Meacham portrays Thomas Jefferson as a highly influential politician, philosopher, and founding father, but he does not attempt to hide his very human faults. Thomas Jefferson’s indisputable role in the history of our country occasionally prompts modern society to view him as perfect or even divine. However great, Jefferson was still a man. And like all men, he had his faults. Jefferson’s relationship with one of his slaves, Sally Hemings, has been an area of criticism from the start. Jefferson, vulnerable to human emotions and desires, fathered six children with Hemings. Despite the blood connection, Jefferson treated his black & white children unequally. The Hemings children remained as slaves to their father - a sickening thought even in Jefferson’s time. Jefferson often contradicted himself, saying and believing two opposing views. He owned slaves, yet tried multiple times to initiate the emancipation of slaves. Also, Jefferson spent money imprudently, accumulating two million dollars in debt by the end of his life. Even in debt, Jefferson never hesitated to spend freely on his white children and grandchildren, further enforcing his discrimination and favoritism. He acted as if he could dismiss the inconvenient truth by simply ignoring it. These faults, however horrid they seem, are all human. Jefferson is no beast, to say so would be claiming human emotions and mistakes are unnatural and bad. Jefferson was, and still is, held in high esteem, but he was also human. And like all humans, Jefferson had his faults.
I do not agree,Jefferson does try to hide his faults by attempting to pay off Callender with $50 of the $200 fine he was to repay. Taken as hush money pg 357-359. Meacham even goes as far to say that Jefferson was following the path of an arrogant man who has made it to the top and disregards the people who helped him reach that spot on page 358. Jefferson's relationship with Sally wasn’t uncommon for the time nor was his treatment of her or the children. His giving of freedom to his kids at the age of 21 was considerate. Part of this can be result of his father dieing when he was 14 as Jefferson was not able to witness or experience how a plantaion was to be run. He also had promised to not remarry and a relationship with a slave could have been seen at the time as not formal allowing himself to not feel guilty. Concerning slaves Jefferson was bonded by his time thus incapable of freeing the slaves. George Washington held the same views as him on this subject but was in the same boat. Jefferson was a smart man and understood that the slaves would need to be freed at some point however in order for his party to survive they needed support from the southern states and such the population boost given by the slaves. The state of Virginia at the time held one of the largest slave populaton in the nation. Jefferson's real faults lay in his need for power and control shown throughout the beginning of his term as president. Jefferson send notes to his cabinet members telling them how he wants his governemnt run pg 359. Chapter 32 is ended with the quote "He wanted to know everything. He had to know everything."pg 359. This is were I feel Thomas Jefferson's real faults play out
Although I agree Jefferson’s relationship with Sally Hemmings reveals some of Jefferson’s very human faults, their relationship does not exemplify notable discrimination or favoritism. His relationship with Sally was not unheard of or unusual amongst wealthy estate owners, a visitor to Virginia remarked keeping one’s children as slaves “’ is very common in these parts”’ (454). He also freed each Hemmings child after each turned 21, an action he never repeated with any of his other slaves. The exclusive action of only freeing his mixed race children signifies he did give them some special treatment and attention. Jefferson’s denial surrounding the existence of his mixed race children proved to be a greater problem. Rather than acknowledging the resemblance and presence of his mixed race children, Jefferson preferred to ignore the likeliness of his mixed race children, allowing them to directly serve and interact with esteemed guests. Attacks on Jefferson’s character resulting from the evident family resemblance damaged Jefferson’s already fragile and sensitive ego. Similarly Jefferson’s accumulation of debt reflects his obsession with the public’s opinion of him rather than favoritism. In order to appear successful and to please those around him, Jefferson took out extensive loans and acquired extraordinary amounts of debt in order to please those around him and present the illusion of prosperity (479). Jefferson’s excessive concern regarding the opinions of others was a common theme throughout his life. During Jefferson’s terms in office as president, he preferred to control power via written communication rather than speeches due to his weak speaking voice. Even as secretary of state, Jefferson risked contracting yellow fever to make public appearances (277). Ultimately, Jefferson’s relationship with Hemmings , while not unprecedented, lead to a plethora of other issues harming his delicate ego, one of his central faults.
