Slavery and the United States Founding Fathers

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During and after the American Revolution, many of the Founding Fathers of the United States owned slaves and lived in a slave society. Additionally, U.S. founding documents such as the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution did not expressly forbid the institution of slavery.

Contents

In all, 41 of the 56 signers of the Declaration owned slaves.

George Washington

George Washington had been a lifelong hereditary slave owner, owning over 100 slaves at the time of his death. [1]

Charles Pinckney

Governor Charles Pinckney was a signer of the United States Constitution, owned several plantations in South Carolina and held dozens of slaves at each, totaling over 100.

James Madison

James Madison, like George Washington had been a lifelong hereditary slave owner. One of the more wealthy Virginians Madison at one time owned more than 100 slaves but by the time of his death owned 36, none were manumitted in his will.

Richard Henry Lee

Richard Henry Lee was a planter and author of the Lee Resolution which called for Independence to be declared. Lee owned dozens of slaves by some accounts. [2]

Button Gwinnett

Button Gwinnett attempted several ventures during his life, one of which was the purchase of St. Catherine's Island, and a large number of slaves to work the land. Due to issues with debt, his holdings were eventually repossessed by creditors. [3]

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson like many other Virginia planters was a slave owner, owning dozens of slaves at his mansion Monticello.

Edward Rutledge

Edward Rutledge was the youngest out of all the signers of the Declaration of Independence at just 26 years old. He studied law at university and was a landowner, owning more than 50 slaves. [4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Don Higginbotham (2001). George Washington Reconsidered. University Press of Virginia. ISBN   978-0813920061.
  2. ↑ Ragsdale, Bruce (1996). A Planters' Republic. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 120.
  3. ↑ "National Park Service - Signers of the Declaration (Button Gwinnett)". www.nps.gov. Archived from the original on 2021-02-13.
  4. ↑ Williams, American National Biography.
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