Why Is Slavery Wrong

Slavery was a very controversial subject during the early years of the United States of America. The founding fathers took different points of view on slavery and the solution to “peculiar institution.” Some ways that the government dealt with the issue of slavery were, George Washington refusing to participate in slave trade, Benjamin Franklin insisting that the House abolish slavery, and James Madison making certain slavery was kept out of federal control.

To begin with, one of the most influential of the founding fathers, George Washington, thought that slavery should be done away with. For instance, George Washington refused to participate in slave trade. “The supreme Founding Father , who had taken a personal vow never to purchase another slave and let it be known

that it was his fondest wish ‘to see some plan adopted, by which slavery in this country be abolished by slow, sure, and imperceptible degrees” (Ellis 113). By not purchasing slaves, George Washington was not contributing to the slave industry, even though he was financially capable, because Washington desired slavery to be abolished. Like Washington, Benjamin Franklin wanted to abolish slavery.

In the same way as Washington, Benjamin Franklin felt that the House should abolish slavery.

From early on, Franklin believed that slavery was wrong. “As a young printer in Philadelphia, he had begun publishing Quaker tracts against slavery and the slave trade. Throughout the middle years of the century and into the revolutionary era, he had lent his support to Anthony Benezet and other Quaker abolitionists, and he had spoken out on occasion against the claim that blacks were innately inferior or that racial categories were immutable” (Ellis 110). So, for many years, even before the debate in 1790, Franklin felt that slavery was wrong and was an advocate for the abolition of slavery.

On the other hand, James Madison’s idea of dealing with slavery was to keep it out of federal control in general. “Instead of imposing an eighteen-year moratorium on congressional action against slavery, the amendment made it unconstitutional “to attempt to manumit them at any time” (Ellis 118). This was Madison’s way of making an executive decision to keep slavery from becoming up as an issue for the house to debate, keeping it out of federal control and therefore continuing the use of slavery in the United

States.

In conclusion, the founding fathers took different stand points on slavery and what should be done with the issue. Three men in particular took action in the issue, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and James Madison. First, George Washington’s chose not to purchase slaves, unlike many wealthy men at the time. Additionally, Benjamin Franklin signed petitions and served as a major advocate in abolition of slavery. On the other side of the spectrum, James Madison made an amendment that made it unconstitutional to abolish slavery. On the whole, these men knew that something had to be done about slavery, and each man took separate action to find a solution.