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Jefferson included abolishing slavery in the first draft of the Declaration but he knew it had to happen organically.
Much like how 9% of the country is for late term abortion. That doesn’t mean 91% “do not care enough to stop it”.
Buckle up fam. It’s history time. 1/9
Much like how 9% of the country is for late term abortion. That doesn’t mean 91% “do not care enough to stop it”.
Buckle up fam. It’s history time. 1/9
In the initial draft, Jefferson blamed King George for his role in creating and perpetuating the transatlantic slave trade—which he describes, in so many words, as a crime against humanity, “piratical warfare,” “execrable commerce” and an “assemblage of horrors.” 2/9
A statement he made later in his life mostly blamed the already divided southern state leadership on the removal of the passage citing their benefit and the northern state leadership for complacency while recognizing it was not a morally unthinkable practice at the time. 3/9
It is also written The 2nd Continental Congress, based on hardline votes of South Carolina ultimately dropped the clause to avoid alienating potential sympathizers in England, slaveholding patriots, & the harbor cities of the North that were complicit in the slave trade 4/9
It wasn’t the last time Jefferson tried to end slavery. His 1784 anti slavery bill had the votes to pass but did not because of a single ill legislator’s absence from the floor. 5/9 https://books.google.com/books?id=gMLieJOtWwIC&pg=PA225&lpg=PA225&dq=jefferson+trying+to+ban+slavery+one+vote+too+ill+to+vote&source=bl&ots=CitHcKsi3j&sig=MGZmaWzaY4iBq89HSXFrhYqwIKU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjbha-RofHUAhWW3oMKHU_UBTcQ6AEILDAB#v=onepage&q=jefferson%20trying%20to%20ban%20slavery%20one%20vote%20too%20ill%20to%20vote&f=false
Jefferson made his moral stance on slavery clear through his famous efforts toward ending the transatlantic slave trade, which exemplify early steps in securing the abolition of chattel slavery & applying classically liberal principles to all humans. 6/9 https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/congress-abolishes-the-african-slave-trade
The removal of the anti-slavery clause often falls on solely on Jefferson who is criticized as a man of inherent contradiction between his high morals and his active participation in slavery, but to put it in modern layman’s terms: the passage failed in committee. 7/9
Many like to think they would have succeeded where Jefferson failed but they would have done the same. Slavery was not morally unthinkable like it is now. I know that can be hard to wrap our heads around. Progress happens gradually, not all at once. Forced “progress” fails. 8/9
Thomas Jefferson was a major contributor to the popularizing of classical liberal principles. He was simply before his time, scope, & power when it came to applying them universally.
I hope this thread offers some insight to that era.
*Historical facts are not endorsements. 9/9
I hope this thread offers some insight to that era.
*Historical facts are not endorsements. 9/9
