Essay on Thomas Jefferson: Hero or Hypocrite?

The American Revolution, perhaps the most momentous war-related milestone in American history, would not have been possible without the strenuous efforts of the courageous men we call Patriots or otherwise known as the Founding Fathers of America, who gave their all in the fight for freedom against the British. Many names of great men come to mind when we think “founding fathers,” such as Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, or Samuel Adams. Yet there is still one great patriot and founding father who seems to stand out above the rest, and that man is Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson is widely known as being the author of the Declaration of Independence and the Louisiana Purchase that bought more than 20% of the U.S. However, what most

Throughout Jefferson’s notes, Jefferson goes on to explain that he understands that the very concept of slavery goes against his philosophy in which he instilled into the Declaration of Independence. As one of the father of our nation, we the people should expect our leaders to uphold certain standards when it comes to human rights of their vary nation. To quote our fathering document, the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness…” This however, brings up the point on whether or not Jefferson viewed the African slaves as “all men.” In the excerpt from his notes, Jefferson discusses that he believes that slavery should not exist but he also believed that once a slave is free, he or she can no longer live in the same society as one who which they have slaved for.

Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743, at Shadwell, the family farm in Goochland (now Albemarle) County, Virginia. (The date was April 2 by the calendar then in use.) He was the third child in the family and grew up with six sisters and one brother. Two other brothers died in infancy. His father, Peter Jefferson, had served as surveyor, sheriff, colonel of militia, and member of the House of Burgesses. Thomas's mother, Jane Randolph Jefferson, came from one of the oldest families in Virginia. Thomas developed the normal interests of a country boy—hunting, fishing, horseback riding, and canoeing. He also learned to play the violin and to love music. Jefferson was 14 years old when his father died. As the oldest son, he became head of the family. He inherited more than 2,500 acres (1,010 hectares) of land and at least 20 slaves. His guardian, John Harvie, managed the estate until Jefferson was 21. Thomas began his studies under a tutor. At age 9, he went to live with a Scottish clergyman, who taught him Latin, Greek, and French. After his father died, Thomas entered the school of James Maury, an Anglican clergyman, near Charlottesville. (Thomas Jefferson : a life / Willard Sterne Randall. Published: New

The Father of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, a man who is recognized as the penman of the revolution and has had his name tarnished by the modern populace as being nothing more than a tempestuous hypocrite; a man who relentlessly advocates liberty, yet he also had ownership of a private plantation harboring an approximate 170 enslaved laborers. Within the essay Thomas Jefferson and the Meanings of Liberty, Professor Douglas L. Wilson of Knox College drives a compelling argument that sheds a newly found light on the seemingly convoluted actions of our notorious founding father. Professor Wilson indulges the reader in topics related to Jefferson’s infamy at a personal, empathetic level, and he makes it point not to apply a biased reasoning based upon ethics later to the era.

At some point in a person’s lifetime, whether it be through educational endeavors or everyday conversations regarding political leanings, the name Thomas Jefferson has definitely made an appearance in some aspect. This may be in terms of memorizing each president and their legacy or analyzing how the actions he made in office changed today’s society as whole. As a founding father, secretary of state, vice president, and eventually then a full-fledged president, there is no doubt Jefferson has had an incredulous impact on how the United States was created in its secession from Britain, and even how our government today deals with political matters and new arising issues. Though he has long since been discharged from

     Joseph J. Ellis, a historian who was educated at the College of William and Mary and Yale, is a Ford Foundation Professor of History at Mount Holyoke University. He has written four books on historical topics, centered on the time Jefferson was alive, dealing with issues and personalities Jefferson dealt with firsthand. After authoring a book on a politician such as John Adams, Ellis seems to have felt a need or want to focus on Jefferson, presumably because of his status as founding father and main contributor to the constitution.

The philosophies of Thomas Jefferson are often at odds with one another. On one hand, he looks to enlightenment ideals and writes of natural rights and equalities for all men in his drafting of the Declaration of Independence (more on Jefferson’s and the Enlightenment can be found here). He also proposes legislature that prohibits the spread of slavery to new states. However, his role as a slave owner contradicts his philosophy on liberty in a profound way. His book Notes on the State of Virginia represents the depth of his thought against black people as an equal race to whites, and he includes a breakdown for the reasons that he believes integration is not a viable alternative to the problem of slavery (the full content can be read half way down the page here). Then, there are the facts surrounding his personal relationship with his slave, Sally Hemings and the children he fathered with her. This contradiction of attitude and philosophy is directly related to Jefferson’s cultural influences having grown up surrounded by slavery as an acceptable way of life. He ultimately falls back on society’s view of black people as inferior to justify his way of life, and calm his fears of the possible violent ramifications of emancipating his slaves (this is a reference to slave revolts). For more on this topic see my complete work here.

