Jefferson was one of those complicated men we think we 'know' but there's always some new tidbit that jumps up to dump your theory in the trash.
He did not like or want slavery but, he was of the time and area where he knew it had to exist for the financial resources to survive. If I remember right, he was for the act outlawing the importation of slaves partly because he felt there were enough already here.

In some ways he is truly defined by the term Rebel. As a Virginian, he knew the ties to faith were deep with the Huguenot's in his state. He may have been an agnostic or an atheist but saw the wisdom of not pushing the 'don't ask/tell about your church' button too hard. He argued with Hamilton about the central bank because he felt it could get in the way of states rights. Seems like he was arguing with someone all the time. I guess it kept their minds sharp. In the end, we do owe Jefferson for defining what we still today hold dear. The right to Life, Liberty and at least trying to be Happy. We can thank him ,and others, for our right to worship and our right not to. Even today that's not a choice in some places. Sooo, with all he did to set America in to motion, had he been born a few years later, would he have gone with Virginia when it dropped out? I'm kinda thinking he would.

Pam