Why were the founding fathers against the slave trade?

Answer 1

That varied, Some of them were strongly opposed to it, some of them strongly supported it, some of them were indifferent to the matter, and some, such as Jefferson, were torn. Jefferson knew slavery was wrong and spent a great deal of effort to try to end it, at least in Virginina. Yet he owned slaves and never could find a way to free them. Michael Montagne

Answer 2

The majority was pro slavery. The conclusion of the second continental congress was to ultimately phase it out, rather than attempt to halt it. Thomas Jefferson was a large player in the slave market and employed his slaves (indenturment).

The reaction was pretty mixed in general. A lot of them, namely Jefferson, denounced slavery as the highest of evils, but were entirely dependent on the slave trade (history likes to defame them as hypocritical liars). Some, like Ben Franklin and George Washington, once owned slaves, but freed all or most of them and, in Franklin's case, open abolitionists. Others thought the slave trade should be shut down and slavery's spread, not existence, should be banned. And some of them were pro slavery and dependent on slaves.

However, only two practiced what they preached - John Adams and Alexander Hamilton.

Answer 3

All or most were slave owners and the larger states were slave states. There was a great deal to do and at the time it wasn't considered that important. It wasn't until later with the invention of the cotton gin that the use of slaves grew to a larger population.

Answer 4

the founding fathers were against slave trade because they wanted America to be a free country and and for people to have rights no matter what color there skin is and what is a free world with slavery(a third world country)

Answer 5

They didn't . Most owned slaves.