The views of Edmund Morgan that American democracy was achieved through slavery are valid. One of the evidence is that freedom and slavery expanded simultaneously, which is not possible under normal conditions. This shows that the United States could not be what it is in the modern society if slavery could not have taken place. In this regard, the founders of the American nation were simply hypocrites who never had the interests of the poor and Africans at heart.
They were simply concerned with fulfilling their interests. Some analysts argue that slavery in the United States was an exception while others are of the view that it was a legacy to oppression and exploitation. Edmund outlines the paradox of the American democracy, which shows clearly that the founding fathers were just charlatans. Edmund wonders why the rights of Africans were sacrificed for the sake of whites. In other words, the whites saw it wise to destroy the rights of Africans in order to facilitate good life among Europeans. In this case, it is clear that American freedom and democracy that is hailed in the modern society rested on the foundation of slavery.
Throughout his text, Morgan shows how founding fathers exhibited paradoxical behavior in their support for democracy. Many founding fathers claimed that each person was to be set free, yet they enslaved Africans, together with their offspring. This was contradictory since they simply wanted their race to be set free, but not other races, including the black race. This is absurd because they only felt pain when someone was controlling them, but they enjoyed when they controlled other people. Thomas Jefferson was one of the individuals who participated in advocating for independence, yet he owned over one-hundred slaves in his home.
Without slavery, political, social, and even economic development in the United States could not have achieved. It is a known fact that slaves were the backbone of the economy in the south since they supplied free labor. White settlers could not have afforded to produce goods in case labor was supplied at a fee. Politically, slaves contributed in fighting for the rights of the poor. They organized themselves into groups that later demanded for their rights. The constitution was amended severally to include the rights of blacks and other minorities. In the modern America, minorities, including women, are able to participate freely in nation building due to the activities of slaves during the Civil war.