1. Introduction
“We hold these truth to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. […]” These are the words Thomas Jefferson became famous for. For many people he is the father of liberty in the United States. What most people forget is that at Jefferson´s time “all” meant only the white society. His words did not include blacks. The man who proclaimed liberty already possessed over 150 slaves when he wrote the Declaration of Independence. Throughout his life he always condemned slavery in theory, but in practice he died as a slaveowner, having done nothing to ensure the right of liberty to them. Jefferson´s ideas about slavery were complex and ambiguous. On the one hand, his words were those of an abolitionist who would do everything to end slavery. On the other hand, he was only an ordinary slaveowner who bought and sold slaves and never tried to end slavery seriously. In fact, Jefferson did many things for his country people rightly admire him for. He helped to create and build the United States and used his political power to establish democracy and freedom among his people. But when it comes to slavery, there is nothing really to admire about Jefferson. He proposed liberty, but stayed a slaveowner during his life. This paper will deal with Thomas Jefferson´s attitude towards slavery. It will show that he never really acted on his words and try to explain the reasons for his inactivity. Therefore it is necessary to speak about the economic and political background of Jefferson´s time as well as his attitude towards blacks as a race first. The second part will show why Jefferson condemned slavery theoretically and for what reasons. The third part will deal with the actions of Jefferson concerning the issue of slavery.
1 http://federalistpatriot.us
2 Paul Finkelman. Slavery and the Founders. (New York: M. E. Sharp, 1996) 105.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Economic, Political and Social Background
2.1.Economic Background
2.2.Political Background
2.3.Jefferson´s Attitude towards Blacks
3. Thomas Jefferson´s View on Slavery
3.1.1.Danger of a Mob
3.1.2.Danger of Slave Revolts and Civil War
3.2. Slave Trade
3.3. Slavery as an Evil of American Society
4. Jefferson´s Actions on Slavery
4.1.The Young and the Old Jefferson
4.2.Manumitting His Slaves
5. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This paper examines the inherent contradictions in Thomas Jefferson’s stance on slavery, investigating why he consistently condemned the institution in theory while remaining a slaveowner throughout his life, and evaluating how his political and economic priorities influenced his inaction.
- Analysis of the economic and political dependence of Jefferson on the plantation system.
- Exploration of Jefferson's racial attitudes and his belief in the incompatibility of black and white integration.
- Examination of the fear of slave revolts and the perceived threat to republican stability.
- Evaluation of Jefferson’s legislative record regarding slavery and the limited scope of his antislavery proposals.
- Critique of Jefferson’s actual practices regarding the manumission of his own enslaved workers.
Excerpt from the Book
3.3. Slavery as an Evil of American Society
Jefferson is known as an opponent of slavery. Even though he did not abolish the institution, people admire that he at least theoretically condemned slavery. The truth is, that there is nothing really to admire about Jefferson concerning his attitude towards slavery. He did not oppose slavery because he believed it was cruel what it did to the slaves. He opposed slavery because he hated what it did to whites. He was worried that “there must doubtless be an unhappy influence on the manners of our people produced by the existence of slavery among us. The whole commerce between master and slave is a perpetual exercise of the most boisterous passions, the most unremitting despotism on the one part, and degrading submissions on the other.”28 He feared that slavery would corrupt the master class. Having “the most boisterous passions” was the consequence of a weak moral sense. Jefferson was afraid that his people would lose their virtuous ideals.
Already in the childhood the moral sense can be weakened. In his notes he explained: “The parent storms, the child looks on, catches the lineaments of wrath, puts on the same airs in the circle of smaller slaves, gives a loose to his worst of passions, and thus nursed, educated, and daily exercised in tyranny, cannot but be stamped by it with odious peculiarities.”29
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the central tension between Jefferson's famous proclamation of liberty and his reality as a slaveowner, outlining the paper's goal to explain this inaction.
2. Economic, Political and Social Background: Explores how the Southern agricultural economy and the necessity of landownership for political status entrenched the slavery system.
3. Thomas Jefferson´s View on Slavery: Analyzes Jefferson's theoretical opposition to slavery, focusing on his fears of social instability, slave revolts, and the moral corruption of white citizens.
4. Jefferson´s Actions on Slavery: Examines Jefferson’s legislative record and his personal history of manumission, contrasting his political influence with his failure to take meaningful action against slavery.
5. Conclusion: Summarizes that Jefferson's inaction was a calculated decision to prioritize the stability of the young republic over the abolition of slavery, which he viewed as a threat to white society.
Keywords
Thomas Jefferson, Slavery, American History, Plantation Economy, Abolitionism, Political Power, Moral Sense, Racism, Social Stability, Manumission, Virginia, Republicanism, Louisiana Purchase, Slave Revolts, Hemings family.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this paper?
The paper investigates the contradiction between Thomas Jefferson's theoretical condemnation of slavery and his lifelong status as a slaveowner.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The study covers the economic and political context of the American South, Jefferson's views on race, his fears regarding social stability, and his practical record as a legislator and slaveholder.
What is the main research question?
The research asks whether Thomas Jefferson was truly an opponent of the institution of slavery, given his inaction and political prioritization.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The author employs a historical-analytical approach, synthesizing primary source material such as Jefferson's writings with established secondary academic literature to analyze his political record.
What is the core subject of the main chapters?
The main chapters analyze why Jefferson justified the persistence of slavery as a "necessary evil" for the sake of the country's unity and his own political stature.
Which keywords best describe this work?
Key terms include Thomas Jefferson, slavery, abolitionism, plantation economy, moral sense, and political legitimacy.
Why did Jefferson believe slavery corrupted white society specifically?
Jefferson argued that the exercise of absolute power over others fostered "boisterous passions" in masters and taught children habits of tyranny, which he believed undermined the virtuous ideals of the republic.
How does the author characterize Jefferson's personal manumission record?
The author notes that despite his fame, Jefferson manumitted less than 2 percent of his slaves during his lifetime, suggesting a profound lack of interest in practicing the liberty he preached.
- Citation du texte
- Franziska Massner (Auteur), 2005, Thomas Jefferson and Slavery - Was He Really an Opponent of the Institution?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/52806
