Posted: January 26th, 2007, 11:38 pm
There's no conclusive proof of the Sally Hemmings/TJ coupling. The Jeffersons were a big family (the DNA doesn't show whether it is TJ, or one of his brothers, cousin, etc), and Hemmings was a mulatto, and probably a maid, not slave. TJ also made moves towards abolition, and opposed the British slavers.
Yes, he did keep slaves for some time--so did Washington and other FFs. For that matter, so did generations of French and British aristocrats (as did arabs and africans themselves). Yes, slavery should be condemned, but in many instances (not all of course), slaves probably had a better existence at a nice plantation than they would have back in Africa, where warrior tribes kept them in cages.
Yes, he did keep slaves for some time--so did Washington and other FFs. For that matter, so did generations of French and British aristocrats (as did arabs and africans themselves). Yes, slavery should be condemned, but in many instances (not all of course), slaves probably had a better existence at a nice plantation than they would have back in Africa, where warrior tribes kept them in cages.