My first reply is actually to Jakob Wikar. The fact that Jefferson had to know everything does not seem like a true fault to me. I think the cabinet letter was just his way of taking control as president and saying this is how i want things done. Jefferson was basing his approach on what President Washington had done before. He even told his cabinet this "Jefferson told his own cabinet, President Washington 'was always in accurate possession of all facts and proceedings in every part of the union, and to whatsoever department they related,"(359). Then to take it a step further he said that he felt "a sense of obligation imposed on me by the public will to meet personally the duties to which they have appointed me."(359). Then Meacham goes on to say how he looked forward to any intelligence he may receive. So it would be one thing if he was some sovereign leader who was thirsty for power going around and accosting people for information. However, he was quite the opposite and tended to go about his business in an amiable way. So i found what you were saying interesting but did you find any other things to further your argument that this was a fault. To me it seems smart to stay informed on everything thats going on especially when you have as much responsibility as he had at the time.
Now Sarah You are saying Thomas Jefferson contradicts himself by owning slaves and also trying to free them. However, Meacham says "For Jefferson, it was a question of power"(48) referring to emancipation. Meacham aslso mentions how Jefferson says he "was making an effort for the 'permission of' emancipation, not for the kind of broad emancipation that Abraham Lincoln would declare nine decades later."(48). So in 1769 when he was pushing for this he drafted a bill that shifted control of emancipation. At the time the general court had the power not he individual slave owner himself. Now Jefferson wanted him and others like him to be outside the reach of the Governor and council. The judges not the planter would decide requests for emancipation meacham says "... the judges-- chose to define "meritorious services."(49). Now one thing he could be considered hypocritical about is the case where he defended the mixed raced Samuel Howell arguing he should be free. Now he did have mixed race kids of his own much later in life and he allowed them to be freed at 21. However, this just was not a reality at the time and people were not sure how to handle it. Meacham goes on to say how the Howell brief "suggest a jeffersonian openness to such an eventuality for future generations, but for him abolition was always to be a... reality that he would never see."(49). So my argument is that Jefferson was doing this mainly to give power back to the slave holders and take it away from the state. Which to me seems fair in some ways because the slave holder would know the extent of their "meritorious services better then the judge, but there is to much room for corruption with that. Also Jefferson backed away from this issue because it was not a reality of their time and it would hurt his popularity and reputation with others.
I agree completely with what you’re saying about Jefferson’s unfair treatment between his “white” children and “black and white” children; however, we have to remember that this treatment is not unusual for this time period. Of course, today blacks are considered whole, free, people equal to whites. But, in the 1700’s, blacks were slaves, owned property. According to the government, slaves and blacks were not equal because whites were superior. So, it only makes sense that Jefferson would treat his children unequally. This does not justify the affair Jefferson had with Sally, but it does explain the unfair treatment of his children. Jefferson and Sally’s affair is not condemned because one is white and one is black; it is considered horrible because Sally and Jefferson were not married, and the fact that Jefferson was 30 years older than Sally.
Maddie, I understand your position that the position of blacks was different some two hundred years ago, but I do not agree that the most horrible parts of Jefferson's relationship with Sally Hemings were marital status and age. If fact, when condemning such a relationship, the view of the society on such a relationship deserves the most criticism from a modern standpoint. To comprehend that the connection Jefferson and Hemings had was commonplace is anywhere from distasteful to shocking to depressing. From a standpoint where the relations were based on mutual feelings and wanting, or from an acceptance of forced servitude is downright depressing. In addition, Jefferson's refusal to acknowledge the birth of a daughter or the submissive work of a son speak to the intense wrongness of the relationship. Meacham describes in detail the repeated trials his kin are put through, as they grow up ignored by their father or grandfather. He also gives them minimal goodwill after his death and through his will, making his daughter propagate the silence his entire family has accepted in regards to the Hemings children. So, while it may make sense that Jefferson would treat his Hemings offspring as he did, that treatment was his biggest offense in the relationship.
