Thomas Jefferson’s Religious Hypocrisy
Jefferson wrote about God-given liberty in the Declaration while enslaving over 600 people, including his own children with Sally Hemings. His 1785 “Notes on Virginia” defended racial inferiority despite his faith’s egalitarian ideals. Jefferson privately expressed guilt but freed very few slaves. His contradictions represent America’s founding paradox—proclaiming divine freedom principles while building a nation partly on human bondage.
