As I understand it, (and I'm no authority on the subject) Jefferson was in financial ruin at the end of his life. Partly, I believe, due to his friend, Wilson Cary Nicholas, who not only over extended Jefferson's credit, but WCN's younger brother's, Lewis Nicholas's, credit as well. See _The Nicholas Family of Virginia 1722-1820_, Victor Denise Golladay, University of Virginia, Ph.D., 1973. Could the business speculation that TJ became involved in with Wilson Cary Nicholas be one of the reasons that he did not free his slaves, but sent them to the auction block to save himself and his Montecello? Lewis Nicholas of Albemarle lost his 2000 acre Berry Hill plantation on Green Mountain in Albemarle, and died intestate -- possibly at the home of his son, John H. Nicholas of Albemarle. Wilson Cary Nicholas passed hugh debts onto his heirs. Did TJ suffer the same fate? I don't know the answer, I'm just speculating the reason why he autioned his slaves. Lonny J. Watro You wrote: . Jefferson fails the test. > When Jefferson wrote the Declaration he owned over 175 slaves. While many of > his contemporaries freed their slaves during and after the Revolution, Jefferson > did not. In the fifty years from 1776 until his death in 1826, a period of > extraordinary public service, he did little to end slavery or to dissociate himself > from his role as the master of Monticello. To the contrary, as he accumulated more > slaves he worked assiduously to increase the productivity and the property values > of his labor force. Nor did he encourage his countrymen to liberate their slaves, > even when they sought his blessing. Even at his death Jefferson failed to fulfill > the promise of his rhetoric. In his will he emancipated only five bondsmen, > condemning nearly 200 others to the auction block." > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html