Why Didn't Thomas Jefferson Free His Slaves?

Thomas Jefferson's controversial relationship with slavery, explained in the context of his time.

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0:00 Intro
02:00 The Enlightenment
05:05 The End Of Slavery?
08:26 The Defense Of Slavery
17:44 Emancipation Plans
25:26 Jefferson As A Slaveholder
29:28 Conclusion

Sources:
An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding - David Hume
Two Treatises Of Government - John Locke
What Is Enlightenment? - Immanuel Kant
Empire Of Liberty - Gordon Wood
Slavery and Sectional Strife in the Early American Republic - Gary Kornblith
Notes On The State Of Virginia - Thomas Jefferson
Farm Book - Thomas Jefferson
Wolf By The Ears - John Chester Miller
Appeal - David Walker
Jefferson - John Boles
The Rise Of American Democracy - Sean Wilentz
The Hemingses Of Monticello - Annette Gordon-Reed
The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution - Bernard Bailyn
Memoirs Of A Monticello Slave - Isaac Jefferson
Democracy In America - Alexis De Tocqueville
Those Who Labor For My Happiness - Lucia Stanton
Inhuman Bondage - David Davis

[realryanchapman]

I've been trying to figure out how much evidence to provide on screen for what I say in the video. In the past year or so I've shifted towards showing evidence pretty continuously throughout the entire video. But then it seems like if there are only a few claims left with no evidence shown, and people single out those claims and believe I made them up. Showing evidence for literally every claim, I think, would be exhausting to watch, so I'm not sure how to solve that.

For this one, I saw a number of people single out the section where I said according to my research, slavery persisted in the South because white Southerners didn't want to work outdoors in hot climates, and say it's absurd and I made it up. To explain why I constructed that section the way I did, I thought 1) it's not a key point for the piece, and 2) it's common sense. So I thought I'd give the audience a break on reading text for that section. I also showed some supporting text from Gordon Wood on how the philosophy of labor was shifting in both the North and South at the time. I figured that was enough, and if people were intrigued or skeptical on that point they could research it on their own.

To address it here I'd start by asking: how else would you explain why the further south you went, the more adamant people became about keeping slavery? Why were those same people so work avoidant compared to people in the North? Why was the Deep South so firm on slavery, while the North gave it up within a generation? I'm curious if people have alternative explanations, because while researching for this piece I literally did not come across one. Every source that covered it said the same thing: climate. That was also the prevailing take when this was all happening.

Perhaps some quotes from primary sources will do. In 1804, when senators were debating whether to restrict the importation of slaves into Louisiana, GA rep Jackson said: 'Gentlemen from north & the east do not know that white men cannot endure the heat of a vertical sun - they cannot cultivate and raise a crop of rice - negroes are necessary for that country.' and 'a white man cannot cultivate three acres of rice, and yet Georgia is not so warm as Louisiana. You cannot prevent slavery - neither laws moral or human can do it - men will be governed by their interest, not the law...' Jefferson himself in Notes on the State of Virginia: 'in a warm climate, no man will labour for himself who can make another labour for him, ' after saying blacks are 'more tolerant of heat, and less so of cold, than the whites.'

Some people also seem offended by my use of 'alleged' when talking about Jefferson and Sally Hemings, apparently because they thought it should be treated as fact. From what I can tell the evidence does strongly support the claim that Jefferson fathered children with her. The DNA test only says it was a Jefferson male (of which there were about ten at Monticello) who fathered one of her kids, but Jefferson was with Sally every time she probably conceived, which is considered strong evidence.

