Jefferson Is a Hypocrite

He is best known for writing the Declaration of Independence. Nearly every elementary student in the nation knows his name. He was gifted in the fields of architecture, politics, law, and even science. For all of this to be possible, he must have been somewhat of an iconic figure, right? Right, but the fact that he was a hypocrite cannot be overlooked. Jefferson wrote about “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”, and claimed that “all men are created equal”, but held many slaves himself… (Declaration of Independence).

History has informed us that the bodies of men as well as individuals are susceptible to the spirit of tyranny. Throughout the text, Jefferson repeatedly equates Britain's treatment of the colonies to a master's arbitrary oppression of slaves. Based on these strong statements, it seems that Jefferson would be a staunch advocate of the physical and intellectual freedom of every person, regardless of creed, race, or religion. In reality, however, it is widely known that Jefferson did own slaves, and thus contradicted himself, adding more evidence to the hypocrite argument.

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In Thomas Jefferson’s Notes on Slavery, he explains how blacks are equal to whites “by their faculties of memory, reason, and imagination”, but this is where the quality ends.

Another hypocritical event during Jefferson's administration was his acceptance of the National Bank. Early in Jefferson's political career, he had debated with Hamilton on whether to have the National Bank. When this government was first established, it was possible to have kept it going on true principles, but the contracted, English, half-lettered ideas of Hamilton destroyed that hope in the bud.

" Early in Jefferson's administration, Jefferson had denounced the National Bank. At the end of his administration, Jefferson realized that the National Bank was important, and this is hypocritical as it disregards his principles.