Thomas Jefferson and Haitian Emigration
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Thomas Jefferson
had shifting attitudes concerning slavery
during his lifetime which influenced his views on and policies towards Haitian emigration
. Jefferson's ambivalence about slavery and emancipation
was significantly influenced by his identification with southern land owners, specifically by those who ‘owned’ enslaved peoples. In order to better understand Jefferson's decisions regarding Haitian emigration we must explore Jefferson's changing views towards slavery over the course of his lifetime.
Much has been written concerning the sharp contradiction between Jefferson's ownership of slaves and his expressed belief in the rights of all to enjoy liberty. Many historians often argue that Jefferson's antislavery views were explicitly expressed in his draft constitution for Virginia
, which stated that enslaved children born in Virginia after December 31, 1800 would be free. Additionally, in 1784 he had drafted a report for the Congress of the Confederation
regarding the western territories which would have banned slavery from the region after 1800. As early as 1791, Jefferson wrote in his Notes on the State of Virginia
that "the Almighty has no attribute which can take side with us in such a contest." It is important to note that although Jefferson expressed antislavery views he continued to "own" enslaved people. Jefferson believed at this time that the emancipation of slaves was necessary because the institution of slavery was at its very core evil and against the laws of a true republic
. Jefferson believed that slavery was "politically divisive, economically inefficient and morally unsound." He further suggested that slavery could be gradually eliminated with an emancipation and colonization program.
Other historians describe Jefferson's views of slavery as resulting from the confluence of "two distinct nations whose natural relationship was one of war." Jefferson further believed that both Blacks and Whites would always view each other in racial or national terms and when slavery no longer existed, the blacks would rebel due to the long years of intense and cruel oppression. This view of slavery led Jefferson to support the concept of colonization in a new country as the ultimate solution to the slavery problem. Jefferson wholeheartedly believed that emancipation without colonization would result in a racial war.
did towards the Haitian Revolution
. Jefferson initially expressed to the French chargé d'affaires Louis A. Pichion in July 1801 that the "United States opposed the island's independence under Black rule and wanted to see French authority restored." Pichion reported to Paris that it was Jefferson's "dread of the blacks, not devotion to French interests" that influenced his decision to support France. Although Jefferson philosophically had supported emancipation, his offer of assistance to the French against Toussaint Louverture exposed that he still possessed ambivalence towards Black emancipation. Jefferson's shift in policy was further influenced by his racial fears and his identification with southern slave owners.
Jefferson reconsidered his offer to aid the French against the San Domingan rebels when he learned by August 1802 about Napoleon Bonaparte's plan to use Saint Domingue as the initial step towards building a colonial empire in the western hemisphere, which included the occupation of Louisiana
and New Orleans territories. He however once again shifted his position regarding Saint Domingue. Jefferson's new position was a policy of neutrality regarding France's attempt to regain the island. Neutrality meant that war contraband would "continue to flow to the blacks through usual U.S. merchant channels and the administration would refuse all French requests for assistance, credits, or loans." Jefferson's policy contributed to France's defeat in Saint Domingue. Thus concerns regarding the balance of power in the Caribbean and the "geopolitical and commercial implications" of Napoleon's plans influenced Jefferson to evolve his policy regarding Saint Domingue.
Jefferson's views of slavery shifted from describing the institution of slavery as evil to believing that only when living separately could there truly be peace between Blacks and Whites. As early as 1780, Jefferson believed that a racial war would result from emancipation unless the slaves were colonized outside of the United States. By 1797, Jefferson had supported the views of St. George Tucker
. Tucker was a law professor at the College of William and Mary
, who advocated the gradual emancipation and colonization of freed slaves. This concept of slavery eventually led to Jefferson's think opportune for Blacks to leave the United States. Additional support for this position can be found in a letter to James Madison
dated February 5, 1799, where Jefferson supported the need for emancipation because he feared that the enslaved population in America will be influenced by what occurred in Santo Domingo, Española Island
and it could possibly inspire a similar revolution in the United States. Jefferson believed that "it (emancipation) will come… whether brought on by the general energy of our minds, or by bloody process of Santo Domingo, Española Islan." Further evidence of Jefferson's support for the idea of colonization of freed Blacks can be found in Jefferson's letters to Governor James Monroe
of Virginia dated November 24, 1801. Jefferson's fears of a possible violent slave rebellion on a mass scale and his support for emancipation led to his support of Black emigration
and colonization.
As the specter of the Haitian revolution
influenced Jefferson's wish to see free Blacks depart, he dreaded the idea of having them emigrate to Haiti
itself. Southern slave-owners had since the start of the Haitian Revolution
lived in fear that a similar slave uprising would take place in the U.S. The existence of an independent Black state close to the southern shores, and originated from a slave rebellion, was not what southern planters wanted. Following suit, Jefferson disapproved free Blacks' emigration to Haiti believing that it would strengthen the rogue state and would inspire other slaves to revolt.
