Microphone

But among Jefferson's descriptions of rivers and seaports, mountains and climate, he expressed his views on the inhabitants of the new land.

 People from America, Europe and Africa.

 I advanceth as a suspicion only that the blacks, whether originally a distinct race, or made distinct by time and circumstances, are inferior to the whites.

 And the endowments both of body and mind.

Microphone

 It is possible to make the argument that Thomas Jefferson is the first person to truly articulate a theory of race in the United States.

 And in effect, he has to do so.

 He has said in the Declaration of Independence that we are all created equal.

 Well, if, in fact, we're all created equal, and if, in fact, we're entitled to our liberty, then how can he possibly own 175 slaves and going up to about 225 slaves at the peak of his slavehold?

Microphone

 It notes Jefferson's words appeared to justify slavery at a time when many were admonishing the Founding Fathers for espousing freedom.

 while continuing to support a system of human bones.

 The power, they had to because, how can promote liberty, freedom, democracy, on the hand, and the system of slavery, and exploitation, of peoples who are non white, on the other.

 And the way you do that is to say,

 Yeah, but you know, there's something different about these people.

Microphone

 This whole business of inalienable rights, that's fine, and only applies to certain people.

 In the moment when we become a nation is critical for our understanding of both American nationality and race, we accept the notion that all men are created equal, but then perhaps some of those people who are enslaved are not quite men.

Microphone

 That is, we'll keep our ideas of American nationality, but will write certain people out of the human family.

 The suspicions of black racial inferiority, raised by Jefferson, had evolved over time.

 Shaped in part by an intense need for labor in the American colonies.