Though Jones' work was published after Rush's time, and though the concept of paternalism had not fully developed until the antebellum period, early seeds of the concept of paternalism had already been planted by the age of Enlightenment and were taking root during the Revolutionary Era. Could Rush have had some paternalistic tendencies? He probably would bot have agreed with Jones' claim that blacks were completely unable to care for themselves. However, it is likely that Rush saw himself as a guiding light for Grubber. Rush stated that Grubber was a drunkard when they first met, but had turned into an upright, moral man within a year. Did Rush purchase Grubber with the intention to reform him? If Rush had used the institution of slavery as a type of educational institution for his slave, then he most likely held the paternalistic belief that a master's role was to educate his slaves and guide their moral development.
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