Abolition of Slavery Was a Founding Principle of the United States

The fallacy that slavery was foundational to the United States is a modern misconception, revealing only a partial understanding of the nation's founding. While it is true that some of the Founding Fathers, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, were slave owners, the concepts of freedom and liberty were deeply embedded in the core beliefs that shaped the birth of the United States. From the outset, these leaders viewed slavery as contradictory to the nation’s central values, and efforts to abolish it were present even in the earliest stages of the country's creation.

At the heart of this argument lies the Declaration of Independence, authored primarily by Thomas Jefferson. In the original draft, Jefferson included a clause condemning slavery, seeking to abolish it and return enslaved Africans to their countries of origin. Jefferson recognized the injustice of slavery itself. He believed that former slaves and former slave owners would struggle to live as equals due to lingering resentment of subjugation, which is why he insisted that freed slaves be returned to their homeland rather than be assimilated into society. Jefferson’s language was explicit in condemning the institution of slavery, recognizing it as a moral wrong that contradicted the principles of liberty the new nation sought to uphold.

However, the reality of the time required compromise. Southern colonies such as South Carolina and Georgia, whose economies were deeply intertwined with the institution of slavery, resisted this clause. The desire to form a united nation took precedence over immediate abolition, and Jefferson was asked to remove the clause that condemned slavery. Instead, Jefferson embedded universal freedom into the Declaration through the now-famous phrase: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that their Creator endows them with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The brilliance of this language lies in its universality. By using the term “men” to refer to humanity as a whole, Jefferson left no room for racial exclusion, setting a rhetorical foundation for the eventual abolition of slavery.

Furthermore, Jefferson also argued that the legitimacy of any government rests on the “consent of the governed.” This assertion, which directly follows the Declaration of Universal Human Equality, implies that slavery undermines the very foundation of legitimate governance. In an enslaved society, the enslaved are not "consenting" members, making their subjugation incompatible with the principles of freedom and self-determination that the Declaration sought to establish.

It is also crucial to recognize that Jefferson’s opposition to slavery extended beyond rhetoric. He submitted a draft for the Virginia constitution, including a provision that would have prohibited any future enslavement within the state. Although this draft was never ratified, it signals the persistent effort among some of the Founders to curb the spread of slavery even during the Revolutionary era. Jefferson also played a crucial role in passing a law in Virginia that banned the importation of enslaved people, marking one of the first legislative moves toward limiting the international slave trade. Jefferson, as president, later outlawed the international slave trade entirely.

Even as president, Jefferson maintained his stance against the international slave trade while also advocating for gradual emancipation. His proposal, which called for freed African Americans to be resettled in Africa, reflects the complexity of his views, both opposing the institution of slavery and grappling with the racial dynamics of American society. Despite his contradictions as a slaveholder, Jefferson’s broader actions and beliefs contributed to the foundation of the abolitionist movement that would flourish in the following decades.

John Adams consistently opposed slavery throughout his life and political career. Unlike Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, both slaveholders, Adams took a firm moral stand against the institution. He never owned slaves and believed that slavery was incompatible with the core principles of liberty upon which the United States was founded.

Adams articulated his views on slavery in his private and public writings. In a letter, he wrote: “I have, through my whole life, held the practice of slavery in such abhorrence, that I have never owned a negro or any other slave, though I have lived for many years in times, when the practice was not disgraceful, when the best men in my vicinity thought it not inconsistent with their character, and when it has cost me thousands of dollars for the labor and subsistence of free men, which I might have saved by the purchase of negroes at times when they were very cheap.”

Adams’ opposition to slavery was not just personal; it influenced his political views and actions. As a delegate in the Continental Congress and later as President, Adams resisted efforts to entrench slavery in the fabric of the new nation. While Adams did not advocate for the immediate abolition of slavery, understanding the political realities and divisions that such a move would provoke, he consistently opposed its expansion into new territories and states.

John Adams' moral opposition to slavery and his refusal to engage in the practice, despite the social and financial pressures of his time, demonstrate a powerful commitment to the ideals of liberty and human dignity. His example, alongside the anti-slavery efforts of other Founding Fathers like Jefferson, helped to establish an intellectual and moral foundation for the eventual abolition of slavery.

Benjamin Franklin's views on slavery evolved significantly throughout his life, culminating in his active role as an abolitionist. Early in his career, Franklin was not outspoken against slavery, and at one point, he even owned slaves himself. However, as his thinking matured, Franklin became increasingly convinced of the moral and practical wrongs of the institution. Franklin became a vocal critic of slavery, and his transformation was further solidified when he joined the Pennsylvania Abolition Society, eventually serving as its president. In this role, Franklin petitioned the U.S. Congress in 1790 to abolish slavery and grant freedom to all enslaved people, marking one of the earliest organized efforts to end the practice.

Even George Washington's relationship with the institution of slavery was complex and marked by a growing unease over time. As a Virginia plantation owner, Washington inherited enslaved people and owned a significant number throughout his life. However, his experiences during the American Revolution, coupled with his belief in the ideals of liberty and justice, led him to question the morality of slavery. Washington privately desired to see the institution abolished, though he acknowledged the political and economic challenges of doing so in a deeply divided nation. In letters to friends, Washington admitted that slavery was unjust and should eventually be eliminated. His evolving views culminated in a significant personal decision: in his will, Washington arranged for the emancipation of all the enslaved people he owned, making him the only Founding Father to free all of his slaves upon his death. While he did not take public action to dismantle slavery during his lifetime, Washington’s private writings and actions reflect an internal struggle and a desire to see the eventual end of the practice that stood in direct conflict with the values of the new republic.

Slavery in the United States was not officially abolished until 1865 with the passage of the 13th Amendment under President Abraham Lincoln. However, the intellectual and moral groundwork for its eventual eradication was laid during the nation's founding. Jefferson, alongside other Founders, helped articulate and embed the principle of universal liberty, even when political realities required compromise. Far from being an endorsement of slavery, the founding documents of the United States provide a framework through which the abolition of slavery was both envisioned and, ultimately, achieved.