I don't think Jefferson freed his slaves in his will. If he did, the will was ignored. Joseph Ellis: American Sphinx, p 289:   "...on January 15,1827, when the estate and slaves of Monticello were put up for auction".   Jefferson had huge debts at his death.


And Washington was indeed much bolder. But even he kept the slaves' emancipation a secret. And in fact he could only free 123 of Mt Vernon's 316 slaves: "forty others were rented; the rest were the property of the Custis estate and would go to the Custis heirs after Martha's death":   Henry Wiencek:   An Imperfect God, p 354.

He also specified that his slaves were not to be freed until after Martha's death--in large part since there were marriages between his slaves, and those of Martha, whom legally he could not free.

Obviously this would not solve the problem of the breakup of slaves' families, but just postpone it.   However, this "was a tacit appeal to Martha and the Custis heirs to join him in emancipating their slaves along with his." (Wiencek p 354).

This had the effect however of causing Martha to fear that his slaves might kill her to hasten their freedom. ( This seems completely unrealistic, considering the barbaric fate of any slave who killed his or her owner.)

Washington's plans for his slaves were remarkable:   "Virtually every emancipation plan proposed in Washington's time included forced exile for the freed slaves to Africa or the West Indies. Washington insisted that no one be exiled;   the slaves had a right to live on
American soil". (again Wiencek).