I've been reading about Washington, Hamilton, Adams, and the period in general; and the feeling I get is that many personally felt slavery was wrong but were basically waiting for anyone else to champion the cause. The weird part is that it seems like in private there was support against slavery, but they treated it like a pet project. Jefferson initially blamed the crown for introducing slavery to North America, but then held slaves himself. Washington worried over the mortality of breaking up slave families while also shying from emancipating his slaves for economic reasons as he lamented the inefficient economic system created by slavery.

I also read that in the years following the Declaration of Independence, there was a measurable uptick in emancipation of slaves in the Mid Atlantic and that it was the start of what would become the abolition of slavery in the northern colonies over the following decades.

Was it entirely to ensure southern colonies stayed partners in the rebellion? They kicked the can down the road (1803?) when ratifying the constitution so it's not like the political mindset disappeared after independence was won and they were building the framework of the nation.

It just seems so odd that they kept sidestepping a political topic of the day that was so polarizing but that so many in power seemed to be in agreement against. Why?