Jefferson's Rough Draft in more ways than one
Thomas Jefferson writes how the British created the slavery problem. The British are freeing the slaves to fight the "Patriots."
This rough draft to the Declaration of Independence never makes it into the final cut.
[ By the way . . . We include this story not because it is thought provoking but also because Fort Loudoun had a connection to the Revolutionary War and of slavery. A Major Andrew Lewis who headed many a court martial at Fort Loudoun during the French and Indian War and who often escorted the Cherokee to the fort appears 20 years later to attack the Royal Governor who freed those slaves to fight the patriots. Fort Loudoun also had a 2nd act as a prison during the Revolutionary War. Colonel George Washington had also purchased slaves during construction of Fort Loudoun. Look at story of a later George Washington hearing of an interesting poem. ]
Here is the part that was removed from the Declaration of Independence:
he [ King George III ]
has waged cruel war against human nature itself,
violating it's most sacred rights of life & liberty
in the persons of a distant people
who never offended him,
captivating & carrying them
into slavery
in another hemisphere,
or to incur
miserable death
in their transportation
thither.
this piratical warfare, the opprobrium of infidel powers,
is the warfare of the CHRISTIAN king of Great Britain.
determined to keep open a market where MEN should be bought & sold,
he has prostituted his negative
for suppressing every legislative attempt
to prohibit or to restrain this execrable commerce:
and that this assemblage of horrors
might want no fact of distinguished die,
he is now exciting those very people to rise in arms among us,
and to purchase that liberty of which he has deprived them, &
murdering the people upon whom he also obtruded them;
thus paying off former crimes committed against the liberties of one people,
with crimes which he urges them to commit against the lives of another.
(This is Professor Julian Boyd's reconstruction of Thomas Jefferson's "original Rough draught" of the Declaration of Independence before it was revised by the other members of the Committee of Five and by Congress. From: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson. Vol. 1, 1760-1776. Ed. Julian P. Boyd. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1950, pp 243-247) (Italics ours.)
Thomas Jefferson is referring to
the King liberating black slaves
to fight against the Patriot cause.
In particular
Thomas Jefferson's colonial Virginia Governor,
recruited black slaves
if they would fight the "patriots."
That was the
Created
November 7, 1775.
Ratified
November 14, 1775.
Author:
Purpose: To declare martial law, and to encourage slaves of rebels in Virginia to leave their masters and support the Loyalist cause.
That was just in Virginia.
Then 4 years later, the blacks were being freed in all 13 colonies to fight the "Patriots."
It wasn't until 1779,
three years after
Jefferson's Rough Draft
of the Declaration of Independence
that another proclamation
hit all 13 colonies,
promising black slaves freedom
if they join England
to fight those rebellious,
so called "Patriots."
That was the
issued by British Army
General Sir Henry Clinton
June 30, 1779,
recruiting slaves
to run away and enlist
in the Royal Forces.
Hypocrisy
That he and others were risking property and life to run this rebellion did not blind Thomas Jefferson to hypocrisy.
Thomas Jefferson certainly saw the hypocrisy of both the Patriot cause and of the King's Loyalist cause.
My guess is that Jefferson could not ignore an obvious contradiction to his Declaration of Independence.
My guess is that he tried to find a way to emphasize the King being more instrumental in that hypocrisy.
But his rough draft reference to this did not make it past the cutting floor.
The movie was to begin without it.
Number of Slaves Seeking Freedom:
An estimated 800 and 2000 slaves (from both patriot and loyalist owners) ran away to enlist with Lord Dunmore in 1775.
"When Dunmore ultimately left the colony in 1776 he took 300 of the former slaves with him." Why would they trust the British? See here.
And then because of the Phillipsburg Proclamation in 1779 applying to all colonies, an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 slaves escaped from the plantations.
"At the end of the war, the British relocated about 3,000 former slaves to Nova Scotia."
The Promise of our Founders:
Could we wonder what these words in the Declaration of Independence could have done for America all the way back then?
For those dismayed by the toppling of our Founders, both in spirit and in their statues, let us keep hope for the promise our Founders
presented us.
We are still working on that promise.
That is where all can join.
Source:
Page 34 of The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, published 1904:
There is a lot here.
Skip around.
Come back to it.
Blog compiled and written by Jim Moyer 12/1/2021, updated 12/3/2021, 7/4/2022
Fort Loudoun connection:
Andrew Lewis was at Fort Loudoun many times in 1756-1758.
Andrew Lewis fought Lord Dunmore who had issued that proclamation to free any slaves who joins him to fight those rebels who call themselves Patriots. Thomas Jefferson in his rough draft condemned that proclamation quoted above.
Andrew Lewis is just one instance of many people at Fort Loudoun who show up 20 years later in the War for Independence from Great Britain.
Not a good 2nd Act
He is just one instance of many
who served under Colonel George Washington in the French and Indian War
who did not have
a good second act
in the War for Independence from England.
