Post #3765059

2026-07-12 16:18 UTC

Although Jefferson wrote “all men are created equal,” he could believe there was no contradiction because he had already narrowed who counted as “men.” In Notes on the State of Virginia, he cast Black people as inferior in body, mind, beauty, reason, and imagination—outside the circle of equality. He was not alone among the Founders. Image: Jefferson and Shannon LaNier,, his 6th great grandson. Artists: Rembrandt Peale (Jefferson) and Drew Gardner (LaNier). https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/american-descendants-180975155/ 1/9

Replies (2)

@benroyce@mastodon.social 2026-07-12 19:07

@Deglassco@mastodon.social thomas jefferson had six children with his wife martha jefferson, and six children with his slave sally hemmings creepier? sally hemmings and martha jefferson were half sisters from the same sort of disgusting situation with jefferson's father-in-law https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_family

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@Deglassco@mastodon.social 2026-07-12 16:19

Intellectual Map Primary Sources Banneker, Benjamin. “Letter to Thomas Jefferson,” August 19, 1791. https://encyclopediavirginia.org/primary-documents/letter-from-benjamin-banneker-to-thomas-jefferson-august-19-1791/ Henry, Patrick. “Patrick Henry to Robert Pleasants, January 18, 1773.” https://constitutioncenter.org/education/constitution-101-curriculum/12-slavery-in-america-from-the-founding-to-americas-second-founding Jefferson, Thomas. The Declaration of Independence. 1776. https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/declaration-of-independence Jefferson, Thomas. Notes on the State of Virginia. 1785. Especially Query XIV, “Laws.” https://www.monticello.org/notes-on-the-state-of-virginia/query-xiv 2/9

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