James madison and Slavery Essay -- Slavery Essays

jam madison and slaverySlavery was a problem that confront all Americans in the years prior to the American Civil War. numerous Americans wanted to bring about an end to it but were unable to arise up with a workable plan. One person to try and experience an answer to the problem was himself a slave owner he was jam capital of Wisconsin. The institution of slavery deeply concerned James Madison, even at the start of his political career. During his career, Madison held many important political offices he used these offices to try to bring to an end this sliminess 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, only a few years before his birth may have been a factor. In June of 1737, a court of Oyer and Terminer ordered that a slave named Peter, guilt-ridden of murthering his said master, be hanged.1 His head was cut off and placed on a pole near a brook for all to see. in that respect 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 death for intoxication her master, Mr. Peter Montague. Thomas Chew, sheriff and great-uncle of James Madison carried out Eves sentence. guess exists that Madisons father was present and related the story to his son years later. These discrepant 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 combined the individual(prenominal) ease of the master with a life long consideration 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 uncertain whether James Madison had a guilt complex b ut he did resurrect up with a respect for the slaves on his fathers farm. This respect stayed with Madison his consummate life. His personal servant, Paul Jennings, related years after Madisons death that,Mr. Madison practically told the story, that one day riding home from court with old tomcat Barbour (father of Governor James Barbour), they met a colored man who took off his hat. Mr. M. raised his, to the surprisal of old Tom to whom Mr. M. replied, I nev... ...artineau, Harriet. Retrospect of Western Travel, 2 vol. capital of the United Kingdom Saunders and Otley, 1838 reprinted 1948.Miller, Ann L., ed. Visitors to Mr. Madison Accounts of Early Nineteenth Century Visitors to capital of Vermont. Unfinished edition of the Montpelier Monograph Series, ____.Alexander, Archibald. A History of Colonization on the Western Coast of Africa. Philadelphia William S. Martin, 1869 reprint, bracing York Negro University Press, 1969.Berkeley, Edmund, Jr. Prophet Without Honor Christopher McPherson, Free Person of Color. Virginia magazine publisher of History and Biography 77 (April 1969) 180-90.Brant, Irving. James Madison, 6 vols. Indianapolis The Bobbs-Merrill Co., Inc., 1941-61.Eaton, Clement. A History of the Old South The Emergence of a Reluctant 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.