He didn't own Monticello when he died. He didn't own his slaves either, which is why he couldn't free them.
I’m looking forward to reading the entire article. I agree with you regarding Jefferson’s finances dictating his position on slavery. Having visited Monticello, I came to the conclusion that for all his genius, Jefferson was a narcissistic ass with zero sense of responsiblity or accountability to his fellow man.
He lived, literally and figuratively, above others and disregarded what we today would consider common decency.
I was heartened to see the John Adams miniseries depict Jefferson as almost exactly what I had imagined.
Of course, my opinions are only mine, and they are informed by life in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. But I consider Jefferson the least of the founders, as a man.
Washington freed his slaves. After that, Virginia and other states forbade freeing slaves. Jefferson submitted several bills to correct that. Non passed during his lifetime.
Jefferson, faced with it being illegal to free his slaves, paid them a salary. That is why he was always in debt.