Jefferson and Slavery

  “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.” –Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence In your personal opinion, what were Jefferson’s private, personal views about the institution of slavery? Do you consider Jefferson’s public actions and writings consistent with his views? Did Jefferson’s views on slavery change over time? Explain. Jefferson was one of the foremost intellectuals of his time. One of the statements he wrote about Negroes, however, is “that their inferiority is not the effect of merely their condition of life”. Remember that Jefferson had an Enlightenment education. On what basis did Jefferson form his view of Negroes? In your opinion, was he a man of his era? Explain.