In Paris, Thomas Jefferson revealed his real beliefs about slavery, writes Fred Kaplan
and the published version had extended his views to a wide audience in America, England, and France, where he had had discussions with Enlightenment luminaries and French admirers of the United States, particularly Lafayette, Nicolas de Condorcet, and Jacques Brissot, all three of whom felt that Jefferson stopped at a bridge far too short of where antislavery ought to go.
In France, in 1789, the year of the start of the French Revolution, Jefferson’s good friend, Lafayette, of course knew that Jefferson owned many slaves. Who else among the members of Jefferson’s salon and intellectual-political circle knew? When Jacques Brissot, a leading abolitionist and the founder in 1788 of the Society of the Friends of the Blacks, invited Jefferson to become a member, he declined. It would be incompatible, he said, with his official position.
Jefferson responded early in 1789 that “as far as I can judge from the experiments which have been made, to give liberty to, or rather, to abandon persons whose habits have been formed in slavery is like abandoning children.” To get them to work, they needed to be watched and even whipped. It was not the fault of the slaves, he said, for “a man’s moral sense must be unusually strong, if slavery does not make him a thief.
Danmark Seneste Nyt, Danmark Overskrifter
Similar News:Du kan også læse nyheder, der ligner denne, som vi har indsamlet fra andre nyhedskilder.
England fan revealed what really happened at 'Qatari palace where he petted lionAlex and his dad and his friend John had a mad night out when they first landed in Qatar and have spoken out for the first time about what happened.
Læs mere »
NI Troubles: Amendments on controversial legacy bill revealedThe controversial Troubles legacy bill will include 'a more robust process' around immunity from prosecution, the UK government says.
Læs mere »
Revealed: How water firms pumped sewage into UK’s rivers and seas 150 times - during dry weatherWater companies have released raw sewage into UK rivers and seas almost 150 times during dry weather - despite being told to only do it when there is heavy rainfall.
Læs mere »
Margot Robbie's secret gesture to Neighbours cast revealedMargot Robbie revealed her sweet gesture to the Neighbours cast and crew after she learned that the show would be coming to an end.
Læs mere »
GP surgeries could be named and shamed as appointment 'league tables' revealed for first timeThe organisation representing doctors is concerned some practices will face 'undue criticism' because it can be hard to make like for like comparisons between different areas.
Læs mere »
Your landlord could be fined £5,000 for mouldy homes - your rights revealedHARSH weather can cause issues in your home like dampness and mould, and it’s up to your landlord to fix them. The government has set out clear rules for any landlord to follow so no renters …
Læs mere »