Jefferson’s Uneasy Relationship with Slavery

 

The image is a painting of Thomas Jefferson. He is looking directly at the artist for this portrait and is wearing clothing and a hairstyle of the time. This is the official presidential portrait.Painting of Thomas Jefferson by Rembrandt Peale.

 

This activity addresses the following outcomes:

  • MO2: Examine the institution of slavery in the Revolutionary era and apply primary sources from Thomas Jefferson to understand its acceptance in Revolutionary America (CO1, CO2, CO5).

 

It may strike you as surprising and contradictory that the man who penned the Declaration of Independence, with its ringing endorsement of the equality of all men simultaneously owned slaves, fathered mixed-race children, and defended the institution of slavery.

 

Jefferson was not alone in this contradiction; very few of the founders advocated for the liberation of black slaves during the revolutionary era. In this discussion thread, we are going to take a closer look at these contradictions. Rather than immediately moralizing about Jefferson’s failures, I would urge you to examine the readings closely and attempt a true understanding of the context of Jefferson’s thoughts and actions.

 

Begin by reading the Module Notes Presentation (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., Jefferson’s letter (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. to Benjamin Banneker, and Aaron Schwabach’s article, “Thomas Jefferson, Slavery, and Slaves.” (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

 

As you review the sources, consider all of the questions below. Then choose ONE of the bullets below (or choose a THOUGHTFUL topic of your own) to address thoroughly in an initial post of at least 250 words. You should use specific examples from the assigned readings in your post.

  • This discussion forum focuses on Jefferson’s view of African Americans, rather than examining the lives of African Americans themselves. What do you think of this approach? Jefferson was instrumental in preserving and changing American thought and politics on slavery, but he was not himself a slave. Does focusing on Jefferson when examining slavery subtly prioritize whites over blacks? Examine these questions as a historian.
  • Was Thomas Jefferson’s view of slavery and African Americans progressive or reactionary for his time period?
  • What distinction was there between Jefferson’s view of slavery as an institution and his view of African Americans themselves?
  • If you only read Jefferson’s letter to Banneker, what would you think about Jefferson’s view of African Americans? How would it change if you read more of his writings on the subject? What does this tell you about potential pitfalls in interpreting history?

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