Adam Stephen, a patriot, gets court martialed for his actions in the Battle of Germantown 1777 and is kicked out. He doesn't miss a beat. He goes right on to create the town of Martinsburg, naming it after Thomas Bryan Martin, a passive loyalist, cousin and primary agent for another passive loyalist Lord Fairfax.
Robert Stewart, a passive loyalist, is denied his request for a position with the new American Govt. That is the story of what one late, local historian Quarles, calls the Curt Reply.
George Mercer, a passive loyalist, has an arm hurting from the fight at Fort Necessity. He writes all these years later to George Washington about that hurt arm, asking for assistance after the Rev War.
Fort Loudoun has a 2nd act --- 20 years later holds prisoners from the Rev War.
Back to Andrew Lewis.
Andrew Lewis, a Major under Colonel George Washington's Virginia Regiment in the French and Indian War presided over many a major court martial trial at Fort Loudoun, Winchester VA.
One of those court martials involved a death sentence, two men to be hanged. See the trial document itself.
He escorted many Cherokee and Catawba allies to the fort March-April 1756, gaining their friendship on the Sandy Creek Expedition, Feb 1756.
Andrew Lewis fought under the overall command of Lord Dunmore in what is called Lord Dunmore's War, 10 Oct 1774.
Only one year later Andrew Lewis is opposing Lord Dunmore.
Lord Dunmore has freed black slaves, creating the so called Ethiopian Regiment, to fight the rebels who called themselves Patriots.
Andrew Lewis is accused of letting Lord Dunmore succeed in escaping.
Andrew Lewis thinks that accusation is what led Congress to bypass him for promotion from Brigadier General to Major General.
He resigns in April 1777.
But before that?
Andrew Lewis was slighted by Continental Congress even earlier in 18 Jan 1776:
"I was asked to except one of the Regts, but as that would subject me to serve under Colo. Henry, who has never seen any kind of service and stand in rank under Colo. Woodford, who you know served Long as a subaltran under my command when I was a field officer. I could not except of a Regt with out shewing a meaness which I am well assured you would condem me for,"
Somehow that slight was averted. Andrew Lewis was appointed Brigadier General. But in April 1777 he resigns for yet another slight at not getting Major General.
GW hopes he does not resign when he writes 3 March 1777,
"I was much disappointed at not perceiving your name in the list of Major Generals lately made by the Congress: And most sincerely wish that the neglect may not induce You to abandon the service. Let me beseech You to reflect That the period is now arrived, when our most vigorous Exertions are wanted—when it is highly and indispensably necessary for Gentlemen of Abilities in any Line, but more especially the Military one, not to Withold themselves from public Employment, or Suffer any small Punctilio to persuade them to retire from their Country’s service. The Cause requires your Aid—No one more sincerely wishes it than I do."
Andrew Lewis then becomes a Commissioner at Fort Pitt to seek a Peace Treaty with the Indians.
Read this eye opener from George Washington Oct 15 1777 to Andrew Lewis:
I am very glad that the Board prevailed on you to act as a Commissioner at Fort Pitt tho I am apprehensive the end designed, so far as an Indian treaty was in view, . . .
No Man can be more thoroughly impressed with the necessity of offensive operations against Indians in every kind of rupture with them than I am . . .
But ours is a kind of struggle designed I dare say by Providence to try the patience,
fortitude & virtue of Men; none therefore that are engaged in it, will suffer themselves, I trust, to sink under difficulties, or be discouraged by hardships.
. . . and . . . as I have been obliged to do in a variety of Instances, yield to necessity—that is, to use a vulgar Phraze—shape his Coat according to his Cloth—or in other Words if he cannot do as he wishes—he must do what he can.
If the Enemy mean to hold their present Posts in the United states the presumption is, that their operations next Campaign will be vigorous & decisive because feeble efforts can be of no avail unless by a want of Virtue we ruin & defeat ourselves; which, I think,
is infinitely more to be dreaded than
the whole force of G. Britain,
assisted as they are by Hessian, Indian, & Negro Allies;
for certain I am, that unless Extortion, forestalling, and other practices which have crept in & become exceedingly prevalent & injurious to the common cause, can meet with proper checks we must inevitably sink under such a load of accumulated oppression—To make and extort money in every shape that can be devised, and at the sametime to decry its value seems to have become a mere business & an epedemical disease, calling for the interposition of every good Man, & body of Men.
Sources:
All correspondence between Andrew Lewis and George Washington:
Why was it written if the Patriots were not going to free the Blacks?
Thomas Jefferson certainly saw the hypocrisy of both the Patriot cause and of the King's Loyalist cause.
My guess is that Jefferson tried to find a way to emphasize the King being more instrumental in that hypocrisy.
Why were these lines taken out?
Georgia and South Carolina objected.
According to Thomas Jefferson.
History website states: Decades later,
in his autobiography,
Jefferson primarily blamed
two Southern states
for the clause’s removal,
while acknowledging
the North’s role as well.
