Thomas Jefferson

In history class I have learned that Jefferson was a slave owner and also a defender of white supremacy. The Declaration of Independence stated that “all men are created equal,” but by this it was widely accepted that the only equal people were adult white males who owned land. My AP US History book stated that, “Jefferson suspected blacks were inferior to whites, yet he was a champion of democracy, limited government, and individual freedom.” (Carnes and Garraty) Jefferson actually owned slaves, and kind of avoided the subject of slaves altogether during his presidency. Since Jefferson believed that blacks were inferior to whites he would not be happy with the photo on page eighty-two. Thomas Jefferson’s Notes on the State of Virginia stated that, “the blacks, whether originally a distinct race, or made distinct by time and circumstances, are inferior to the whites in the endowments of both body and mind.” (Jefferson) Jefferson believed that blacks affected both the white and black societies, so he would be unhappy that his family had become racially mixed and would have considered it “damaged.”