Generally speaking, there was significant pushback/skepticism from the academic community in the '90s when Annette Gordon-Reed published 'Thomas Jefferson & Sally Hemings, ' which was the work that got this conversation seriously going. The pushback was mostly based on the fact that Jefferson hardly ever mentioned her in his writing (I think 4 times in about 18, 000 letters), that it seemed out of character for him to keep his children as slaves, that people around Jefferson hardly mentioned her, and that we know so little about Sally. Then the DNA test came out, and Gordon-Reed published 'The Hemings Of Monticello, ' which basically said Jefferson's behavior step-by-step indicates he had a relationship with Hemings, and his silence on her is consistent with behavior of other white male Virginian slaveowners, and that people around him would also understand to keep quiet about her. Now most professional opinion (that I've read) does conclude that he fathered children with Sally, but I still thought it would be wrong to treat it as fact, knowing it's a controversial subject, and knowing I wasn't going to take the time in the video to go through all this. So I just said 'alleged' and left it to the comments in case people disagreed or were offended. Hope that cleared things up.

I've seen a couple people flag Ben Franklin's anti-slavery activity to refute what I said about none of the Founders 'risking their careers' to end slavery. Franklin's activity was at the very end of his life, which meant 1) he wasn't risking his career over it, and 2) his activity was after the crucial time window I was talking about in that section, when slavery was being widely debated and the defense of it hadn't solidified.

I also didn't claim that the Founders literally said nothing about the abolition of slavery. Only that in the years that crucially mattered they didn't press the issue. They overwhelmingly focused their efforts on other issues, like the formation of the union/constitution, diplomacy, and freedom of religion. From my research, in those years Jefferson was actually the most outspoken against slavery of them all (he attempted three major instances of it afaik), but he cared far more about other issues (like freedom of religion), and his 'anti-slavery' stance also came with his highly impractical deportation clause.

Last note - many comments say it was Jefferson's debt that prevented him from freeing his slaves. I have never seen a professional make this claim. The reason why is because Jefferson said what he would do with his slaves if he ever got out of debt. He said he would improve the living conditions of his slaves. Not free them. Also he lived an extravagant lifestyle, for example constantly hosting guests and serving fine wine from around the world, and taking on huge expenses trying to turn Monticello into basically his dream home. He didn't live as someone trying to get out of debt in order to free his slaves. In short, the claim doesn't make sense if you study him.

- Ryan

[williewonka]

John Adams was also a product of his times. John and Abigail were given a slave as a wedding present, which they refused to accept. Both of them, and particularly Abigail, worked their small farm throughout their lives and their wealth and properties steadily grew, while Jefferson spent his life squandering inherited wealth and living on the backs of his slaves. Despite his narratives for freedom and liberty. Observing the lives of these two founders definitely provides insights into human nature. Pity that the Adamses are not better remembered.

[SolracCAP]

You are the kind of content creator and voice we need in this day and age.

[euphegenia]

As someone who has read a ton on Jefferson and his writings, this video is very very good.

[ericpeterson]

The more I hear about Jefferson, the more I think the Epic Rap Battle (ERB) guys got him pegged correctly. A man of principles that didn't risk his economic standing to live up to those principles. Having Frederick Douglass point these things out was brilliant.

[jwestney]

Amazing the way you tell this story -- heart wrenching story -- with text on the screen. And you highlight each passage as you read it. Producing this video must have taken weeks and weeks. It must be part of a life-long labor. I really admire your work!

[andyjackson]

According to one scholar I watched give a lecture on C-Span there is a draft of the Declaration that has in Jefferson's hand "life, liberty and property." On that draft, the word "property" had been struck through, and above it, in John Adams hand was the phrase "pursuit of happiness."
Jefferson may have personally copied out the final version of the Declaration, but he is not it's sole author.

[curtisnewton]

After 5 minutes of watching this video, I'm not sure whether I'm joyfully surprised by its thoughtfulness and nuanced perspectives, or saddened by the very fact that this makes it so utterly unique on YouTube (or among *any* discussions of political topics nowadays).

Thank you!

[TheMikemedia]

As a 70 year old Black man, deep hot rage against the hypocritical injustice of this country is as much a part of me as my color. As a human, I know self interest has, and may always, trump all other considerations. This has been evidenced in Hans J. Morgenthau's 1949 publication, The Primacy of the National Interest, and more recently, Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers Revisited experiment exposing the unanimous resolve of 75 Wharton School of Business seniors to maintain their privilege even when confronted with the unfairness it entails. This may be the honest summation of Jefferson's life. I don't know if the actual can ever be overcome by the ideal.

