A Brief Look At James Madison

During the presidency of four people in the beginning of our country, many topics were debatable and controversial in how our founding fathers viewed them. While James Madison was in office he was proud to announce his belief in abolition and how we could settle emancipated slaves. Many supported the beliefs he proudly spoke about, but he was contradicting himself. Madison owned slaves but went on talking about how we could change slavery in the United States. As spoken here, “Madison expresses the belief that prejudice would necessitate removal of emancipated slaves and suggests that the proposal to settle emancipated slaves in Africa” (James Madison Papers). Madison owned roughly over one hundred slaves during his presidency and went on to tell great speeches on how slavery could be abolished and everyone could settle in
The information he provided to the people contradicted itself in a way where he could say he believed everyone had rights then take away the rights of his own slaves. Madison’s political life and personal life were always on opposing sides. Another president with the same contradiction on his political life and personal life was James Monroe. Like Madison, he classified as an abolitionist and proved his point in many speeches, but he also denied his point in his own life. For example, “The owner of as many as 250 enslaved persons in his lifetime, he never freed any of them. At the same time, Monroe strongly believed in and called for the abolition of slavery.” (Highland and Slavery). Monroe was trying to influence the people and get them to like them but he did not speak honestly or follow anything towards what he was saying. He can not identify as an abolitionist then make profit off of his many slaves on his plantation. This may seem like business to these presidents but they were confusing the people in how they said horrific things about slavery and how it should end, then go home and indulge in on the