James madison and Slavery Essay -- Slavery Essays

throng madison and thraldomSlavery was a paradox that faced totally Americans in the long time prior to the American genteel War. Many Americans wanted to bring just ab emerge an end to it exclusively were unable(p) to come up with a workable plan. One person to judge and find an answer to the problem was himself a slave owner he was James capital of Wisconsin. The institution of slavery deeply concerned James capital of Wisconsin, as yet at the start of his policy-making career. During his career, Madison held galore(postnominal) important political offices he used these offices to try to bring to an end this evil in his society. Some criticized him for not using his power to fuller advantage, but Madison had a plan for achieving his objective.It is difficult to determine where James Madisons idea that slavery was evil and should be done away with came from, however two events, altogether a few years before his birth may attain been a factor. In June of 1737, a court o f Oyer and Terminer ordered that a slave named Peter, guilty of murthering his said master, be hanged.1 His pointedness was cut off and fit(p) on a pole near a creek for all to see. There is no evidence James Madison saw the head on the pole but, he must have heard about it for the creek was renamed, Negrohead Run. In 1745, a black female slave, Eve, was burned to cobblers last for poisoning her master, Mr. Peter Montague. Thomas Chew, sheriff and great-uncle of James Madison carried out Eves sentence. Speculation exists that Madisons father was present and related the story to his son years later. These repugnant events may not have had an effect on Madison, but the efforts of his parents were a factor. The institution of slavery as Madison grew up with it combine the personal ease of the master with a life long regard of the servant.2 In his book, A History of the Old South, Clement Eaton describes many Southerners as having a guilt complex over slavery. Historians are ambiv alent whether James Madison had a guilt complex but he did grow up with a respect for the slaves on his fathers farm. This respect stayed with Madison his entire life. His personal servant, Paul Jennings, related years after Madisons shoemakers last that,Mr. Madison often t sometime(a) the story, that one day riding home from court with old Tom Barbour (father of Governor James Barbour), they met a colored man who took off his hat. Mr. M. embossed his, to the surprise of old Tom to whom Mr. M. replied, I nev... ...artineau, Harriet. Retrospect of Western Travel, 2 vol. London Saunders and Otley, 1838 reprinted 1948.Miller, Ann L., ed. Visitors to Mr. Madison Accounts of Early Nineteenth Century Visitors to Montpelier. Unfinished sport of the Montpelier Monograph Series, ____.Alexander, Archibald. A History of Colonization on the Western sliding board of Africa. Philadelphia William S. Martin, 1869 reprint, New York Negro University Press, 1969.Berkeley, Edmund, Jr. Prophet With out Honor Christopher McPherson, Free individual of Color. Virginia Magazine of History and Biography 77 (April 1969) 180-90.Brant, Irving. James Madison, 6 vols. capital of Indiana The Bobbs-Merrill Co., Inc., 1941-61.Eaton, Clement. A History of the Old South The Emergence of a opposed Nation, 3d ed. Prospect Heights, Ill. Waveland Press, 1975.Grinnan, A. G. The Burning of Eve. Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. 3 (January, 1896) 308-10.Ketcham, Ralph. James Madison A Biography. New York Macmillian Publishing Co., 1971 reprint, Charlottesville University Press of Virginia, 1990.Koch, Adrienne. Madisons Advice to My Country. Princeton Princeton University Press, 1966.