To remove any doubts about the place of the Indians in the new nation, George Washington proposed "the total destruction and devastation of their settlements." Thomas Jefferson voiced the opinion that "this unfortunate race has justified its extermination." And Benjamin Franklin suggested that rum could be the "appointed means" to get rid of the savages.
To remove any doubts about the place of women, the Constitution of the State of New York added the adjective "masculine" to the right to vote.
To remove any doubts about the place of poor whites, the signatories to the Declaration of Independence were all rich whites.
And to remove any doubts about the place of blacks in the newborn nation, six-hundred and fifty thousand slaves remained enslaved. Black hands built the White House.
