"Owners who proclaimed the most advance political theories often were the most hypocritical of Americans, see Jefferson."
You can pile on a founder of this country, right along with the Democrats, all you want. I've disagreed with you numerous times in the past, and I still disagree with you. The incompatibility of human bondage with the ideals of the Revolution was recognized, even in the Constitution of humble little North Carolina. It was a difficult situation with no easy resolution, that culminated in a very bloody war. That apparently isn't sufficient for you and those who agree with you. So, prattle on. You have legions of socialists who are in complete agreement for a peanut gallery.
Telling the truth is "piling on" only to those who want to hide it. Jefferson, after 1785, was just a pretender when it came to slavery. His influence after that time was disastrous on our history. The attempt by Washington to mollify the planter aristocracy in Virginia by putting J in the cabinet did not work and allowed a viper into his administration. Much of his time was spent undermining the policies of our first president including hiring professional hatchet men (Callender, Freneau, BF Bache, Beckley) to use character assassination against our greatest Founder (other than Washington), Hamilton, and secretly against the President himself.
Little wonder W came to loathe J and refused to communicate with him in any way after his retirement from office. W did not allow his name to be mentioned in his presence. Of course, the propagandists NEVER allowed those facts to be taught in our schools where we were told of J's sanctimonious statements about slavery were legit.
No one is claiming resolving slavery was easy but there was NO way for a hypocrite to do it or even make things better. After J helped write the NW Ordinance preventing its expansion into the territories he did NOTHING to help it end and came to repudiate his early views and acts DEMANDING expansion be allowed into the new lands of the Louisiana Purchase. Jefferson apologists are becoming fewer and further between thanks to a new objectivity about the man so long exalted unjustly.
Another nail in the coffin of his reputation is "The Long Affair" by Conor Cruise O'Brien. It is devastating and no honest person can read it without his view of Jefferson being affected negatively.
Jefferson was a great rhetoritician and supremely devious politician. As a statesman he was a complete failure and is our most overrated president.
Since J expropriated the labors of others to live a life of luxury I would say HE was far closer to the socialists than I. And his love of the terrorists of the French Revolution shows his far Left view of the world. Just another limosine Liberal.