I over heard a comment the other day by someone denigrating the Founding Fathers as just being a bunch of rich, white slaveowners. As I reflected on this unsympathetic comment, I was struck by how misunderstood Thomas Jefferson and his stand on slavery is by the current generation.
In our current politically correct environment, I believe it’s difficult for any of us Americans, hyphenated or not, to understand Jefferson’s predicament.
Jefferson’s feelings regarding slavery are well documented, if misunderstood. Included in his first draft of The Declaration of Independence is a strong chastisement against King George III for bringing slavery to the colonies. Jefferson blamed slavery on the King of England.