Essay on the founding fathers

Essay on the founding fathers relation with keeping slaves

By William Skriver Schmidt.
November 8, 2017
Breaking apart and rising above your time or class´ social norms is something that can be incredibly difficult. It requires a great insight in the society that you live in and what might need to change. You nearly need to be clairvoyant because what might seem normal today can be considered unacceptable tomorrow or in the next decade. This is something that has been and always will be hard to glance trough when view history in hindsight. The founding fathers of America are not unknown to this matter and are now more than ever feeling the backlash of what must have been natural to them.
This is something that Stephen E. Ambrose touches and reflects on in his article "The Founding Fathers and Slaveholders" brought in Smithsonian Magazine in november of 2002. In his article Ambrose evaluates how the two founding fathers Jefferson and Washington were both diffrent in behaviour and wit, and how this showed in their actions.

In his article Stephen Ambrose tries to persuade his reader into having the same opinion as  himself and here he uses the modes of appeal to win the reader over. He tries from the start of the text to make a connection between himself and the audicen through the appeal of ethos on line 3 "there are others who believe that some of these men are unworthy of our attention because they owned slaves,...". In this sentence the magic word is "others". Though this word he distances himself and the reader by stating that others might think that but "we" don´t.
He thereby implicitly create an "us" between  that the reader and the author and the reader feels connected to Ambrose.
He also especially uses the mode ethos which is the appeal targed towards the readers trust in the writher, and his knowlegde on the topic. He informs the reader from the very start the he has a wealth of knowledge on this specific topic pointing out that he has released a bestselling book on the subject. By doing this he establishes himself as a trusted source from the very start. An example of how he uses this, is for example on line 32 where he states that "Jefferson surely knew that slavery was wrong,.." and five lines later says that "Jefferson knew that slavery was wrong". The audience here just have to take his word for it and since he is of certain knowledge on this topic he must know what he is talking about.

Stephens Abroses intention with the articel is create interest in the topic. This can be seen on line 3  where its stated that "... in such best-selling books as ... and my own Undaunted Courage" The fact that the audience from the very start are informed that Ambrose himself has released a book on the topic is to build credibility and to make sure the reader knows where to seek more information on the topic. This shows that he has a personal gain other than just informing and teaching the reader on the subject. By releasing an articel like in the aforementioned one there is a larger chance of some of the audience buys Abroses´ book.
Another intention is to make the reader aware that Jefferson owned slaves, but also make sure that we dont condem him for being a slaveowner. Ambroeses point is that It can be hard to be a normbreaker and going agains the standard and that we therefore shouldn't blame him for owning these slaves.
Others are others that are of a completely diffrent oponion on this matter than the author. Another article that tackles the subject of wether or not we can blame him is the articel by Shaun King on 7 July 2017 in the "Daily News" called "Thomas Jefferson was a horrible man who owned 600 human beings, raped them, and literally worked them to death"*1 were King rages against Jefferson for being cruel. An example of this could be "Thomas Jefferson was not some victim of time because he just happened to be born in an era in which people were confused as to whether slavery was evil. He knew good and well it was as evil then as it would be today,..." were King castigates that Jefferson were a horrible person and not just a victim of his era. This shows the two opposite poles of the slaveproblem when it comes the point of the founding fathers and how touchy of a subject it can be.
The main message of the text is that riseing above the norm is incredibly difficult. This can be seen on one of the last lines, line 171 "He may not have been great man in his actions, or in his leadership." referring to that he did not break the norms and free his slaves. Looking in at the past it is always easy to point out what could have been done better or not done at all. Another internet source that agrees with Ambrose on the fact that Jefferson isn't as bad as some make him out to be could be the youtube clip "Thomas Jefferson's Role as Slave Owner Explored"
2* by Julie Taboh for "VOA news" where an insight in the symbiosis between Jefferson and his slave at his own estate at Monticello is given. As in the articel here in this clip the focus is on the living circumstances that the slaves had to endure at at Monticello Mansion, how these slaves are honoured and that a effort is put in to making sure that his slaves are not forgotten.
The articel "The Founding Fathers and Slaveholders" by Stephen E. Ambrose is an article the defends that mainly one of the founding fathers owned slaves. Ambrose argues that it was the lack of being able to break from the social norm that made sure that Jefferson kept his slaves. In the articel he tries to convince the reader that his view on the matter is the correct and that we should not reject Jeffersons litterature.
Looking at diffrent perspectives shows the great controversi sorrunding the fact that some of the founding fathers held slaves and used and abused them. At one side it is swept under the rug for being the norm at the time and therefore not important compared to what they accomplished but on the other side it completely denounces some of their work.


1* http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/king-thomas-jefferson-evil-rapist-owned-600-slaves-article-1.3308931
2* "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXQYCTgBFQ0"


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