In a message dated 4/14/01 8:12:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [log in to unmask]
writes:

<<
 His financial profligacy may have debarred him from manumitting his
 slaves, as you suggest, but I fear it is a stretch to stand that
 logic on its head and assert that the profligacy was somehow
 connected in a causal way to his desire to keep his slaves in bondage.
  >>

Thomas Jefferson made a CHOICE.  He was a smart man (on that we can agree).
George Washington had already freed his slaves when Thomas Jefferson sold his
library after the War of 1812, although whether Thomas Jefferson could have
freed his slaves and maintained any but a small portion of his estate at
Monticello, without them is an open question.  Have you been there?  Who
could he have hired to do the work?

He CHOSE not only to not free his slaves, but to continue spending on
personal items (as I noted in an earlier and less eloquent post) ie buying
more books, and heavens knows what else.  We can all interpret that as it is,
but there it is.  He had a weakness....he wanted wealth.

At this moment, I have a daughter at the University of Virginia (Thomas
Jefferson's University...founded by what portion of his slave's wages?), who
is taking a course on Africa and slavery as we speak (in which they have
talked about Roman slavery, Irish slaves on the "other island", etc.).   Said
daughter knows she has Quaker ancestors in NC and TN that were leaders of
manumission movements (sadly none of her VA ancestors).  I have described
these exchanges to her (I have been feeding her wills and such on her slave
ancestors), and she indicates that her course (and hopefully she's attending
most classes), hasn't really dealt with differences in Virginia colonial
leaders attitudes toward slavery.  (She CAN, count as a many step grandpa,
John PLEASANTS of Henrico Co in the 1600s, who was with a Mr. Paggin, English
agent, a slave trader).

Always a question.... might things have been different if his wife, Martha
Jefferson had lived a longer life?  Did Thomas spend as uncontrollably when
he was still married to her?

(Appropos of nothing, but with my purely southern roots (though all my Civil
War Ozark ancestors were Union), I always want to ask how anyone can defend
Sherman's march to the south, and with respect to abolition and the Civil
War...the question in wars is always "where's the money", and despite
widespread opposition to slavery on moral grounds in the North, my
understanding is that what really got things going and kept them going (ie,
money for guns and uniforms and food and horses) "behind the scenes" was that
the North felt threatened by the fact that the South might get smart and keep
all their fine cotton fibers amongst themselves and weave them and make
apparel right there, killing the Northern textile industry.   Maybe a new
thread from more knowledgeable persons than myself..just a wide read
political scientist.  To suggest that the North, with their textile mills
dependent on fiber from the south was not dependent on slavery is well,
denying the facts.)

I live in Alexandria VA, and have been to Mt Vernon many times, and to
Monticello at least three times, but most recently in August  There is just
no comparison between the two.

Hope you all have a Happy Easter.

Best Regards,

Janet (Baugh) Hunter

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