The Star Spangled Banner with it's line 'The Land Of The Free' did not become the official national Anthem of America until 1931 which is fortunate for 12 US Presidents who dodged criticism of hypocrisy at the time for owning very much not free slaves.
The first President, George Washington, wouldn't have lied if you asked him how many slaves he held as he was a major slaveholder with 317 which is almost half as many as Thomas Jefferson who not only owned over 600, but fathered six children with one who was the half sister of his late wife.
James Madison had over 100 and although James Monroe supported sending freed slaves to the new country of Liberia, he kept his 75 slaves a lot closer to home while Andrew Jackson owned 200 slaves and was an active slave trader up until he became President.
Martin Van Buren had the one slave up until he managed to escape but William Henry Harrison kept a tighter reign on his 11 and supported slavery as did John Tyler who paid good money for his 70 and wasn't going to give them up.
The 25 slaves owned by James K. Polk had no chance of being freed as he supported slave-holders rights and although Zachary Taylor refused to expand slavery, as he already had 150 he didn't need to and Andrew Johnson convinced Abraham Lincoln to exempt his area from the Emancipation Proclamation as he needed the 8 slaves that he kept as did Ulysses S. Grant who controlled 5 slaves while fighting the American Civil War.
With Washington on the $1 dollar bill, Jefferson on the $2, Jackson on the $20 and Ulysses S. Grant's image on the $50 dollar bill, it may not be just badly named Forts which should be facing an overhaul.
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