re: #529 Cato the Elder

That is interesting indeed. But how does it square with Jefferson’s own slave holding?

It was similar to Washington’s. Slavery was an economic concept foisted on the colonies from the Brits. Far from making plantations cost effective, slavery made them scarcely profitable. It required a lot of money and resources to maintain “free labor”. Some of the Founders who were slave holders were becoming aware of this . Washington was one of the first to diversify his products to be more profitable. He was also a compassionate Master- he took great pains that his slaves were well fed, clothed, sheltered and healthy. I believe they realized the hypocrisy of declaring men free while some were still in bondage, but that the time wasn’t right to deal with that issue. Had we fought for independence and the abolition of slavery simultaneously, it’s possible the United States would not have happened.