*Facepalm*!!!!!!

Thaddeus KOSCIUSZKO, will, dated 5 May 1798, presented 12 May 1819

“I Thaddeus Kosciuszko being of just in my departure from America do

hereby declare and direct that should I make no other Testamentary disposition

of my property in the United States, I hereby authorize my friend Thomas

Jefferson to employ the whole thereof in purchasing Negroes from among his

own or any others and giving them Liberty in my name, in giving them

in [sic] education in trades or otherwise and in having them instructed for

their new condition in the duties of morality which may make them

good neighbours good fathers or moders, husbands or vives [sic] and in their

duties as citizens, teaching them to be defenders of their Liberty and Country

and of the good order of society, and in whatsoever may make them happy

and useful, and I the said Thomas Jefferson my executor of this

5th day of May 1798 T.Kosciuszko”

At a Circuit Court held for Albemarle County the 12th day of May 1819

This Instrument of writing purporting to be the last

will and Testament of Thaddeus Kosciuszko deceased was produced into

Court & satisfactory proof being produced of its being written entirely in

the hand writing of the said Thaddeus Kosciuszko the same is ordered, and

thereupon Thomas Jefferson the executor therein named refuses to take upon

himself the burthen of the execution of the said Will

Teste.

John Carr C.C.

I think the problem comes with the modern connotation of the word “racist.” People seem to think “racist” means “black hater.” It actually defines a person who believe in race being the determining factor that produces qualities inferior or superior to other races. Jefferson obviously did not HATE blacks, but he did seem to believe, based on what he wrote, that the black race WAS inferior to the white. So by the actual definition of the word, he can be called a “racist.”

But the main point of my research was to try to understand why

1) He advised Coles not to free his slaves

2) He didn’t free his own (aside from, what was it, 2 or 3?)

3) He didn’t fulfill the obligations of Kosciusko’s will

The conclusion I came to was that he didn’t really want “free blacks” living in the United States. If there wasn’t a feasible way to deport free blacks, than he seemed reluctant to just start setting them free.

What did he mean?

Jefferson felt superior as a white male to African-Americans. Merriam-Webster defines that as racism. Regardless of the times they knew it was wrong to feel superior to anyone. Jefferson made it explicitly clear in the Cole letter and “Notes on Virginia” that African-Americans should be free but not in America with whites. Barton ignores this fact. In order to understand history makers we must understand their faults as well as their extraordinary characteristics that made them rise above their peers. Overall, Jefferson did take the first step towards civil rights by writing “…all men are created equal…” but more so when he wrote “…among these are life,liberty and the pursuit of HAPPINESS…” instead of property as was initially suggested to leave the door open for future equality measures.