Thomas Jefferson’s relationship with slavery is a complex one. It is, perhaps, ironic to think that someone who owned slaves would be an advocate to end that very same practice. How can Jefferson be hailed as a champion for slave rights because of his opposition to slavery while, at the same time, using other people as property? Although somewhat contradictory at first, the nature of the relationship between Jefferson’s opinions and his attitudes towards slavery will be thoroughly examined in order to understand the means by which he helped fuel a revolution in the context of a society that was so dependent on slavery. In other words, Jefferson was a significant piece of the abolitionist movement, and so that the seeming differences between what he did and what he preaches can be understood, we must also analyze the historical context. By doing so, we find that Jefferson was indeed ahead of the times, although in his own unique way, and the reason why it might have been significant that he was a slaveowner while trying to end the practice.

He was agreat leader, but as a person, Jefferson was quite a bastard. Racist and acquisitive, he was, especially when it came to obtaining land and money. He threw the Indians westward to get their land by forcing them in debt. He threw away thousands of Indians just for their land, claiming to be doing the best thing for our nation. This land acquired was used for agriculture, probably to grow crops, sell them, and get money. This is a perfect example of his greed. His racism encouraged him to continue slavery and even make free blacks feel vulnerable. Jefferson didn’t even believe his own writings of “all men are created equal”. Religious freedom was alright, but different skin colors separated whites from blacks? In addition, his affair with Hemings caused huge controversy with his people, and those who hated Jefferson found yet another reason to keep doing so. Meanwhile, he caused a loss to thousands of workers, seemingly to prevent war. This was practically worthless, because the United States went to war with Britain in 1812, anyway. In this, Britain had acquired Native American allies, in which Jefferson said they: “have by their unexpected desertion and ferocious barbarities justified extermination and now await our decision on their fate.” Jefferson, although a decisive leader, trying to do what was best for him and his people. Unfortunately, this came with consequences and oppositions. Jefferson may have been a good president in some places, but he was a terrible

Thomas Jefferson spent most of his career in public office and made his greatest contributions to his country in the field of politics. He loved liberty in every form, and he worked for freedom of speech, press, religion, and other civil liberties. Jefferson was the 3rd president of the United States and best remembered as a great president and as the author of the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson's interests and talents covered an amazing range. He became one of the leading American architects of his time and designed the Virginia Capital, the University of Virginia, and his own home, Monticello. He greatly appreciated art and music and tried to encourage their advancement in the United States. He also won lasting

Before engaging the thesis, I want to discuss Jefferson’s background, before the late 1770’s. The reason being that his major accomplishments come during and after this time period. It is important to discover what his actions were at this early stage in his life, to understand how he came to be one of the most

Thomas Jefferson is a man who really needs no introduction. He was recognized as a luminous writer who was appointed to draft the Declaration of Independence. Congress formally approved the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Jefferson owned many slaves that worked for him. He would often even sell his slaves to buy others. Why then would he write in the Declaration of Independence, “all men are created equal”? Is it possible that Thomas Jefferson was a hypocrite and only wrote what the population wanted to see? Did Thomas Jefferson enjoy owning slaves just as his other wealthy peers did? Neither one of those is true. Thomas Jefferson thought slavery was morally wrong and he thought that it should be abolished. We will take a

His friend James Madison succeeded Jefferson as president in 1809, and during the last seventeen years of his life, he stayed at his mansion, Monticello. Just hours before his close friend Adam was to signing the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826. As he also wished that his tombstone reflects the things that he had given the people, not the people that had given to him.

Jefferson felt very strongly about the freedom of an individual. His idea of freedom was that the individual was independent, and not under the control of a government for example. There were two main things that Jefferson was concerned with, debt and distrust of men who were landless workers (124). With the first he felt that while under debt a man had very limited freedom of action. The landless workers he felt were very dependent. They had to work because there was no land for backup. In these times owning property was an important part of being a free man. Perhaps this led to slavery for those who did not own land. Many think slavery was always race based, but Jefferson?s position shows a different view.

A person’s house can show you a lot about that person. In my own room you would probably find that I have a big appreciation for books, but don’t you wonder what the inventor and third president’s house showed you what he was like? Thomas Jefferson was a very important man; however, there are many more sides to him than you think.