During this town hall meeting, I played the roll of Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States and a slave owner. Although he vouched for slavery in his youth, Thomas Jefferson ended up being opposed to slavery as he got older. This quotation below is what I had come up with after researching the subject of Thomas Jefferson being pro-slavery.
Independence Hall
"Hello, my name is Thomas Jefferson. I live in Virginia and own a mansion and farm named Monticello. On this farm, I own around 600 slaves and would not be able to run this farm without them. Although they run my farm, I believe blacks are racially inferior and are not as capable as the white man. All of my slaves are consisted of one family connection and their wives. As I was writing a letter to George Washington, I noticed something that I had not recognized before. I allow nothing for losses by death, but on the contrary, shall presently take credit 4 percent more annually financially. I had an acquaintance that suffered financial reverses. If the family had any cash left, every farthing of it should be laid out in land and negroes, which beside a present support would bring a silent profit of 5 to 10 percent in this country by the increase in their value. His family might have been saved if he was a slave owner. Additionally, as my land was beginning to be worn out, a change on the farm added even more value to being a slave owner. As my land wore out, I had to switch to grain, and it changed my perspective on the relationship between the slave and the planter. Tobacco was raised by gangs of slaves all doing the same repetitive tasks. Grain, on the other hand, requires less work force and more skilled laborers. After getting some skilled artisans to help start growing the grain and some of my slaves to help the artisans with the harder tasks, I was able to put the rest of my slaves into specialized training. This would modernize and industrialize slavery as the times change. Older, specialized slaves now end up helping on the farm or in the house, while the younger boy and girl slaves work in the nailery or do spinning and weaving operations. This gives me more of a work output in the house, farm, and in the new nailery. Using your slaves efficiently, while advancing their own skills for the betterment of themselves, is another reason that slavery should stay.
Now, as I have gotten older, I believe that white Americans and enslaved blacks make up 2 separate nations that cannot live peacefully with each other. Because of this, I have come up with gradual emancipation. This is a concept where all people that were born into slavery after a certain date would be freed and sent beyond the borders of the United States when they reach adulthood.
Thank you for listening and considering what I have to say in your final decision."
Thomas Jefferson was pro-slavery in his youth, but ended up switching his beliefs on slavery as he got older. He believed that it should stay and is extremely beneficial for the South when he was young. As he got older, he believed that having slaves divides the country from the North, and would eventually lead to war. He was correct on that theory, as the Civil War broke out soon after.
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