Jefferson Emancipation of Slaves

Quite curiously it seems that up to a point, 1785, Jefferson was a notable advocate for the emancipation of slaves in the United States. Though a major event that occured was that Jefferson traveled to France in 1785 to be the American ambassador to France and it was then that he likely started a sexual relationship with Sally that turned into pregnancy. Following his return to America he was quite notably silent on the issue of freeing the slaves, almost in a complete turn around of his previous views, and several times refused to free his own slaves when he was given the chance (other then his own 'natural' children).

It seems to me that Jefferson refused to emancipate his own slaves or any other slave after his return from France was simply based on that politically it would hurt him. Despite several times when fears in America grew of slave revolts as a result of the independence of Haiti or French abolishment of Slavery.

Is it possible that if he did not start a relationship with Hemings or that she never gave him children then he would have been more likely to support emancipation much sooner?
 
Quite curiously it seems that up to a point, 1785, Jefferson was a notable advocate for the emancipation of slaves in the United States. Though a major event that occured was that Jefferson traveled to France in 1785 to be the American ambassador to France and it was then that he likely started a sexual relationship with Sally that turned into pregnancy. Following his return to America he was quite notably silent on the issue of freeing the slaves, almost in a complete turn around of his previous views, and several times refused to free his own slaves when he was given the chance (other then his own 'natural' children).

It seems to me that Jefferson refused to emancipate his own slaves or any other slave after his return from France was simply based on that politically it would hurt him. Despite several times when fears in America grew of slave revolts as a result of the independence of Haiti or French abolishment of Slavery.

Is it possible that if he did not start a relationship with Hemings or that she never gave him children then he would have been more likely to support emancipation much sooner?

Well,the truth is, many of the founders wanted slavery to end eventually, anyway. I think the biggest obstacle was some of the biggest planters in the South who had a good chunk of political power, so his fears were based on some fact..... (On the other hand, though, I do wish T.J. had grown a pair and done the right thing. :()
 
Maybe Jefferson cannot abolish slavery in the Carolinas and Georgia, could he not have enough influence to abolish slavery in Virginia and/or Kentucky. How about to have it abolished in all new territories of the USA and not just the Northwest territory?
 
Quite curiously it seems that up to a point, 1785, Jefferson was a notable advocate for the emancipation of slaves in the United States. Though a major event that occured was that Jefferson traveled to France in 1785 to be the American ambassador to France and it was then that he likely started a sexual relationship with Sally that turned into pregnancy. Following his return to America he was quite notably silent on the issue of freeing the slaves, almost in a complete turn around of his previous views, and several times refused to free his own slaves when he was given the chance (other then his own 'natural' children).

It seems to me that Jefferson refused to emancipate his own slaves or any other slave after his return from France was simply based on that politically it would hurt him. Despite several times when fears in America grew of slave revolts as a result of the independence of Haiti or French abolishment of Slavery.

Is it possible that if he did not start a relationship with Hemings or that she never gave him children then he would have been more likely to support emancipation much sooner?

His relationship with Hemings (which, by the way, has not been proven to have ever taken place...the DNA tests did not prove that Thomas Jefferson fathered Sally Heming's children, they merely proved that a male from Jefferson's immediate family did. There were a couple of rapscallion nephews who hung around Monticello who could as easily have been the father of the children) had nothing to do with it. Jefferson didn't free his slaves for one simple reason...debt. The revolution severely impacted Jefferson's financial situation (the British raided Monticello and did a lot of damage there, for one thing, and he gave a lot of money to the revolutionary cause) and his money management skills got worse as he got older (they were never great to begin with). By the time he died he had so much debt that his personal property was basically auctioned off, including the slaves.
 
Well,the truth is, many of the founders wanted slavery to end eventually, anyway. I think the biggest obstacle was some of the biggest planters in the South who had a good chunk of political power, so his fears were based on some fact

There was also some uncertainty as what they were suppose to do with the freed slaves that held it up.
 
His relationship with Hemings (which, by the way, has not been proven to have ever taken place...the DNA tests did not prove that Thomas Jefferson fathered Sally Heming's children, they merely proved that a male from Jefferson's immediate family did. There were a couple of rapscallion nephews who hung around Monticello who could as easily have been the father of the children) had nothing to do with it. Jefferson didn't free his slaves for one simple reason...debt. The revolution severely impacted Jefferson's financial situation (the British raided Monticello and did a lot of damage there, for one thing, and he gave a lot of money to the revolutionary cause) and his money management skills got worse as he got older (they were never great to begin with). By the time he died he had so much debt that his personal property was basically auctioned off, including the slaves.

Although I rarely agree with you from what I have read you are correct. That was one reason he hated banks so much he was always deep in debt and had no money management skills. This is also the same Thomas Jefferson who tried to have slavery banned in the entire Louisiana Purchase South as well as North and that was WAY AFTER 1785!
 
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