Regarding Jefferson and the legal environment of slaves and their possible emancipation, Barton misrepresents Virginia laws regarding slavery. More significantly, what a tremendous act in support of human equality it would have been had Jefferson, like Robert Carter, freed his slaves while he was President of the United States. He could have done so, but chose not to. One could argue that Jefferson was constrained by cultural conditions or by his own financial needs to have slaves, but he cannot be called a champion for the emancipation of slaves.
