Slavery and the Founding Fathers
The Founding Fathers are referred to as the men who led the 13 colonies in the American
Revolution against the British. They are the men who risked their lives in signing the Declaration
of Independence in 1776. They also are the men who took part in creating the U.S. Constitution
in 1787. They are responsible for bring freedom to Americans and establishing a government in
which natural rights are protected to this very day. The significance of these great men can never
be overlooked. However, like any person, these men did have their faults.
The truth is yes, while the fathers of our nation were writing our Constitution and fighting for our
liberty, they did, in fact, have hundreds of human beings that were listed in their account books
as personal property and worked for them as slaves. George Washington, Benjamin
Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Patrick Henry were all slave-owners.
History textbooks rarely mention it. We are ashamed, perhaps, to believe that our heroes and the
icons of liberty could participate in one of the greatest injustices inflicted on mankind. They
themselves were aware of the duplicity of their behavior.
1. What does duplicity mean and how were the Founding Fathers duplicitous?

Patrick Henry, who is most famous for his quote "Give me liberty, or give me death!"
wrote in a letter," I am drawn along by the general inconvenience of living without them.
I will not—I cannot justify it, however culpable (deserving blame) my conduct."

George Washington wrote to a friend and said, "I can only say that there is not a man
living who wishes more sincerely than I do to see a plan adopted for the abolition of
[slavery]."Yet Washington owned slaves his entire life, beginning at age 11 with the
death of his father until his own death.

Patrick Henry also wrote, "It is not a little surprising that Christianity ... should encourage
a practice so totally repugnant to the first impressions of right and wrong."

James Madison, in a letter to his father, told a story about his slave who was traveling
with him. He concluded that he would have to sell the slave, though "I do not expect to
get near the worth of him; but cannot think of punishing him by transportation merely for
coveting that liberty for which we have paid the price of so much blood, and have
proclaimed so often to be the right, & worthy the pursuit, of every human being.

