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To be fair to Jefferson, he supported the eventual emancipation of slaves and the end of slavery, was strongly opposed to the international slave trade (he bann

To be fair to Jefferson, he supported the eventual emancipation of slaves and the end of slavery, was strongly opposed to the international slave trade (he banned it) and freed some slaves. His stated reason for not doing more sooner was that he thought it would bring about immense unrest. And of course it did, in the end. The bloodiest war in American history.

mcv 2y ago
Did he free his slaves? I thought he didn't. Washington did free some of his slaves when he died. Still not all, though. Imagine if these two political powerhouses had freed all the slaves, as their words suggested they should. US history would have looked very differently. No, I don't think supporting "eventual" emancipation is good enough if you don't do anything to actually bring it about.
- milesrout 2y ago
  The most brutal part of slavery was the international slave trade which he banned. I don't think he did nothing. You have to understand a man's actions in the context of his time.
  - krapp 2y ago
    Jefferson was called a hypocrite and a coward in his time, though.
bigyabai 2y ago
> His stated reason for not doing more sooner was that he thought it would bring about immense unrest. What a ridiculous reason in hindsight, huh? "Yes, the inevitable reconciliation of our gross injustices against fellow man will be fixed one day. But not now, because I like the comfort of the status quo and would prefer white people not die for a principled cause." To say nothing of his own slaves, this fickleness of leadership is not what American politics should aspire to.