Interesting factoid about Jefferson. Apparently his father died when he was 14 and he took control over half of the family plantation when he was 21.
This raises an interesting question. If you are a 21yo living in that time and you inherit approximately 175 slaves what do you do? If you free them, where do they go and what do they do? Well what did Jefferson do? Apart from purchasing some slaves mostly to reunite them with family he advocated and agitated for the abolition of slavery.
But most importantly, he largely self educated himself and penned the Declaration of Independence, including the immortal words “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal …” and by doing so laid down a founding principle that eventually led to emancipation.
For all the shit he gets about having been a slave owner. Is there ANYONE who could honestly say that if they had found themselves in that situation that they could have or would have done better?!
Anyone claiming they would have done better under those circumstances is a fucking liar!