"The clause...
reprobating the enslaving
the inhabitants of Africa,
was struck out in compliance
to South Carolina and Georgia,
who had never attempted
to restrain the importation of slaves,
and who on the contrary still wished to continue it.
Our Northern brethren also I believe felt a little tender under these censures; for tho' their people have very few slaves themselves, yet they had been pretty considerable carriers of them to others.”
History website observes further in its article, "The signers ultimately replaced the deleted clause with a passage highlighting King George’s incitement of “domestic insurrections among us,” for stirring up warfare between the colonists and Native tribes—leaving the original passage a footnote to what might have been."
All references to black slaves, Indians, loyalists were removed -- calling it "domestic insurrections among us."
Source:
Thomas Jefferson's Autobiography
The quote above is on Page 28, published 1904 :
What is the proof Jefferson wrote this rough draft?
Library of Congress notes," (This is Professor Julian Boyd's reconstruction of Thomas Jefferson's "original Rough draught" of the Declaration of Independence before it was revised by the other members of the Committee of Five and by Congress. From: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson. Vol. 1, 1760-1776. Ed. Julian P. Boyd. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1950, pp 243-247) (Italics ours.)'
What did that note mean stating the Professor had to reconstruct Thomas Jefferson's rough draft?
Don't you just quote the rough draft instead of a "reconstruct' of it?
One proof of Jefferson having written something is the quote above where he blames two states in particular removing his references to the black slaves.
Sources:
Regarding the hypocrisy of England
freeing slaves to fight the Patriots:
Around that time time period of Oct and Nov are 2 stories of slave ships that bear note because both occurred during the last month of the Siege in Yorktown 1781 and the month after.
Brooks (or Brook, Brookes, or Bruz) was a British slave ship launched at Liverpool in 4 Oct 1781. She became infamous after prints of her were published in 1788. Between 1782 and 1804, when she was condemned as unseaworthy, she made 11 voyages in the triangular slave trade.
The Zong massacre was a mass killing of more than 130 enslaved Africans by the crew of the British slave ship Zong on and in the days following 29 November 1781. This went to England's highest court in the land the month after the peace treaty was signed with America.
Legal proceedings began when the insurers refused to compensate the owners of Zong. The dispute was initially tried at the Guildhall in London[47] on 6 March 1783, with the Lord Chief Justice, the Earl of Mansfield, overseeing the trial before a jury"
The siege of Yorktown, also known as the Battle of Yorktown, the surrender at Yorktown, or the German battle (from the presence of Germans in all three armies), beginning on September 28, 1781, and ending on October 19, 1781, at Yorktown, Virginia,
Ethiopian Regiment
Andrew Lewis
All correspondence between Andrew Lewis and George Washington:
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Deleted rough draft:
Why those lines were deleted:
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The CURT REPLY
Quarles wrote “In 1783, after the Revolution, he [Robert Stewart] wrote to Washington asking for an appointment as consul or military agent for the now independent states.
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Washington’s curt reply was that posts of “honor and profit” would go to those who had served “with halters about their necks.”
Source:
.
Pages 46-47, 81-82. Garland R. Quarles author. “Winchester, Virginia Streets, Churches, Schools” published 1996 by Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society, from previous separate publications of Streets 1958, Churches 1960, and Schools 1964
” GW writes him saying it is a pleasure to hear from him, for they shared quite a drama in Braddock's Defeat. So, reading the whole letter, I think GW is respectful and honorable and honest to his old Captain Robert Stewart. GW writes, "You may be assured Sir that I should ever feel pleasure in rendering you any Service in my power; but I will not be so uncandid as to flatter your expectations, or give you any hope of my doing it in the way you seem to expect—In a contest, long, arduous & painful; which has brought forth the abilities of Men in Military and Civil life and exposed them with Halters abt their Necks—not only to common danger but many of them to the verge of poverty & the very brink, of Ruin; justice requires, & a grateful Governmt certainly will bestow, those places of honor & profit which necessity must create, upon those who have risked life fortune & Health to support its cause . . ."
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ARM HURTING
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Mercer writes from Paris to GW November 28th 1778 about a wound he received at Fort Necessity that has come back to aggravate him.
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I have been confined at least nine Parts out of ten, of my Time since May last, to my Chamber, and very often to my Bed. I was at first siezed with a Rheumatism which after six Weeks Torture fixed on a Scratch, had it not been for the Scar I should perhaps not have remembered or called it a Wound, which I got at Fort Necessity 3d July 1754 on the Arm; but it occasioned a violent Swelling in that Arm, and at Length, after suffering nine Weeks Confinement, an Abscess not less than a Child’s Head formed on the Wound, which was laid open in five different Places and afforded me Relief from my Pain; but it has never since been healed; for more than ten Days together, before another Abscess has succeeded, and my Arm has been laid open six different Times. It is impossible for me dear Sir to describe to you the excruciating Pains I have suffered, besides having totally lost the Use of my Arm, it is the right, (for several Weeks.) I never stirred but once out of the House for eighteen Weeks.
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