Nothing is more certainly written in the book of fate, than that these people are to be free; nor is it less certain that the two races, equally free, cannot live in the same government. Nature, habit, opinion have drawn indelible lines of distinction between them.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Jefferson argues that enslaved people should be free but cannot coexist with whites in the same government.
- In plain terms
- He believes black people must be freed but cannot live equally in the same nation.
- What can you take from it?
- Conflict between justice and perceived racial incompatibility.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How should historical prejudice be understood today?
- What lessons exist in conflicting historical views on race?
Another view
This view reflects the prejudices of the era and is historically contested.
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