George Mason, called " the father of the bill of rights" said in his address to the Virginia
Ratifying Convention, "As much as I value an union of all the states, I would not admit
the southern states into the union, unless they agreed to the discontinuance of this
disgraceful trade, because it would bring weakness and not strength to the union." and
"The augmentation of slaves weakens the states; and such a trade is diabolical in itself,
and disgraceful to mankind."
Anti-Slavery Efforts
Before we judge too harshly, we must understand that slavery was established long before the
Revolutionary War. For centuries, slavery had been a growing part of the economy world-wide,
not just in the Colonies. In North America, slavery was established somewhere in the 1500's,
after Christopher Columbus visited. There isn't a specific date, of course, but it grew from there.
Our Founding Fathers were born into a world whose economy relied on slave labor - from
cotton, tobacco, and sugar cane plantations even to local businesses.
Some believe that since slavery was so commonplace, growing a conscience about it might
easily not have happened at all. They suggest that the fact that if anyone opposed slavery at all it
would be incredibly radical for their time.
2. CHALLENGE: Why do you think so many people didn’t question if slavery was
wrong?
For whatever reason, they did, in fact "grow" consciences. By the quotes, letters, and documents
they left behind, it is clear that most of our founding fathers wished to see slavery ended, though
they did not believe it possible for it to happen in their lifetimes. Some of them, most
notably Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay, were very supportive of the
rapidly growing abolitionist movement. Benjamin Franklin was President of the Pennsylvania
society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery, which included Jay and Hamilton. The year he
died, he signed a petition for the abolition of all slavery. He died before he got to see it become a
reality.
3. If Benjamin Franklin once held slaves and he eventually joined the abolitionist
movement, what does it show about his conscience over time?
Alexander Hamilton grew up in the Caribbean islands. The majority of the sugar imported to the
Colonies were exported from those islands and were maintained by rented out slaves. Almost
everyone, no matter how poor, had several slaves that either worked for their masters or were
rented out to make extra money for their masters. Hamilton grew up with a deep rooted hatred of
the slave trade that fueled his work as an avid supporter of the abolitionists his entire life.
What kind of slave owners were they?
The Founding Fathers public attitude towards slavery suggests that they were not cruel slaveowners nor mistreated those beneath them. Even James Madison, who never made any public
anti-slavery efforts, is quoted as telling his overseers to be kind and compassionate to his slaves.
Benjamin Franklin taught his slaves to read and write and cared very much for at least some of
them. Franklin wrote home to his wife while he was traveling with his personal slave, Peter:
"Peter was taken ill with a Fever and Pain in his Side before I got to Newcastle; I had him
blooded there, and put him into the Chair, wrapt up warm, as he could not bear the Motion of the
Horse, and got him here pretty comfortably. He went immediately to bed and took some Tea; and
this Morning is about again and almost well." Franklin also requested in his will that Peter and
his wife Jemima be freed at his death.
This sketch was the official medallion of the British Anti-Slavery Society.
A British abolitionist wrote a letter to James Madison asking many questions about slavery that
give a picture of how Madison viewed slavery, and what the prevalent beliefs about slavery
were at the time. According to Madison, it was not uncommon for slave-owners to get attached
to their slaves and the smaller the household, the more this seemed to be true, especially of our
Founding Fathers. In letters from these men to and from their wives, they recall many stories
about their personal slaves, ask about their well-being, and in more than one case, they requested
in their wills that those closest to them be freed at their deaths.
4. What does the word prevalent most closely mean?
a. Weak
b. Widespread
c. Unpopular
d. Disgusting
5. True or False: Since many of the Founding Fathers treated their slaves well, they
can be seen as good people. Explain why you chose True or False. (at least 2 reasons)
Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence (draft)
The King “has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of
life and liberty in the PERSONS of distant people who have never offended him, captivating and
carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere, or to incur miserable death in their
transportation there. This piratical warfare is the warfare of the Christian king of Great Britain.
Determined to keep open a market where MEN should be bought and sold…”
The above statement is from the original Declaration of Independence written by Thomas
Jefferson. This excerpt would later be removed from the Declaration because of the Southern
Colonies disapproval of it.
6. How does the excerpt from the Declaration of Independence show the hypocrisy of
Thomas Jefferson? [Look at the words PERSONS and MEN]
Benjamin Banneker, a prominent African American who would help survey the land for
Washington D.C., wrote a letter to Jefferson in 1791
“Suffer me to recall to your mind that time in which the arms of the British crown were exerted,
with every powerful effort, in order to reduce you to a state of servitude; look back, I entreat
(beg) you… You were then impressed with proper ideas of the great violation of liberty and the
free possession of those blessings, to which you were entitled by nature; but sir, how pitiable is it
to reflect, that although you were so fully convinced of the kindness of the Father of Mankind,
and of his equal and impartial distribution of these rights and privileges which he hath conferred
upon them, that you should at the same time…detain so numerous a part of my brethren under
groaning captivity and cruel oppression, that you should be found guilty of the same most
criminal act, which you professedly detested (hated) in others.”
7. How does Benjamin Banneker compare Jefferson to King George III? (at least 2
ways)
8. What is his purpose in calling out Jefferson in such a way?
Act It Out: Slavery and the Founding Fathers
It is clear that most of our founding fathers wished to see slavery ended, though they did not
believe it possible for it to happen in their lifetimes.
The reason why the Founding Fathers thought slavery could not be abolished during their
lifetime because they knew that Southern States would never accept the end of slavery. It was
too important to their economy and way of life ($$$$$). If Northern States pushed too hard on
abolishing slavery, the Southern States would never join the United States of America. They had
to accept slavery in order to keep the states united.
However, there were people who knew slavery was wrong and wanted it abolished. People like
Benjamin Banneker who proved that African Americans can achieve what white men can.
Directions: Create a 2 minute Act It Out script about a conversation between these founding
fathers and Benjamin Banneker.
Benjamin Banneker
Benjamin Franklin
Thomas Jefferson
George Washington