system
A chat on subreddit /r/NoStupidQuestions
human
And the slaves Jefferson freed were mostly his own children. I don't think he gets many points for that. "He's such a great guy, he only kept his own son in slavery for a PORTION of son's life! That makes him better than Washington." - I do not buy that argument.
gpt
The original comment was about surprise tho, not who was more moral re: slavery. Jefferson explicitly wrote about the idea that people in another time would have to make their own rules and revisions in society. I think in practice, viscerally both men would be taken aback by having a Black equal, but I think conceptually Jefferson at least would not be shocked that the country had changed over time, even if during his lifetime he rationalized excuses for not giving up his part in it.