List of presidents of the United States who owned slaves
This is a list of presidents of the United States who owned slaves. Slavery was legal in the United States from its beginning as a nation, having been practiced in North America from early colonial days. The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution formally abolished slavery in 1865, immediately after the end of the American Civil War. In total, twelve U.S. presidents owned slaves at some point in their lives; of these, eight owned slaves while in office. George Washington was the first president who owned slaves, including while he was president. Zachary Taylor was the last who owned slaves during his presidency, and Ulysses S. Grant was the last president to have owned a slave at some point in his life. Of those presidents who were slave holders, Thomas Jefferson owned the most, with 600+ slaves, followed by George Washington, with 317 slaves.
