What Was Jefferson’s True Outlook on Blacks and Native Americans?
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Within the “Bowels” of the Republic by Ronald T. Takaki:What was Jefferson’s true outlook on blacks and Native Americans?HIST-1301-16819 February 2016What was Jefferson’s true outlook on blacks and Native Americans?Jefferson always felt strongly about equality, but his actions revealed otherwise. Having grown up all his life with black slaves, Jefferson grew dependent on them for labor and financial worth. Moreover, the fear of revolt was likewise a motivator to hold blacks captive a lifetime. Jefferson also believed blacks were inferior to whites and could never co-exist together, because to him being white was beautiful and blacks could not posses such beauty. On the other hand he felt compassion towards the Natives and treated them with added respect. But nevertheless, he didn’t want the Natives to posses any power that would overthrow his Democracy.Equality has always been at the forefront of every discussion, either by the government who infringed on those rights or by the very same people who so desperately wish to have it. As closely examined by Ronald T. Takaki and verified by several primary sources will show that I agree with Takaki based on letters written by Jefferson to Harrison, on the course of action they will take with the Natives so as to slowly take their lands. Halting free blacks from entering or passing through Pennsylvania and the involuntary deportation to Africa of freed blacks. These are not actions one would presume for such a prominent and influential president for his time. Thomas Jefferson was noble but his need for a stable society with homogenous morals overpowered those ideals.
Document five titled “Thomas Jefferson on the Indians’ Future” (1803), a letter Jefferson wrote to William H. Harrison, about his position on the Natives (Document 5,