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Thomas Jefferson All Men Are Created Equal Analysis

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Thomas Jefferson is known for his famous line “all men are created equal”. However, his intentions do not exactly match up. Thomas Jefferson’s ideas and beliefs about slaves strike him as being a racist. In Notes on the State of Virginia, Jefferson compares slaves and dogs, and other horrible assumptions are made about slaves. He describes their death as “An animal whose body is at rest, and who does not reflect, must be disposed to sleep of course.” Jefferson’s point of view is often misinterpreted. Even though he states that “all men are created equal”, is he really considering the non-whites? Scholars believe that Jefferson may only be considering the inequality of whites, and other cultures around the world. There are many times he talks …show more content…

He writes about his impulsions to end slavery in the Declaration of Independence contradict his harsh words in Notes on the State of Virginia. “Besides those of colour, figure, and hair, there are other physical distinctions proving a difference of race. They have less hair on the face and body. They secrete less by the kidnies, and more by the glands of the skin, which gives them a very strong and disagreeable odour.” claims Jefferson (789). He is stating that black people are brutes. However, he gives black people a compliment... “In music they are more generally gifted than the whites, with accurate ears for tune and time, and they have been found capable of imagining a small catch.” Jefferson claims …show more content…

He mentions how it would be a dramatic change to the slave’s lives. He worries that they will not be able to adjust the way people expect them to. Jefferson states “Many of them, indeed, have been confuned to tillage, to their own homes, and their own society: yet many have been so situated, that they might have availed themselves to the conversation of their masters” (790). He is explaining that slaves will not be able to get back to normalcy. Slaves have been adapted to the way of “slave life”. How will slaves make money? Where will they live? How will they survive? This is a major concern that was

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