'Thomas Jefferson and the End of American Slavery.' Annual Constitution Day with Kurt Lash

Thomas Jefferson, famous for authoring the Declaration of Independence, is also infamous for his owning slaves. Far less known is the role Jefferson played in inspiring and preserving the abolitionist movement and his role in the ultimate passage of the Thirteenth Amendment. The talk will explore not only the explosive language of the Declaration, but also Jefferson's role in banning slavery in the Northwest Territory and in his providing the language that constitutionally abolished chattel slavery.