" If we agree that slavery is criminal and evil, Jefferson was as thoroughly implicated in it as it is possible to be. "

If "criminal" means breaking the law, then no one in 18th C. Va. was "criminal" by having slaves.  Slavery was protected by the Constitution until after the Civil War.  It is not uncommon for moral conscience and legal rights to be in conflict.
 
What I would find more interesting is a discussion of what would have happened in our part of N. America if the compromise on slavery had not been included in the Constitution.  I remember reading an article in Smithsonian many years ago on that topic.  It was fascinating.

What folks need to remember is that a compromise is a workable solution that satisfies no one.

And to Mr. F.:
As to distant black relatives for 99% of us long-time Virginians-- So what?  I cannot change my ancestors  (or their behavior) and would not want to.  I am a genuine American hybrid and enjoy the search for my varied forebears.  

Joan Logan Brooks

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