Posted on 04/19/2008 6:50:30 PM PDT by Dawnsblood
How did Jefferson treat his slaves badly? other than owning them?
He freed over a dozen upon his death and a number in his lifetime and did not chase a number who left.
It’s easy to laud Adams on slavery. As a New Englander he had little need of them except those New Englanders engaged in the actual trade and finance of them.
It’s like applauding me as a Southerner in Nashville for not using too much heating oil in the winter like someone in Rochester might.
Judging folks from the 18th century over slavery by today’s impossible benchmarks is as foolish as judging the Romans or Egyptians or Beninians.
Jefferson did not free his slaves,,they were sold at auction after his death if I remember correctly. Whilst he was writing about freedom, and slavery was under attack from the beginning, he never took the steps to do what others such as Washington did.
And owning slaves was a mistreatment. I guess we disagree about that. But writing about freedom, espousing rights of man while owning others is a contradiction that isn’t explained.
A man who dies in debt and who spends likea drunken sailor is not a man to admire if you ask me. He was self indulgent.
Actually from the website at Monticello:
"Freed by Jefferson during his lifetime: Robert Hemings (1762-1819), freed 1794 James Hemings (1765-1801), freed 1796 Freed in 1826-1827, by the terms of Jefferson's will: Joseph (Joe) Fossett (1780-1858) Burwell Colbert (1783-1850+) Madison Hemings (1805-1856) John Hemmings (1776-1833) Eston Hemings (1808-1856) Left Monticello, with Jefferson's tacit consent, in 1804 and 1822: James Hemings (born 1787) Beverly Hemings (born 1798) Harriet Hemings (born 1801) "
nor am I aware of ever any allegation of Jefferson mistreating his slaves beyond the parse...to be fair to Ol Tom
I left out....many were sold after his death....some to family and friends to pay his debt and then released.
some not so fortunate
THE AMERICAN SLAVE TRADE
It is extraordinary that, considering that less than 5% of all the Trans Atlantic slaves ended up in North America, the vast majority of films, books and articles concerning the slave trade concentrate only on the American involvement in the slave trade, as though slavery was a uniquely American aberration. However, the vastly greater involvement of Portugal, Spain and France seem to be largely ignored. Even more so the far greater and longer running Islamic slave trade into the Middle East has been so ignored as to make it one of history's best-kept secrets.
We tend to focus on what happened in North America because the United States would eventually fight a war, in part over slavery, and because of the enormous and vocal American opposition to slavery. This was in sharp contrast to the indifference that Muslims, Africans and many Europeans evidenced towards it.
Good post.
and the two term limit was originated and approved by a democrat congress, because they were mostly worried about the possbility of a republican getting in there and doing more than two in the future.
Not the best that HBO has ever done, but well worth watching. Even if you have to wait and buy in on DVD.
Well, I guess I am hypercritical of Jefferson,,it got my goat how he undermined Adams and how he was always in debt. I swear his spending was like a woman. Plus his flirtations with women.
I am harsh on him I know.
I understand....I think he was a bit naive with his frequent revolution talk sometimes
Adams really got hammered by his own acerbic personality and the A/S act
Can’t wait to watch it! I never knew John Adams was such a significant and great man. He was so overshadowed by Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin.
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