Supreme Court Justice Bushrod Washington Inherits Mount Vernon
Bushrod Washington was a nephew of President George who served on the US Supreme Court.
Bushrod Washington
By the time Bushrod Washington came of age the Revolutionary War had already begun.
Though his Uncle George was serving as Commander-in-Chief, Bushrod did not sign up to fight right away.
Instead he took up studies at the College of William and Mary and learned the law under George Wythe alongside his future long-time collaborator John Marshall.
Washington finally joined the Continental Army at 19-years-old just in time to see action at the Battle of Yorktown.
Coming of Age
With war essentially over, Bushrod completed his legal training under James Wilson before opening his own practice in Virginia.
By the time he turned 25, Washington was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates.
The following year he was sent to his State’s Ratification Convention where he supported the Constitution.
Over the next decade, Washington published several notable legal papers that drew attention to his skill in the courtroom.
Supreme Court
In early 1799, Bushrod Washington was sworn in as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, replacing James Wilson.
Two years later John Marshall was sworn in as Chief Justice and the two men would work together for the ensuing 30 years.
Marshall is famous for his time as Chief Justice, but it is important to note that it was Washington’s support that heavily weighted the favor of the Court to Marshall’s opinions.
Over the three decades he served on the Court, Washington was involved in dozens of decisions that left a permanent mark on the Founding of the United States.
Inheriting Washington
When George Washington passed away, he left a large chunk of his estate to the only other family member that had an important role on the national stage...Bushrod.
This included most of George’s personal papers and his home at Mount Vernon.
With the help of Marshall, Bushrod published one of the first biographies of the First President’s life.
American Colonization Society
Bushrod has a peculiar place in the early abolition movement.
He was a founder and early president of the American Colonization Society which attempted to liberate slaves by setting up a colony in Africa (modern Liberia) to bring them to.
Although this was done with the best of intentions, it did not work for various reasons and is viewed historically as cruel in and of itself.
Re-enslaving Mount Vernon
Unfortunately, while George Washington had famously freed his slaves (or, more accurately, Martha freed them), Bushrod brough more enslaved persons to Mount Vernon.
He was publicly called out as a hypocrite for leading the Colonization Society while keeping people in bondage himself.
Washington defended his actions by demonstrating that his salary as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court paid so little that he literally could not afford to liberate the people on his plantation (a sad truth of the time was that manumitting enslaved persons was both legally challenging and very expensive).
Bushrod’s situation serves as a reminder for just how difficult the issue of slavery was, even for those who seem to have the best intentions.
Want to read more about Washington’s family?
William Washington’s Quaker Gun
First Mother - Mary Ball Washington
First Siblings - George Washington’s Brothers (And Sister)
Do you want a good book on Washington and the other Associate Justices of the Marshall Court?
If so, I recommend ‘The Role of Circuit Courts.’
Pick up a copy through the Amazon affiliate link below…
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