Thomas Jefferson: Loving Family Man or Hypocritical Slave Holder?

        

                In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Jefferson, however, lived at Monticello, a huge plantation, where hundreds of slaves were under his control. How could someone who believes that, “all men are created equal”, own an abundance of slaves who are treated as inferiors? Thomas Jefferson, who appeared to be an advocate of individual freedom, was in fact a hypocrite and racist slave holder, who felt that he was the only one worthy of owning slaves.

                In 1770, Thomas Jefferson preached his views on personal liberties by saying, “Under the laws of nature, all men are born free.” What exactly is Jefferson’s definition of free? We know he saw whites as free but he believed colored people were “pests to the society by their idleness” and there is much evidence that leads us to assuming he didn’t actually see them as equals. Monticello, Jefferson’s beloved heaven on earth, was the home to many enslaved people who worked from sunrise till sunset. In the scorching summers, through the penetrating winters, his slaves worked endless hours of intense labor. Whether they were working on the land, making tools, or building, these workers were far from freedom. Thomas Jefferson, however, was certainly a manipulative man. He didn’t call his workers slaves, rather he referred to them as his “children in need of protection” and he was the father. Jefferson felt obligated to protect them because they were “incapable as children trying to care for themselves.” He probably wanted the slaves to feel like they were important and appreciated so they would be more successful in their work, making Monticello a better place for Jefferson.

                Thomas Jefferson, we know, was a greatly intelligent, determined man with a wide variety of talents and interests. He was a scientist, architect, politician, musician, cook, husband, and a father. Having been all these titles, he was a very busy man. It is suspected that he owned slaves because he was so busy all the time, but I think he believed he was an exception to the rule against slavery. Jefferson could have easily hired workers to do all the things he made his slaves do, and pay them accordingly. However, he did not pay his slaves and they didn’t get to choose what field of work they participated in. It hasn’t been recorded that he ever abused his slaves, but also he didn’t give them the freedom that people were supposedly born in to. Jefferson believed that the issue of slavery was too large to abolish in his generation, so he did nothing to even attempt to end it. This might have been out of his selfish desires. Being a famous, well respected figure in society, abolishing slavery may have been accomplishable in his era. However, Jefferson probably didn’t go through with this huge political change because he still wanted to own slaves for his Monticello plantation.

                Thomas Jefferson did suggest little steps in trying to help the obstacle of slavery. He absolutely did not like African Americans and he didn’t want them in Virginia unless they were working for him in Monticello. To get rid of the colored people, Jefferson thought that it would be a good idea to send them all away and let them have their own community however they would still be required to work when needed. This option still limits African Americans of their freedoms even though they are getting to live away from their slave holder. Thomas Jefferson wasn’t horribly mean to all his slaves and African Americans, but he was a racist and kept them from making personal decisions that white people would have the privilege to make.

                Thomas Jefferson accomplished many great things in his lifetime which people still learn about today. He impacted American in more ways than one by his scientific discoveries and political achievements. He was a true family man who truly believed in family values and morals however, he was indeed a slave holder. He spoke of human rights and personal liberties but went against his words and owned hundreds of slave at Monticello. He supposedly was against the issue of slavery, but didn’t have what it took to give up the slaves of his own. He couldn’t practice what he preached making him a racist and a hypocrite.

http://www.monticello.org/site/plantation-and-slavery/thomas-jefferson-and-slavery

http://www.reformed-theology.org/html/issue07/jefferson.htm