Jefferson Historic Sites Stumble on Slavery Question
(Second in the "Shining City" Series)
by Robert L. Pyles, MD
October 2023
Thomas Jefferson has been harshly criticized as being hypocritical for writing the statement, as a part of the Declaration of Independence, that “all Men are created equal.” But it has been noted that he did not include people of color in that description.
The second Continental Congress met in the Pennsylvania State House in March of 1776. On June 7th, Richard Henry Lee introduced a motion for independence. After much discussion, it was approved, and on July 4, 1776, they ratified the Declaration as we now know it, formalizing the revolutionary break from Great Britain
A five-person committee was appointed to draft the Declaration. It included Jefferson (VA), John Adams (MA), Roger Sherman (CT), Benjamin Franklin (PA), and Robert Livingston (NY). Jefferson wound up writing it mostly himself in the remarkable period of ten days. In the original draft of the Declaration, he included the following paragraph:
Jefferson was deeply concerned about the failure of both the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention of 1787 to deal with the issue of slavery, and felt that sooner or later the bill would come due, and probably in a very destructive way. His statement about it was “I weep for my country when I reflect that God is just.” That quote is inscribed on the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC. As he put it at the time, “There is nothing I would not sacrifice to a practical plan of abolishing every vestige of this moral and political depravity.”
Jefferson had inherited most of the slaves at Monticello. He also inherited slaves from his father-in-law, John Wayles, at his second home, Poplar Harvest. While Jefferson deplored the practice of slavery, he also felt economically trapped by it. However, he did everything he could to humanize life for those for whom he felt responsible, sometimes purchasing, and sometimes selling, individuals to reunite families.
It should be noted that while Jefferson felt that slaves should be free and should have equal rights as all other men, he also felt that it was probably impossible for the two races to live together. He thought the best practical solution was that the slaves in this country should be returned to their native land.
Although Jefferson had been prevented from including the cessation of the slave trade in the Declaration of Independence as he had intended, when he was President he was able to sign a bill, in 1808, outlawing the slave trade.
One of the major problems with the way the issue of slavery is presented at both Monticello and the University of Virginia, is that tour-goers are very likely to come away with the impression that slavery was a problem unique to this country. Nothing could be further from the truth. Unfortunately, the history of slavery goes back to the dawn of written history, and probably to the very dawn of mankind. Reading early history, or the Old Testament, makes that very clear.
The fact is, that in Jefferson’s time, slavery was almost universal in all the countries of the world. Great Britain was the first country to outlaw slavery, in 1833. The tours certainly do not put the practice of slavery at Monticello and University of Virginia in that perspective. In fact, I am not even certain that the tour guides themselves are aware of these historical realities. If so, it is certainly not reflected in the information the tour guides are given to study,
Tour guides need to be aware of the history of slavery in the eighteenth century in order to convey a balanced view. For example, it should be made clear, at least to the guides, that slaves from Africa were not taken by force, but were in fact sold by the chiefs of their tribes voluntarily, for profit. Those unfortunate individuals were sold to Muslim slave traders , who then sold them to Yankee ship owners. Slaves were then transported to the New World. One third of the slaves went to this country, and two thirds of them went to Latin America.
While most of the slaves in this country were in the South because of the agricultural nature of the economy, slaves existed in every state and were owned by every class of person. The number of Americans owning slaves was actually relatively few; mostly they were owned by large landowners. However, slaves were owned by both white and black people. Slaves were also owned by black tribes in Africa and Native Americans in this country. Unfortunately, it seems that the tendency of one group to enslave another is universal and ubiquitous, and goes on into our present day.
The question of Jefferson and slavery should be interpreted within the context of the times and social milieu within which he lived. Jefferson deplored slavery, felt that blacks were fully equal, and did everything in his power to curtail the practice.
However, consider that even in our own time, slavery is widespread. China, for example, has thousands of slaves, and even slaves whose organs are taken for transplant. It is also true, as we have seen, that human trafficking is widespread in every country, including our own. Governments, including our own, and private companies, should be economically ostracizing China, and other countries that practice slavery. And counties, including our own, are making exactly the same choice as many States did with the Declaration of Independence, by putting profit over principle and human freedom.
Obviously, this deplorable practice should end, but it should also be noted that there seems to be something inherent in human nature for this practice to persist. However, in the tours at Monticello and the University of Virginia, it is important that the issue of slavery be presented both in a historical and current perspective.
On April 14, 2021, the University of Virginia held a ceremony to officially dedicate the new “Memorial for Enslaved Workers”. The Memorial is designed to recognize and honor the estimate 4,000 enslaved workers who helped to build, and maintain, the University between 1817-1865.
This very graceful monument includes 578 names of actual workers, and 311 of kinship. More will be added as further research continues.
__________________________
Among other credits, Dr. Pyles served as President of the American Psychoanalytic Association and was awarded the honor of “Distinguished Life Fellow” of the American Psychiatric Association.
(Second in the "Shining City" Series)
by Robert L. Pyles, MD
October 2023
Thomas Jefferson has been harshly criticized as being hypocritical for writing the statement, as a part of the Declaration of Independence, that “all Men are created equal.” But it has been noted that he did not include people of color in that description.
