Thomas Jefferson: Paradox of Slavery and Freedom

During that time 18th century slave holders did not want to be in trouble and therefore they owned slaves to make themselves free. Throughout his entire life, Thomas Jefferson was a consistent opponent of slavery. Calling it a “moral depravity” and a “hideous blot,” he believed that slavery presented the greatest threat to the survival of the new American nation. Jefferson also thought that slavery was contrary to the laws of nature, which decreed that everyone had a right to personal liberty. These views were radical in a world where unfree labor was the norm. While Jefferson contributed much to our American historical culture, he often comes under criticism for his support of and participation in the enslavement of African Americans. Jefferson,

Successful in outlawing the international slave trade to Virginia, he was disappointed by the failure of his early efforts to end or restrict slavery, and came to believe that a practicable solution to the problem could not be found in his lifetime. He continued, however, to advocate privately his own emancipation plan, which included a provision for resettling slaves outside the United States. The issue of presentism was the time or historical terms, for example how different the question would appear between nowadays and past when having a slavery was normal. In Virginia during the 18th century emancipation was forbidden and if Jefferson would free them, they still would live in danger and would not have a freedom. Other primary sources show that Jefferson the man who wrote the Declaration of Independence and owned 175 slaves. He knew slavery is wrong but even though he owned them. “Jefferson had only a theoretical interest in promoting the cause of

In the fifty years from 1776 until his death Jefferson did little to end slavery or dissociate himself from his role as the master Monticello. Notes on the State of Virginia Law as name by it self says is about the certain laws of Virginia during 1781-1784. During that time deep- rooted prejudices entertains by the whites (T. Jefferson). Thousand whites did not want slavery to be abolished and many other circumstances, would divide slaveries from whites, and produce convulsion. In Jefferson’s memory it looks like slavery are equal to the whites, but in reality much different. It looks like Jefferson had the theoretical interest about abolition. However, he thinks that once they free slaves, they can’t keep them no longer in America because slaves will hold grudges against whites and whites will have prejudice against blacks. “For if a slave can have a country in his world, it must be any other in preference to that in which he is born to live and labor for another” (T. Jefferson). In addition, When I read this primary source for me it looks like Jefferson worries about international breading. For example, he mentions on primary source that “when freed, he (slave) is to be removed beyond the reach of mixture… and might mix”. Throughout his life Jefferson expressed his fears of white society through contact with