[lisaflint]

Although I was an avid American history enthusiast growing up, I had only a rudimentary understanding of Jefferson, that is until my father gave me the book 'American Sphinx' by J. Ellis. When I finished it my father asked my opinion, all I could say was that Jefferson was a very complicated and conflicted man, he smiled and said "Yes, he was". Also, I just finished 'Washington, A Life' by Chernow, (a most excellent book btw) and found that Washington was of the same thread as Jefferson, they were both men of their times. Excellent video! Your videos should be required viewing in classrooms. Thank you!

[Ephisus]

A subject sorely needing the nuance that Ryan Chapman can provide.

[j.a.svoboda]

"...tragically human." One of the best descriptions of the man I've heard.

[bretnicholson]

Excellent job. Thanks especially for the extensive use of primary resources. This is an excellent example of how history ought to be taught and learned.

[alainaaugust]

The Sally Hemings story is also complex. Her father was the white owner of the plantation belonging to Jefferson’s father-in-law. Her mother’s parents were also a white father, black mother. So Sally and Jefferson’s wife were half sisters, looking very much alike. Upon becoming Jefferson’s wife, she took Sally with her to assure her sister would never have to work in the fields. Having suffered at the hands of her own step-mother, when dying she begged Tom to swear he would never put a step-mother over their children. He so swore. His children with Sally all looked very white. He educated the boys in a trade, the girls in the arts and graces expected of ladies. As each reached adulthood, he sent them west in a wagon with the tools of their trade—quite similar to how he wrote liberated slaves should be sent off. Of these children only one retained and passed down the memory that Jefferson was the patriarch of their family. It’s thought the others married white partners out west and never revealed who they were. It was more important for their children to be considered fully white than to be known as Jefferson’s grandchildren by a black woman. The one family who kept the black identity claimed for over a hundred years that they were descended from Jefferson. Historians declared them hoaxers. In the 1990’s at last DNA tests were run, their DNA and that of Jefferson’s known descendants through his daughter’s line, the Randolphs of Virginia. It was a match. Think of it: many of Jefferson’s descendants thrive in America today and don’t even know the author of the Declaration is their ancestor.

[BS-vxdg]

Forgive me, Ryan. I saw the topic and, knowing its complexity and its capacity for stirring contemporary passions, doubted that you could successfully navigate the choppy waters. But once again you have proven to be *the* master at creating commentary that any open minded person on any side of this issue will respect. Beautifully done (as usual).

[T-zw]

Seems to me Jefferson was a brilliant idealist, a hyper pragmatic man with deeply held rational beliefs, and a man who was prone to compromise his own rational thought when his self interests where on the line. Not much different than many people today.

[austinmaurer]

I just got my bachelors in history a few months ago but have been in a funk of disinterest. Finding and watching your videos has got me excited again. Thank you, you're you're doing important work.

[Keiranful]

A very good and balanced review. My personal feelings on the subject tend to emphasize how radical the enlightenment ideas were in this regard. The culture in which a person grows up in forms the deepest and most immutable set of filters through which we view the world. It is a rare and special person who can challenge these filters, even to a limited degree in himself, let alone encourage others to do the same. It is easy for us to condemn slavery. It is far more difficult for us to challenge or condemn elements of our current culture, like the still prevalent belief in human superiority.

In the vein of "judge not, lest you be judged", I refrain from judging people like Jefferson, because I seriously doubt I would have been better than him in the same circumstances. That is simply highly unlikely.

[alphacat]

I highly recommend reading the entire screenshots throughout this video. Some of the unread passages are important, such as Jefferson's repeated assertions any differences he did note were quite possibly a result of their terrible education, unfortunate position, etc. Given the time period, this seems quite an honest position to take - noting the differences but providing a rather progressive explanation for those differences.

[jamesdoerr]

Ryan, you are an excellent writer and an even better presenter. Because of how my brain is wired, it is hard for me to focus for very long, but you do such a good job that you make it easy to consume.