The general views of slavery between the northern and southern Founders of the United States were often quite different due to their geographical locations, economic interests, and social contexts. Here's a comparison and contrast of their views:
**Northern Founders:**
**Views on Slavery:**
Many northern Founders, especially those from New England and states further north, had growing reservations about slavery. By the time of the American Revolution, a significant anti-slavery sentiment was emerging in the North. They often saw slavery as contradictory to the ideals of liberty and equality they advocated in the context of the Revolution. Prominent figures like John Adams and Benjamin Franklin opposed slavery, although not all northern Founders held the same view.
**Factors Influencing Their Views:**
1. **Economic Factors:** The economy of the northern states was more industrialized and based on trade and commerce rather than agriculture, reliant on enslaved labor. This economic structure led to a lesser dependence on slave labor and gave a more critical perspective on slavery.
2. **Abolitionist Movements:** The northern states were at the forefront of early abolitionist movements. Influential groups and individuals pushing for the abolition of slavery were more prevalent in the North.
3. **Enlightenment Ideals:** The Enlightenment ideals of individual rights and human equality strongly influenced many northern Founders. These ideas clashed with the institution of slavery.
**Southern Founders:**
**Views on Slavery:**
Many southern Founders held pro-slavery views. Slavery was deeply ingrained in the agrarian economies of the southern states, particularly those reliant on large-scale plantation agriculture. People like Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, who owned slaves themselves, held complex views on slavery. While some southern Founders acknowledged the moral contradictions of slavery, they often rationalized it as a necessary evil or justified it through paternalistic arguments.
**Factors Influencing Their Views:**
1. **Economic Dependence:** The southern economy was largely built on agriculture, especially cash crops like tobacco, cotton, and rice, which required significant labor. Slavery provided the workforce necessary for these labor-intensive crops.
2. **Social Norms and Culture:** The Southern society was deeply hierarchical, and slave labor was a foundational aspect of this hierarchy. Slave ownership was seen as a mark of social status.
3. **Racial Prejudices:** Racial prejudices were prevalent in both the North and South, but in the South, where slave populations were larger, there was an even stronger emphasis on maintaining a racial hierarchy, influencing pro-slavery attitudes.
In conclusion, the general views of slavery among the northern and southern Founders were largely shaped by their respective regions' economic, social, and cultural contexts. Northern Founders were more likely to question the morality and compatibility of slavery with their revolutionary ideals, while southern Founders were often more willing to defend or rationalize the institution due to economic, social, and racial factors tied to their region's way of life.