The Saber and Scroll Journal Volume 9, Number 1, Summer (June) 2020 | Page 25

James Fenimore Cooper’s Written Works
Cooper’s portrayal of enslaved
and free blacks alike reflects the confusing
nature of America’s relationship
and view of both slavery and the
notion of universal equality. Although
the practice of enslavement was considered
morally deficient, the idea of racial
equality was not accepted by the majority
of Americans in the eighteenth
century; thus, there was a disconnect
between the need to eradicate slavery
for the sake of the nation’s morality and
the need to maintain a racial hierarchy.
Despite this, it was assumed that slavery
would not exist in perpetuity, as it was
an immoral practice. As such, it was imminent
that slavery would be abolished
in some manner. Jefferson, who was
himself a slave owner, spoke in favor
of abolition. There was a widespread
notion of emancipation, with deportation
soon thereafter. In 1813, a freeman
in Massachusetts proposed—through
the Senator of Massachusetts—that he
should be permitted to take free blacks
with him to the British colony of Sierra
Leone. When this proposal went before
the House, there was a consensus that
the measure would rid the country of
“free blacks, a part of our population
which we could well spare.” Delegations
that expressed this sentiment came
from the colonies of New Hampshire,
New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut,
Delaware, Vermont, New Jersey, and
Massachusetts. This measure was ultimately
defeated, but not because there
was no consensus, but instead because
there was a disagreement regarding embargo
policies. In addition, the notion
that blacks—slaves, in particular—were
prone to violence was widespread and
used to justify subjugation.