By attacking slavery more fiercely than ever before, Revolutionary Americans freed tens of thousands of slaves. But the Revolution’s libertarian and egalitarian message had perverse consequences. It forced those Southerners who chose to retain slavery to fall back on the alleged racial deficiencies of blacks as a justification for an institution that hitherto they had taken for granted and had never before needed to justify. The anti-slavery movement that arose out of the Revolution inadvertently produced racism in America.
Iredell, James
Edenton, NC — Built in 1773 and purchased five years later by James Iredell, who became an associate justice of the first U.S. Supreme Court.
Edenton, NC — Completed in 1766, extensive repairs and the addition of a steeple were completed in 1809. Many of the Revolutionary leaders in this area were members of St Paul’s, including Joseph Hewes, Thomas Jones, and James Iredell.
Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789–1815 (2009)