What Tom Holland has said about Slavery in the United States

Holland rejects the view that Jefferson's idea of liberty was limited to white men, calling him a committed abolitionist at the cutting edge of his time.

“Jefferson is much more committed to an ideal of liberty such as I think we would understand it today”

The Rest Is History: 686. Jefferson: The Betrayal of Liberty (Part 4) (Jul 8, 2026) · Listen from 1:06:29

Holland contends that Jefferson, having articulated American principles most boldly, betrayed them most grievously.

“he is also the United States president who came to betray them the most grievously”

The Rest Is History: 686. Jefferson: The Betrayal of Liberty (Part 4) (Jul 8, 2026) · Listen from 1:13:37

Holland believes that if Jefferson were alive today he would side with his critics in judging that he did wrong.

“if he were alive now, he would accept the force of the arguments made by his critics”

The Rest Is History: 686. Jefferson: The Betrayal of Liberty (Part 4) (Jul 8, 2026) · Listen from 1:16:57

Holland judges Franklin's anonymous 1770 defence of slavery to be the low point of his career.

“it didn't stop him in 1770 from writing an anonymous defense of slavery that I think is probably the lowest point in his career”

The Rest Is History: 684. Franklin: Revenge of the American Genius (Part 2) (Jul 1, 2026) · Listen from 37:21

Holland describes Franklin's late anti-slavery petition and satire as an act of repentance for having owned slaves.

“it is an act of repentance. Franklin had owned slaves, he came to repent of it”

The Rest Is History: 684. Franklin: Revenge of the American Genius (Part 2) (Jul 1, 2026) · Listen from 1:09:14

Holland argues that 'hireling and slave' was revolutionary-era rhetoric for British subjects and Hessian mercenaries rather than a reference to enslaved Africans.

“I would have said that these are insults applied to soldiers fighting under the British crown”

The Rest Is History: 677. USA: The Star-Spangled Banner (Part 1) (Jun 7, 2026) · Listen from 35:26

Holland suggests Key may have held conflicting views on slavery and liberty that he never resolved, making the lyric ambiguous.

“Often, particularly in America, those shades of meaning are in direct conflict with each other. So perhaps he couldn't resolve those ambiguities”

The Rest Is History: 677. USA: The Star-Spangled Banner (Part 1) (Jun 7, 2026) · Listen from 48:39