Janet, I think you are right. Ole' Tom couldn't afford it. (Especially, thanks to my gr-gr-etc-grand uncle, Wilson Cary Nicholas, who help put the nail in Jefferson's financial coffin). BTW, Uncle Wilson also put the nail into his brother's, Lewis Nicholas's, financial coffin as well. Wilson C. & Lewis Nicholas were great grandsons of the imfamous Robert "King" Carter, and should have been finacially set for life. But, by the time Lewis Nicholas dies in 1840, there was hardly anything left of Wilson's & Lewis's great plantations. Jefferson and the Nicholas brothers (no reference intended toward that great tap dancing pair <grin>) just made some really bad investments. Lonny ----- Original Message ----- From: "Janet Hunter" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Friday, March 29, 2002 5:40 PM Subject: Re: Why the study of Jefferson and Slavery Matters >He simply couldn't afford to free them. > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html