Social Experiment Quotes
This noteworthy quotation illustrates a rarity in politics—a politician publicly admitting that his policy had failed. In this case it was the Embargo against England and France which cost American traders, merchants, and ship-owners a great deal, but never did have the desired effect on the target counties. See {32446} for another Jefferson quote on experimentation. He and FDR were the two presidents who admitted frankly that they were trying new unproven things. See {604829} for an FDR quotation. Also see {359804} for a general view of experimentation and {599787} for Disraeli’s disdain for political experimentation.
At the time there were some Americans who supported Hitler and Fascism. Even senior military men like Osborne.
Jefferson was referring to a plan then proposed and discussed to establish a colony in Africa which would be populated with free American Negroes and slaves when and if slavery could be ended. See Quotation xxx.