Final answer:
George Washington had complex views on slavery, expressing private concerns about it but not taking significant actions towards emancipation during his lifetime.
Step-by-step explanation:
George Washington, like many other Founding Fathers, was a slaveholder and owned more than one hundred slaves. However, his personal views on slavery were complex. While there is evidence that he privately expressed concerns about the institution of slavery and its impact on the nation, Washington did not take significant steps towards emancipation during his lifetime. He believed that the issue of slavery needed to be addressed collectively by the states and was cautious about the potential social and economic consequences of immediate abolition.