Kris Maulden's questions - Oct. 12/13

This week we'll be discussing some of the more unseemly aspects of both the Enlightenment and the colonies as they moved toward the Revolution. For this week, read p. 657-669 (Jefferson and the encyclopedia entry). Also, if you haven’t gotten to them yet, read over the religion portions I assigned last week, p. 160-167 and p. 174-180. For discussion this week:

1. How does Jefferson and by extension, other participants in the Enlightenment, try to integrate racism and slavery into their worldview? (Note: focus on the way that Jefferson and the Britannica article describe African-Americans and Native Americans.) In a more particular sense, how can Jefferson write that “All men are created equal” while he owns other human beings and NOT be a hypocrite?

2. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Jefferson and other white colonists were hypocritical for pursuing greater freedom and equality for themselves even as they consciously denied the same to their African slaves and Indian enemies? Why? As we begin to study the causes of the American Revolution, how does your answer affect the way you think about the Revolution itself?