[Intolerant in NJ]

...an effort is underway to deal more honestly with the brutal institution that the Founding Fathers relied on to build their homes and their wealth: slavery...yeah, the slaves did the grunt work of tending the plants, but Jefferson provided the capital, vision, and administrative skills to fund and construct the gardens and estate - Monticello could have been built without the "brutal institution" - it could not have been built without Jefferson......

[livius]

” Monticello could have been built without the “brutal institution” - it could not have been built without Jefferson...”

Intolerant, that’s the best and most concise comment I’ve read about this. May I use it (citing you) in other posts? Great observation and perfectly expressed.

[Bull Snipe]

True, but over Jefferson’s life time he owned over 600 slaves. He freed 10 of them. Five while alive and five in his will after his death. An aside. eight of the freed slaves were blood related to Sally Hemming. Without those slaves, could Jefferson have been Jefferson.