If slavery was abolished in Pennsylvania in 1780, how was Washington able to have slaves in the Presidents House?
The 1780 law was a gradual emancipation, rather than an outright abolition of slavery. Any slave born in Pennsylvania before its enactment and registered with the state remained enslaved for the rest of his/her life, any child born of a registered slave mother after its enactment had the legal status of an indentured servant until age 28, and then was free. The law applied only to Pennsylvania residents and to the residents of other states living in Pennsylvania for longer than 6 months. Domestic slaves owned by members of Congress were specifically exempted from the 1780 law. Congress was the Federal government under the Articles of Confederation, and met in Philadelphia until 1783. The Constitution, drafted in 1787, created a new Federal government of three branches – the Executive, the Legislative and the Judicial. In April 1789, Washington was inaugurated in New York City as the first President under the ratified Constitution. The national capital moved to Philadelphia the followin