Historians note that many southern politicians argued that emancipation was not possible and pointed to the horrors of Santo Domingo, Española Islan. Southern slave-owners were increasingly fearful of the influence that the immigrants who had fled the Haitian Revolution
would have on the slave population in the United States. Their concerns intensified after the Gabriel Prosser
Conspiracy in 1800 and the Easter plot of 1802. Both these traumatic events led to the solidification of the southern conservative reaction in 1803. Historians argue that Jefferson was influenced by the southern conservatives and he again experienced a shift in his attitudes towards slavery. In a letter to William Burwell dated January 28, 1805, he writes "I have long time given up the expectation of an early provision for the extinguishing of slavery among us." Jefferson advocated that the two races must live separately and his views were clearly strongly affected by the slave owners in the south with whom he identified and who had elected him to office and his own ‘possession’ of Blacks. Jefferson, however, still approved of abolishing the African Slave Trade, and signed the bill which outlawed it in 1807.
In 1816, the American Colonization Society
was founded with the purpose of removing blacks from the United States. Jefferson though not active in the American Colonization Society supported their mission, believing that the U.S. was not the place for Blacks to be really free.
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
had shifting attitudes concerning slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
during his lifetime which influenced his views on and policies towards Haitian emigration
Haitian emigration
Haitian Emigration refers to the emigration of free blacks from the United States to Haiti in the early 19th century.In an attempt to break out from the United States’ society, antebellum free Blacks emigrated to Haiti...
. Jefferson's ambivalence about slavery and emancipation
Emancipation
Emancipation means the act of setting an individual or social group free or making equal to citizens in a political society.Emancipation may also refer to:* Emancipation , a champion Australian thoroughbred racehorse foaled in 1979...
was significantly influenced by his identification with southern land owners, specifically by those who ‘owned’ enslaved peoples. In order to better understand Jefferson's decisions regarding Haitian emigration we must explore Jefferson's changing views towards slavery over the course of his lifetime.
Jefferson's views towards slavery
Much has been written concerning the sharp contradiction between Jefferson's ownership of slaves and his expressed belief in the rights of all to enjoy liberty. Many historians often argue that Jefferson's antislavery views were explicitly expressed in his draft constitution for Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, which stated that enslaved children born in Virginia after December 31, 1800 would be free. Additionally, in 1784 he had drafted a report for the Congress of the Confederation
Congress of the Confederation
The Congress of the Confederation or the United States in Congress Assembled was the governing body of the United States of America that existed from March 1, 1781, to March 4, 1789. It comprised delegates appointed by the legislatures of the states. It was the immediate successor to the Second...
regarding the western territories which would have banned slavery from the region after 1800. As early as 1791, Jefferson wrote in his Notes on the State of Virginia
Notes on the State of Virginia
Notes on the State of Virginia was a book written by Thomas Jefferson. He completed the first edition in 1781, and updated and enlarged the book in 1782 and 1783...
that "the Almighty has no attribute which can take side with us in such a contest." It is important to note that although Jefferson expressed antislavery views he continued to "own" enslaved people. Jefferson believed at this time that the emancipation of slaves was necessary because the institution of slavery was at its very core evil and against the laws of a true republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
. Jefferson believed that slavery was "politically divisive, economically inefficient and morally unsound." He further suggested that slavery could be gradually eliminated with an emancipation and colonization program.
Jefferson's views regarding Blacks
Other historians describe Jefferson's views of slavery as resulting from the confluence of "two distinct nations whose natural relationship was one of war." Jefferson further believed that both Blacks and Whites would always view each other in racial or national terms and when slavery no longer existed, the blacks would rebel due to the long years of intense and cruel oppression. This view of slavery led Jefferson to support the concept of colonization in a new country as the ultimate solution to the slavery problem. Jefferson wholeheartedly believed that emancipation without colonization would result in a racial war.
Jefferson's foreign policy decisions
Thomas Jefferson's changing views of slavery influenced his later foreign policy decisions. When Thomas Jefferson later became President, he did not follow the same foreign policy as his predecessor John AdamsJohn Adams
John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...
did towards the Haitian Revolution
Haitian Revolution
The Haitian Revolution was a period of conflict in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, which culminated in the elimination of slavery there and the founding of the Haitian republic...
. Jefferson initially expressed to the French chargé d'affaires Louis A. Pichion in July 1801 that the "United States opposed the island's independence under Black rule and wanted to see French authority restored." Pichion reported to Paris that it was Jefferson's "dread of the blacks, not devotion to French interests" that influenced his decision to support France. Although Jefferson philosophically had supported emancipation, his offer of assistance to the French against Toussaint Louverture exposed that he still possessed ambivalence towards Black emancipation. Jefferson's shift in policy was further influenced by his racial fears and his identification with southern slave owners.
