“Fair minded” whites like Jefferson understood slavery could not stay lawful in the long run.
But his attitude about blacks was misguided, and prejudiced by the limitations on what sorts of blacks he had common association with, which were vastly uneducated blacks who of course had even less “civil” education than poor free whites. (Thus his call that part of the resolution of slavery include the deportation of freed slaves).
There were learned and accomplished blacks in America and the U.K. by the late 1700s, but, to Jefferson’s misfortune to his knowledge, they were few in number and even when published what they wrote was not widely circulated; limiting the awareness of them even among very learned men like Jeffferson.
Just a few examples, there was:
Venture Smith - 1729-1805
Ukawsaw Gronniosaw - 1705 - 1775
Olaudah Equiano - 1745 - 1797
Phillis wheatley - 1753 - 1784
Jupiter Hammon - 1711 - 1806
There were surely others who were never published or noted widely at the time, and that lack of awareness spread the myth in the 1700s that black slaves could never attain a western education on par with whtes of the 1700s. In truth most of what was missing was most were never provided any opportunites for an education, leaving plantation slaves as 99% from which most whites drew any impression; Jefferson included.
Fortunately, Jeffersons ideals were above his understanding of their universal adpatability, if the right circumstances were provided.
Thanks for that information.