people to free from slavery.

Finally: I’ve been at this for a long time. Since 2017. If you’d like me to speak or write about this stuff somewhere, please get in touch. /14

This dynamic—Americans using anniversaries to contest the meaning of the past, to share how they interpret history’s relevance to today—is a major theme in my book about the memory of George Washington and slavery and a big reason I made sure it’d be out in 2026. /13

This is America. No one owns this anniversary, no one can tell you what it means. From everything I’ve done and seen, I still think this anniversary can be a transformative moment for how we see and understand history. But that only happens if we’re all in. I’m still working, hope you will too. /12

There are more than 21k history organizations in this country. Many of them are making sure there is substantive, history-focused, complex, thoughtful work happening for 2026. Find them, support them, get involved. I’ve helped develop lots of 250 resources with @aaslh.org, you can start there. /11

Here's what I always remind people: the narrow, celebratory, founders-focused stuff was always going to be part of 2026. But if we collectively shrug, or abandon the commemoration entirely, that’s certainly the ONLY thing we’re going to be left with. /10

There are a ton of other civic and educational initiatives being planned at all levels—national, state, and local. Too many to list here, but you’ll start seeing more and more of them. /9

In 1976, objections to the celebratory, commercial approach to the Bicentennial sparked counter-commemorations. Communities established thousands of new museums to ensure their histories were being preserved and told. I expect a similar movement for the 250 to continue to grow. /8

Other museums have just undergone extensive renovations for 2026, or are planning major new exhibits. The National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Museum of the American Revolution, the National Archives Museum. There’s going to be so much to see. /7

New state museums are opening too, planned for years to coincide with 2026. Montana’s just opened. Utah’s first state history museum will open this summer. Maine’s will re-open in the fall after extensive renovations, and Wisconsin will follow in 2027. New York will follow thereafter. /6

Ohio is giving the state’s 4th graders free access to museums and historic sites. New Jersey is doing “tavern talks” to connect residents with historians and interpreters. Colorado launched a digital passport, a climb of the state’s 14ers, and a film series. /5

Every state has its own 250 commission, and many of them have been preparing for years to produce a thoughtful, inclusive, history-focused commemoration. Collectively, these state commissions have awarded millions in grant funds to help small museums and community organizations participate too. /4

You may have even noticed the U.S. Semiquin. Commission (aka America250—which is separate from the White House efforts) announcing partnerships/programs, or seen their logo on NFL footballs and at the end of Jeep commercials. But this federal planning only scratches the surface of what’s to come /3

You’ve probably seen news about the White House plans for 2026. The UFC fight, the arch, the AI “Founders Museum.” With efforts to distort history at federal museums/historic sites, you might think this anniversary will be shallow and celebratory at best, and a craven political project at worst. /2

Mount Vernon has invested a huge amount of time and money to tell the history of enslaved people and Washington's ties to slavery. I'd do things differently, but it's certainly there if you're looking for it. And the big idea from the book is that we've been arguing about how to do it for 250 years.

Viewing this successful effort to pressure the Smithsonian into change alongside his creation of the bizarre, false ”Presidential Walk of Fame” gives you a sense of the range here. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/10/a...

It’s the last of these, this attempt to create anti-history slop, that concerns me the most. Ideologically motivated historically cherry picking has happened for ages and isn’t exclusive to the Right. This effort to make ostensibl create fake history feels both more novel and more nefarious.