Why does the author most likely arrange the sentences in this way?

Fourth U.S. president and founder James Madison called America's engagement in the African slave trade the nation's "original sin."

The horrors of chattel slavery would bring down a wrath of biblical proportions, prophesied another founder, Thomas Jefferson, principal author of the Declaration of Independence. Like Madison, this third U.S. president was a slaveholder.
A. to illustrate how much damage slavery did to the early United States and its people
B. to emphasize how truly horrible slavery and the African slave trade were
C. to show that early U.S. presidents acknowledged the evils of slavery even while parthipating in the system
D. to focus on the fact that some of the founding fathers were slaveholders themselves

1 answer

The author most likely arranges the sentences in this way C. to show that early U.S. presidents acknowledged the evils of slavery even while participating in the system.

The sequence introduces James Madison and his condemnation of slavery, then presents Thomas Jefferson's acknowledgment of the horrors of slavery, highlighting that both were influential figures in America's founding while also being complicit in the institution of slavery themselves. This arrangement emphasizes the contradiction between their roles as founders advocating for liberty and their participation in slavery.