The extraordinary story of Harry, George Washington’s slave

“Harry Washington” was born in the 1740s in West Africa, probably in the Gambia River region. It is assumed that he was captured in the early 1760s to be sold into slavery and sent to America. It is believed that he was taken on board an English ship which may have taken him directly to Alexandria on the Potomac River.

This makes “Harry” a “saltwater slave”, i.e. a slave transported directly from Africa to America, as opposed to the many slaves that…