The NYT has an article about George Washington's slaves and a particular escaped slave in todays' edition.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/16/o...n-region&WT.nav=c-column-top-span-region&_r=0
I have always had a hard time with our founding fathers' slave ownership. Its just not that they owned slaves as I could argue that slavery was an intrenched part of the culture, and perhaps, as misguided as this may be, it was accepted to view slaves as sub-human. No, what I have a problem with is that some, like Jefferson and Washington wanted to be rid of slaves - yet they did not they were totally in on this system. Did they sorta think it was wrong? Did they know it was very very wrong? If so, was it the money that kept them tied to it. Clearly, folks in some places, like Philadelphia thought it was wrong or they would not have abolished it.
I suppose that many years from now, someone will look back on my life and note that I have not lived a fully Christian ( or for you athiests) a fully moral life. Should we judge Washington by only by his acheivements and ignore the fully body of his life?
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/16/o...n-region&WT.nav=c-column-top-span-region&_r=0
I have always had a hard time with our founding fathers' slave ownership. Its just not that they owned slaves as I could argue that slavery was an intrenched part of the culture, and perhaps, as misguided as this may be, it was accepted to view slaves as sub-human. No, what I have a problem with is that some, like Jefferson and Washington wanted to be rid of slaves - yet they did not they were totally in on this system. Did they sorta think it was wrong? Did they know it was very very wrong? If so, was it the money that kept them tied to it. Clearly, folks in some places, like Philadelphia thought it was wrong or they would not have abolished it.
I suppose that many years from now, someone will look back on my life and note that I have not lived a fully Christian ( or for you athiests) a fully moral life. Should we judge Washington by only by his acheivements and ignore the fully body of his life?
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