Thomas Jefferson was, it seems to me, just an A-Grade hypocrite and liar; a man who made a lot of filthy lucre for himself and his cronies through protecting the slave trade in the US over many years — Dachshund
As per the topic of equality, he did seem to believe that Africans had a lower intelligence, so I don't think he really thought that people were born equal, in a physical sense anyways. Based on my interpretation, he believed all men should be equal under the law and equally free of slavery at birth, and as such should be afforded equal rights, specific to the right of self-defense, property ownership, and the pursuit of happiness. — Sydasis
As I said above,if there is some such respect which actually exists and which means we MUST therefore treat the interest of any one man or woman — Dachshund
I suppose that's up to you. If you want to deny rights to others then you have no leg to stand on when others deny rights to you. — charleton
It is not so much Thomas Jefferson, I am criticising, but the egalitarian notion that we all hold it to be an" inalienable", and"self -evident" fact that"all men are created equal" — Dachshund
Reading over Paine's history in more detail, I find it interesting how he sees "created equal" as not an anti-slavery argument, but as an anti-monarchy one. I believe there might of been reference to Jesus in his argument, so take that for what it is worth.the work of Tom Paine, a rabble-rousing, political firebrand and full-blooded English egalitarian socialist — Dachshund
https://www.monticello.org/site/plantation-and-slavery/thomas-jefferson-and-slaveryThroughout his entire life, Thomas Jefferson was a consistent opponent of slavery. Calling it a “moral depravity” and a “hideous blot,” he believed that slavery presented the greatest threat to the survival of the new American nation. Jefferson also thought that slavery was contrary to the laws of nature, which decreed that everyone had a right to personal liberty. These views were radical in a world where unfree labor was the norm.
Jefferson attempted to motivate slaves to perform tasks with incentives such as “gratuities” (tips) or other rewards. He experimented with “new modes of governance” of enslaved people, which was intended to moderate physical punishment and to capitalize on the human desire to emulate and excel.
https://www.monticello.org/site/plantation-and-slavery/thomas-jefferson-and-slaveryJefferson’s belief in the necessity of abolition was intertwined with his racial beliefs. He thought that white Americans and enslaved blacks constituted two “separate nations” who could not live together peacefully in the same country.
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