7-1: Milestone Four: Rough Draft
Thomas Jefferson was both a philosopher and a politician. It could be argued that he was one of the best political minds of the eighteenth century. His genius was, “Broadly put, philosophers think: politicians maneuver. Jefferson’s genius was that he was both and could do both, often simultaneously.” He had struggles in his lifetime, was curious and had knowledge on almost every subject, having read 6,487 books, that were just in his home library. Yet, despite his expansive knowledge on just about every subject of the eighteenth century, one problem he could not solve by reading a book, was his struggle with slavery. Jefferson, knowing that owning a human being in bondage, was morally wrong, could not bring himself to release his own slaves into freedom. Although politically Jefferson tried several times to end slavery, he was unsuccessful. So how did Jefferson’s personal conflicts of slave ownership, lead him to justify a political position to end it? Thomas Jefferson was the master of the grand mansion he called Monticello. He inherited slaves from his family plantation named Shadwell, were Jefferson was born, not long after marrying the widow, Martha Wayles Skeleton in 1772, Jefferson inherited his father in- laws slaves, “Jefferson acquired most of the over six hundred slaves he owned during his life through the natural increase of enslaved families. He acquired approximately 175 slaves through inheritance: about 40 from the estate of his father, Peter Jefferson, in 1764, and 135 from his father-in-law, John Wayles, in 1774. Jefferson purchased fewer than twenty slaves in his lifetime, in some cases to unite spouses and in others to satisfy labor needs at Monticello.” The historian Nicholas Magnis, wrote that Jefferson’s personal opinion of African American’s was that, “…slaves were inferior in body and mind resulted from thinking that was extremely emotional and illogical.” Magnis wrote the scholarly article, “ Thomas Jefferson and Slavery: An Analysis of His Racist Thinking as Revealed by His Writings and Political Behavior,” in reading this article it become apparent that Jefferson, by his own pen, reflects upon his decision to continue to be a slave owner, yet politically continued to contradict himself. …show more content…
He believed it was wrong to be a slave owner, as well as the slaves being inferior, but if they became free they could not live among the white race as their equals, “…the freed slaves had to be removed from the country because of “deep rooted prejudices entertained by the whites; ten thousand recollections, by the blacks, of the injuries they have sustained; the real distinctions which nature has made; and many other circumstances which will divided us into two parties.” Even if slaves were emancipated Jefferson realized the prejudices that the emancipation was going to create among the population. He believed, as Magnis stated, that the two races would be unable to live together under the canopy of freedom. At the time, the fear was that there were too many differences that were by default of nature, which made the white race superior, and the slaves inferior. Meanwhile, Monticello could not have existed without slavery, and his personal viewpoints of slavery were commonly shared by the majority of the population in the eighteenth century. Jefferson was not cruel to his slaves, however he was completely depending on them to make Monticello the magnificent mansion that it became during his lifetime. During the construction of Monticello, Jefferson took notes of a group of slaves digging the cellar of the great house in the dead of winter. Jefferson doesn’t not mention the ages of the young teenage slaves working in the cold of winter, but how much work could be accomplished during that specific weather condition. The historian and author Henry Wiencek stated, “Perhaps we think we know the answers: he inherited slavery; it was the accepted system; he believed that black people were inferior; it was impossible to get anything done in Virginia without slaves.” Wiencek discusses how without slavery Jefferson would not have had the lifetime or privileges in which he was born into. At Monticello, he and his slave had a relationship built on trust. His personal slave, named Jupiter Evans,
Thomas Jefferson was both a philosopher and a politician. It could be argued that he was one of the best political minds of the eighteenth century. His genius was, “Broadly put, philosophers think: politicians maneuver. Jefferson’s genius was that he was both and could do both, often simultaneously.” He had struggles in his lifetime, was curious and had knowledge on almost every subject, having read 6,487 books, that were just in his home library. Yet, despite his expansive knowledge on just about every subject of the eighteenth century, one problem he could not solve by reading a book, was his struggle with slavery. Jefferson, knowing that owning a human being in bondage, was morally wrong, could not bring himself to release his own slaves into freedom. Although politically Jefferson tried several times to end slavery, he was unsuccessful. So how did Jefferson’s personal conflicts of slave ownership, lead him to justify a political position to end it? Thomas Jefferson was the master of the grand mansion he called Monticello. He inherited slaves from his family plantation named Shadwell, were Jefferson was born, not long after marrying the widow, Martha Wayles Skeleton in 1772, Jefferson inherited his father in- laws slaves, “Jefferson acquired most of the over six hundred slaves he owned during his life through the natural increase of enslaved families. He acquired approximately 175 slaves through inheritance: about 40 from the estate of his father, Peter Jefferson, in 1764, and 135 from his father-in-law, John Wayles, in 1774. Jefferson purchased fewer than twenty slaves in his lifetime, in some cases to unite spouses and in others to satisfy labor needs at Monticello.” The historian Nicholas Magnis, wrote that Jefferson’s personal opinion of African American’s was that, “…slaves were inferior in body and mind resulted from thinking that was extremely emotional and illogical.” Magnis wrote the scholarly article, “ Thomas Jefferson and Slavery: An Analysis of His Racist Thinking as Revealed by His Writings and Political Behavior,” in reading this article it become apparent that Jefferson, by his own pen, reflects upon his decision to continue to be a slave owner, yet politically continued to contradict himself. …show more content…
He believed it was wrong to be a slave owner, as well as the slaves being inferior, but if they became free they could not live among the white race as their equals, “…the freed slaves had to be removed from the country because of “deep rooted prejudices entertained by the whites; ten thousand recollections, by the blacks, of the injuries they have sustained; the real distinctions which nature has made; and many other circumstances which will divided us into two parties.” Even if slaves were emancipated Jefferson realized the prejudices that the emancipation was going to create among the population. He believed, as Magnis stated, that the two races would be unable to live together under the canopy of freedom. At the time, the fear was that there were too many differences that were by default of nature, which made the white race superior, and the slaves inferior. Meanwhile, Monticello could not have existed without slavery, and his personal viewpoints of slavery were commonly shared by the majority of the population in the eighteenth century. Jefferson was not cruel to his slaves, however he was completely depending on them to make Monticello the magnificent mansion that it became during his lifetime. During the construction of Monticello, Jefferson took notes of a group of slaves digging the cellar of the great house in the dead of winter. Jefferson doesn’t not mention the ages of the young teenage slaves working in the cold of winter, but how much work could be accomplished during that specific weather condition. The historian and author Henry Wiencek stated, “Perhaps we think we know the answers: he inherited slavery; it was the accepted system; he believed that black people were inferior; it was impossible to get anything done in Virginia without slaves.” Wiencek discusses how without slavery Jefferson would not have had the lifetime or privileges in which he was born into. At Monticello, he and his slave had a relationship built on trust. His personal slave, named Jupiter Evans,