Thy Will Be Done: George Washington's Legacy of Slavery and the Fight for American Memory

by John Garrison Marks

430 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 11, 2026

About the author

John Garrison Marks is a historian and writer exploring the United States' histories of race, slavery, and public memory. His latest book—"Thy Will Be Done: George Washington's Legacy of Slavery and the Fight for American Memory" (forthcoming in 2026)—explores how generations of Americans have made sense of slavery's place in George Washington's legacy. His work has appeared in the Washington Post, TIME, Smithsonian Magazine, and elsewhere. His first book, Black Freedom in the Age of Slavery, tells the story of the efforts of free people of color to improve their lives, communities, and challenge racial restrictions in the Atlantic World. He earned his Ph.D. in history from Rice University. He is a New Jersey native currently living outside Washington, D.C.