The second Continental Congress met in the Pennsylvania State House in March of 1776. On June 7th, Richard Henry Lee introduced a motion for independence. After much discussion, it was approved, and on July 4, 1776, they ratified the Declaration as we now know it, formalizing the revolutionary break from Great Britain
A five-person committee was appointed to draft the Declaration. It included Jefferson (VA), John Adams (MA), Roger Sherman (CT), Benjamin Franklin (PA), and Robert Livingston (NY). Jefferson wound up writing it mostly himself in the remarkable period of ten days. In the original draft of the Declaration, he included the following paragraph:
- “He (King George) has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating it’s most sacred rights to life and liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere, or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither. This piratical warfare, the opprobrium of INFIDEL Powers, is the warfare of the CHRISTIAN king of Great Britain. Determined to keep open a market where MEN should be bought & sold, he has prostituted his negative for suppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or restrain this execrable commerce. And that this assemblage of horrors might want no fact of distinguished die, he is now exciting those very people to rise in arms among us, and to purchase that liberty of which he has deprived them, by murdering the people on whom he also obtruded them: thus paying off former crimes committed against the LIBERTIES of one people, with crimes which he urges them to commit against the LIVES of another.”
Jefferson was deeply concerned about the failure of both the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention of 1787 to deal with the issue of slavery, and felt that sooner or later the bill would come due, and probably in a very destructive way. His statement about it was “I weep for my country when I reflect that God is just.” That quote is inscribed on the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC. As he put it at the time, “There is nothing I would not sacrifice to a practical plan of abolishing every vestige of this moral and political depravity.”
Jefferson had inherited most of the slaves at Monticello. He also inherited slaves from his father-in-law, John Wayles, at his second home, Poplar Harvest. While Jefferson deplored the practice of slavery, he also felt economically trapped by it. However, he did everything he could to humanize life for those for whom he felt responsible, sometimes purchasing, and sometimes selling, individuals to reunite families.
It should be noted that while Jefferson felt that slaves should be free and should have equal rights as all other men, he also felt that it was probably impossible for the two races to live together. He thought the best practical solution was that the slaves in this country should be returned to their native land.
Although Jefferson had been prevented from including the cessation of the slave trade in the Declaration of Independence as he had intended, when he was President he was able to sign a bill, in 1808, outlawing the slave trade.
One of the major problems with the way the issue of slavery is presented at both Monticello and the University of Virginia, is that tour-goers are very likely to come away with the impression that slavery was a problem unique to this country. Nothing could be further from the truth. Unfortunately, the history of slavery goes back to the dawn of written history, and probably to the very dawn of mankind. Reading early history, or the Old Testament, makes that very clear.
The fact is, that in Jefferson’s time, slavery was almost universal in all the countries of the world. Great Britain was the first country to outlaw slavery, in 1833. The tours certainly do not put the practice of slavery at Monticello and University of Virginia in that perspective. In fact, I am not even certain that the tour guides themselves are aware of these historical realities. If so, it is certainly not reflected in the information the tour guides are given to study,
Tour guides need to be aware of the history of slavery in the eighteenth century in order to convey a balanced view. For example, it should be made clear, at least to the guides, that slaves from Africa were not taken by force, but were in fact sold by the chiefs of their tribes voluntarily, for profit. Those unfortunate individuals were sold to Muslim slave traders , who then sold them to Yankee ship owners. Slaves were then transported to the New World. One third of the slaves went to this country, and two thirds of them went to Latin America.
While most of the slaves in this country were in the South because of the agricultural nature of the economy, slaves existed in every state and were owned by every class of person. The number of Americans owning slaves was actually relatively few; mostly they were owned by large landowners. However, slaves were owned by both white and black people. Slaves were also owned by black tribes in Africa and Native Americans in this country. Unfortunately, it seems that the tendency of one group to enslave another is universal and ubiquitous, and goes on into our present day.
The question of Jefferson and slavery should be interpreted within the context of the times and social milieu within which he lived. Jefferson deplored slavery, felt that blacks were fully equal, and did everything in his power to curtail the practice.
However, consider that even in our own time, slavery is widespread. China, for example, has thousands of slaves, and even slaves whose organs are taken for transplant. It is also true, as we have seen, that human trafficking is widespread in every country, including our own. Governments, including our own, and private companies, should be economically ostracizing China, and other countries that practice slavery. And counties, including our own, are making exactly the same choice as many States did with the Declaration of Independence, by putting profit over principle and human freedom.
Obviously, this deplorable practice should end, but it should also be noted that there seems to be something inherent in human nature for this practice to persist. However, in the tours at Monticello and the University of Virginia, it is important that the issue of slavery be presented both in a historical and current perspective.
On April 14, 2021, the University of Virginia held a ceremony to officially dedicate the new “Memorial for Enslaved Workers”. The Memorial is designed to recognize and honor the estimate 4,000 enslaved workers who helped to build, and maintain, the University between 1817-1865.
This very graceful monument includes 578 names of actual workers, and 311 of kinship. More will be added as further research continues.
__________________________
Among other credits, Dr. Pyles served as President of the American Psychoanalytic Association and was awarded the honor of “Distinguished Life Fellow” of the American Psychiatric Association.