--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Thomas Jefferson, that owner of many…" description: "\"“Thomas Jefferson, that owner of many slaves, chose to begin the Declaration of Independence by directly contradicting the moral basis of slavery, writ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e8/david-graeber-4667_first-place_thomas-jefferson-that-owner-of-many-slav_2451804.jpg" --- # Thomas Jefferson, that owner of many slaves, chose to… ![“Thomas Jefferson, that owner of many slaves, chose to begin the Declaration of Independence by directly contradicting the moral basis of slavery, writing "we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable…” quote by David Graeber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e8/david-graeber-4667_first-place_thomas-jefferson-that-owner-of-many-slav_2451804.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e8/david-graeber-4667_first-place_thomas-jefferson-that-owner-of-many-slav_2451804.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e8/david-graeber-4667_first-place_thomas-jefferson-that-owner-of-many-slav_2451804.jpg) > ““Thomas Jefferson, that owner of many slaves, chose to begin the Declaration of Independence by directly contradicting the moral basis of slavery, writing "we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights ..." thus undercutting simultaneously any argument that Africans were racially inferior, and also that they or their ancestors could ever have been justly and legally deprived of their freedom. In doing so, however, he did not propose some radically new conception of rights and liberties. Neither have subsequent political philosophers. For the most part, we've just kept the old ones, but with the word "not" inserted here and there. Most of our most precious rights and freedoms are a series of exceptions to an overall moral and legal framework that suggests we shouldn't really have them in the first place.”” [David Graeber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-graeber/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author critiques how foundational rights were framed to exclude enslaved people, revealing that many modern freedoms are merely carved‑out exceptions rather than true equality. **In simple terms:** Rights were built on contradictions that still limit true equality. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge the exceptions that undermine universal rights. Themes e justice political philosophy history inequality Mood critical reflective inquisitive Type analytical philosophical historical When to use this quote - legal reform - education curricula - activist organizing - policy analysis Key Concepts social contract exception theory colonial legacy human rights Questions to Reflect On - How do we transform exception‑based rights into genuine equality? - What historical narratives reinforce these contradictions? A Different Perspective The analysis may overlook progress made in expanding rights over time. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [First place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-place/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Inalienable rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inalienable-rights/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [“We hold these truths to be self-evident. { Franklin's edit to the assertion in Thomas Jefferson 's original wording, 'We hold these truths to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/we-hold-these-truths-to-be-self-evident-franklin-s-edit-to-the/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [The Declaration of Independence was to set forth the moral justification of a rebellion against a long-recognized political tradition - the divine right of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/the-declaration-of-independence-was-to-set-forth-the-moral-2/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [When our founding fathers put their signatures on the Declaration of Independence, those 56 brave people, most of whom by the way were clergymen,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/when-our-founding-fathers-put-their-signatures-on-the-declaration-of/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [America was founded on the principle of inalienable rights, not dictated duties. The Declaration of Independence states that every human being has a right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-epstein/america-was-founded-on-the-principle-of-inalienable-rights-not/) [Alex Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-epstein/) > [“In three years of backbreaking studies that, according to Madison , "exacted perhaps the most severe of Jefferson's public labors," Jefferson had almost single-handedly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willard-sterne-randall/in-three-years-of-backbreaking-studies-that-according-to-madison/) [Willard Sterne Randall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willard-sterne-randall/) > [“We make no saint of Thomas Jefferson—we leave the mindless business of canonization and the worship of humans to the fanatics—but aware as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/we-make-no-saint-of-thomas-jefferson-we-leave-the-mindless-business/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“Thomas Jefferson is by far the smartest president,” said Thomas Jefferson, about Thomas Jefferson, and to Thomas Jefferson. Even though he was only the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/thomas-jefferson-is-by-far-the-smartest-president-said-thomas/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“American” women (and a few men) complained that here, wealthy white men sometimes lived with mulatto women until it came time to marry a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-e-baptist/american-women-and-a-few-men-complained-that-here-wealthy-white-men/) [Edward E. Baptist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-e-baptist/) > [“A morsel of genuine history is a thing so rare as to be always valuable. Thomas Jefferson”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-grove/a-morsel-of-genuine-history-is-a-thing-so-rare-as-to-be-always/) Tim Grove > [I knew Thomas Jefferson. He was a friend of mine. And believe me, you are no Thomas Jefferson. (at 1992 Republican party convention, referring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-knew-thomas-jefferson-he-was-a-friend-of-mine-and-believe-me-you/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [So now it turns out that Thomas Jefferson was having sex with Sally Hemings while serving in the 101st Airborne during the Vietnam War.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/so-now-it-turns-out-that-thomas-jefferson-was-having-sex-with-sally/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [“...The Presidential election has given me less anxiety than I myself could have imagined. The next administration will be a troublesome one, to whomsoever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/the-presidential-election-has-given-me-less-anxiety-than-i-myself/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [probably the greatest concentration of talent and genius in this house except for perhaps those times when Thomas Jefferson ate alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/probably-the-greatest-concentration-of-talent-and-genius-in-this/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Thomas Jefferson was a real poet. He was slick with that 'pursuit' of happiness because the 'pursuit' puts it back on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-smith/thomas-jefferson-was-a-real-poet-he-was-slick-with-that-pursuit-of/) [Will Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-smith/) > [ “Thomas Jefferson High School \[..\] His high school was named after a slave owner who was also one of the world’s greatest theoreticians on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thomas-jefferson-high-school-his-high-school-was-named-after-a-slave/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## More by David Graeber > [People don't have an ongoing relation unless it's a form of debt because everything is an exchange, so ongoing relationships are incomplete exchanges, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-graeber/people-don-t-have-an-ongoing-relation-unless-it-s-a-form-of-debt/) [David Graeber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-graeber/) > [I would like, then, to end by putting in a good word for the non-industrious poor. 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