Nicholas Cvercko

We can actually compare some of the topics that Lincoln discussed in his document that we read in class, to Puratin views, and also the views of Jefferson that we have found from reading one of his documents.  We will not only find a common topic shared throughout the years, but we will also find similar view points/perspectives.


The common topic that is found in all three texts, all during a different period in history, is the topic of not just blacks as slaves, but also the reasoning behind any slaves.  Lincoln talks about how the blacks are being held as slaves, and then he states that they shouldn't, but he also wants to appeal to the other voters who would elect him, and states that there is some reasoning behind the enslavement of the blacks.  Jefferson states that the blacks are inferior to the whites/Europeans, and are very different.  This is the reasoning that Jefferson uses as his validation towards the purpose of slavery.  Then in several Puritan texts, the Puritans state how they are better than the, "other"s, or the Indians, and they label them as savages.  The Puritans, Lincoln, and Jefferson all utilize the same reason to justify their actions of slaver, or just taking land.  They all say that they were/are more superior than the race/people they enslaved or moved out.

Thomas Jefferson

           In the text we read that was written about Jefferson, we were shown Jefferson's viewpoints on the thought process and actions of the Blacks, and also if he thought that they were inferior to the whites/Europeans in any way.  Jefferson also shared with us the common beliefs of that time reflecting how the Blacks should be treated and why they were thought to be inferior to the whites/Europeans.

           Jefferson says that the there are studies that prove that the Blacks think more for pleasure of the senses rather than what's right.  He also says that the blacks think more about short term goals than long term goals.  Jefferson also states that the Blacks are generally larger and have a different scent to themselves than the Europeans do.  The scent and height of the Blacks seem to be just a general observation, where as the inferiority and the thought process of the Blacks seems to be from studies and the common viewpoint of the Europeans in America.

           My question is whether you think that the majority of the article we read is based off of common belief during Jefferson's time, statistics and studies, Jefferson's personal opinions, or a combination of the three. I was also wondering on what your thoughts are on Jefferson's personal opinion, and if they present any form of bias towards the purpose and content in the text.