Why Didn't Jefferson Manumit His Slaves?
I was just reading about some college students demanding the removal of a Thomas Jefferson statue from their campus. In the course of the debate, the subject of Jefferson's relationship to slavery came up as it usually does.
One point in particular was Jefferson's failure to manumit his slaves. The main theory being proposed by some of Jefferson's detractors was that Jefferson was just a big-ass phony who lied about everything.
Of course, we'll never KNOW what Jefferson's true motivations were. We can only make inferences based on the evidence. But I think the evidence tends to support a different theory than the one being put forth by Jefferson's haters. I think Jefferson was a man who genuinely believed in the ideals he espoused, but who, for reasons of human frailty and imperfection, simply failed to live up to them. I think Jefferson's words and actions indicate a clear and genuine opposition to slavery as a concept and as an institution. However, as Jefferson would say himself, the best way to oppose it in the real world at that time was not entirely obvious.
I'm not saying there aren't criticisms of Jefferson to be made. Everyone can be fairly criticized for something. Jefferson isn't off limits. Nobody is. I just don't think that particular criticism of Jefferson is entirely fair.
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