Jefferson reconsidered his offer to aid the French against the San Domingan rebels when he learned by August 1802 about Napoleon Bonaparte's plan to use Saint Domingue as the initial step towards building a colonial empire in the western hemisphere, which included the occupation of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
and New Orleans territories. He however once again shifted his position regarding Saint Domingue. Jefferson's new position was a policy of neutrality regarding France's attempt to regain the island. Neutrality meant that war contraband would "continue to flow to the blacks through usual U.S. merchant channels and the administration would refuse all French requests for assistance, credits, or loans." Jefferson's policy contributed to France's defeat in Saint Domingue. Thus concerns regarding the balance of power in the Caribbean and the "geopolitical and commercial implications" of Napoleon's plans influenced Jefferson to evolve his policy regarding Saint Domingue.
Jefferson's views about emigration to Haiti
Jefferson's views of slavery shifted from describing the institution of slavery as evil to believing that only when living separately could there truly be peace between Blacks and Whites. As early as 1780, Jefferson believed that a racial war would result from emancipation unless the slaves were colonized outside of the United States. By 1797, Jefferson had supported the views of St. George Tucker
St. George Tucker
St. George Tucker was a lawyer, professor of law at the College of William and Mary, and judge of Virginia's highest court. In 1813, upon the nomination of President James Madison, he became the United States district judge for Virginia.-Early life:Born in St. George, Bermuda, near Port Royal...
. Tucker was a law professor at the College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...
, who advocated the gradual emancipation and colonization of freed slaves. This concept of slavery eventually led to Jefferson's think opportune for Blacks to leave the United States. Additional support for this position can be found in a letter to James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
dated February 5, 1799, where Jefferson supported the need for emancipation because he feared that the enslaved population in America will be influenced by what occurred in Santo Domingo, Española Island
Saint-Domingue
The labour for these plantations was provided by an estimated 790,000 African slaves . Between 1764 and 1771, the average annual importation of slaves varied between 10,000-15,000; by 1786 it was about 28,000, and from 1787 onward, the colony received more than 40,000 slaves a year...
and it could possibly inspire a similar revolution in the United States. Jefferson believed that "it (emancipation) will come… whether brought on by the general energy of our minds, or by bloody process of Santo Domingo, Española Islan." Further evidence of Jefferson's support for the idea of colonization of freed Blacks can be found in Jefferson's letters to Governor James Monroe
James Monroe
James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States . Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation...
of Virginia dated November 24, 1801. Jefferson's fears of a possible violent slave rebellion on a mass scale and his support for emancipation led to his support of Black emigration
Emigration
Emigration is the act of leaving one's country or region to settle in another. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin. Human movement before the establishment of political boundaries or within one state is termed migration. There are many reasons why people...
and colonization.
As the specter of the Haitian revolution
Haïtian Revolution
The Haitian Revolution was a period of conflict in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, which culminated in the elimination of slavery there and the founding of the Haitian republic...
influenced Jefferson's wish to see free Blacks depart, he dreaded the idea of having them emigrate to Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
itself. Southern slave-owners had since the start of the Haitian Revolution
Haitian Revolution
The Haitian Revolution was a period of conflict in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, which culminated in the elimination of slavery there and the founding of the Haitian republic...
lived in fear that a similar slave uprising would take place in the U.S. The existence of an independent Black state close to the southern shores, and originated from a slave rebellion, was not what southern planters wanted. Following suit, Jefferson disapproved free Blacks' emigration to Haiti believing that it would strengthen the rogue state and would inspire other slaves to revolt.
Jefferson's shifting attitudes concerning slavery
Historians note that many southern politicians argued that emancipation was not possible and pointed to the horrors of Santo Domingo, Española Islan. Southern slave-owners were increasingly fearful of the influence that the immigrants who had fled the Haitian Revolution
Haitian Revolution
The Haitian Revolution was a period of conflict in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, which culminated in the elimination of slavery there and the founding of the Haitian republic...
would have on the slave population in the United States. Their concerns intensified after the Gabriel Prosser
Gabriel Prosser
Gabriel , today commonly – if incorrectly – known as Gabriel Prosser, was a literate enslaved blacksmith who planned to lead a large slave rebellion in the Richmond area in the summer of 1800. However, information regarding the revolt was leaked prior to its execution, thus Gabriel's plans were...
Conspiracy in 1800 and the Easter plot of 1802. Both these traumatic events led to the solidification of the southern conservative reaction in 1803. Historians argue that Jefferson was influenced by the southern conservatives and he again experienced a shift in his attitudes towards slavery. In a letter to William Burwell dated January 28, 1805, he writes "I have long time given up the expectation of an early provision for the extinguishing of slavery among us." Jefferson advocated that the two races must live separately and his views were clearly strongly affected by the slave owners in the south with whom he identified and who had elected him to office and his own ‘possession’ of Blacks. Jefferson, however, still approved of abolishing the African Slave Trade, and signed the bill which outlawed it in 1807.
In 1816, the American Colonization Society
American Colonization Society
The American Colonization Society , founded in 1816, was the primary vehicle to support the "return" of free African Americans to what was considered greater freedom in Africa. It helped to found the colony of Liberia in 1821–22 as a place for freedmen...
was founded with the purpose of removing blacks from the United States. Jefferson though not active in the American Colonization Society supported their mission, believing that the U.S. was not the place for Blacks to be really free.