LogFAQs > #942322911

An important thing to keep in mind: even the Founders who were against slavery really didnt grasp just how evil it was. They didnt see black people as people, so the stakes seemed much lower to them. It was easy for them to prioritize their collective interest in presenting a united front against the British.
That was also true of basically all of the abolitionists John Brown being the most notable exception. White America was almost united in seeing black people as less. You could argue convincingly thats still a widespread view.