Another facet of social injustice, racial divide, is one of the factors that altered the context, thus
confirming Jefferson's worldview. Jefferson regarded fairness and liberty as fundamental values upon
which laws should be based. In this context, abolition of slavery was viewed as the key to a more
prosperous existence, despite widespread criticism of the gradual abolition principle. 3 However, the
economic interests of plantation owners were at odds with those values, and the slave trade was
intended to bolster the agricultural industry's development. 4 Despite this commitment to human rights,
slavery was legalized again in the South in the mid-nineteenth century.
During that time period, Northern views on the existence of slavery were diametrically opposed. In
contrast to Southerners, who cherished leisure and effortless living, some representatives of newly
developed commercial elites in Northern states contributed to the development of the hard-working
community. 5