Although Jefferson enslaved his children, I do not think this is as inconceivable as portrayed. At the time, any blacks were slaves, and Jefferson did free them at age 21. Jefferson also learned from example: Sally Hemings was a slave to her father and Jefferson's father-in-law. Jefferson was a man of influence and learned from his elders. His real fault is his sense of desire. It benefits him when he desires to learn and become a better politician, but it harms him when he desires prohibited pleasures. His love affairs get him into trouble and causes tremendous amounts of criticism. Desire is a human emotion, and he cannot be deemed a monster for feeling, as said above. Meacham does not hesitate to show his faults and I agree that although with flaws, Jefferson is deservedly held in high esteem. However, I do not agree his morals around slavery are as big a fault as described considering the times and circumstances.
I completely agree with what you have stated, especially the part about desire. Meacham definatly stresses the fact that desire and other things such as tragedy got in the way of Jefferson's professional life and even goes far enough to give us a different view on the American Hero. One certain example that comes to mind is his pursuit for the soon to be married Elizabeth Moore. Jefferson's long and obnoxious ploy to prove the "innocence of promiscuous love" is just plain humiliating especially in the time period that he lived in. It also shows that he learned nothing from the heart breaking rejection by Rebecca Burwell; to which he stayed gloom about for months. Even when Elizabeth eventually got married to his best friend, John Walker, Jefferson's compassionate interest in women still got the best of him. He was in no place or mood to celebrate the happiness of another man including his best friend and was only looking for personal gain. Tragedy had about the same affect on Jefferson as desire. When the Shadwell burned down, Jefferson quickly turned from a powerful man of the house to a devestated lonely man. Instead of figuring out a solution to the problem, he begins thinking of the worst case scenarios such as pleading for advice and aid to somehow replace his books and years of paper work or even moving away to begin somewhere new. The rapid breakdown of Jefferson's character at the time is a bit surprising due to the fact that he was a strong and convincing lawyer. All and all, as you have pretty much summed up above, Jefferson is a human being just like any other person and must deal with the faults in his life.
Lauren, I understand your salute to the power of human emotion, but I don’t think we can excuse Jefferson’s political or personal strategy on the subject of slavery, especially when idealizing him as one of the nation’s most respected presidents. The time is never fully right for change, but Americans have proven that over time it is feasible. If Jefferson truly believed that slavery was atrocious and immoral, he should have emancipated his slaves. Jeffersonian advocates may argue that his plantation was too vast for paid labor or that slavery was simply consistent with the characteristics of his time. Firstly, Jefferson could have maintained a smaller home, one that did not require extraordinary amounts of maintenance and production labor. Secondly, if he truly were an abolitionist, he should not have (allegedly) repeatedly impregnated and statutorily raped Sally Hemings, the 15-year- old friend of his daughter. By having an affair with a young slave, he was able to execute his dominance without possibility of disproval or critique, his greatest fears, for she had no authority to reject him. Furthermore, he enslaved the children of this affair, and according to Monticello’s modern website, “A nailery manager and overseer at Monticello for five years whipped James Hemings three times in a single day, even when he was too ill ‘to raise his head’” demonstrating that Jefferson’s slaves were not always protected. Jefferson does not deserve praise for liberating his children at age 21; rather, the fact that he enslaved them at all is deplorable. Jefferson conveyed that while he favored emancipation and deportation of slaves, liberation was an insurmountable goal. Meacham, however, argues that “It is not as though Jefferson lived in a time or in places where abolition was the remotest or most fanciful of prospects. It had not only been thought of but had been brought into being in his lifetime in lands he knew intimately. Jefferson was wrong about slavery…”(478). I fear that we have imposed the Civil Rights Movement’s moral motions for equality on our mental picture of Jefferson where credit may not be due, and that his motives were economically and conflict- reduction based. He quickly abandoned his abolitionist activities; however, citing that “Justice is in one scale, and self-preservation in the other”(475). Just as I believe that anti-feminism before the 1900’s is inexcusable, genocide of Native Americans before it was stopped is inexcusable, and modern discrimination towards the LGBT community is inexcusable, I believe that having slaves even when it was common is inexcusable. Treating humans as property simply because their skin is darker can NOT be classified as simply a “character flaw” and to do so is to disrespect the strides we have made in bringing equality under the law to all. I firmly believe that if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem, and not only was Jefferson not part of the solution, he had a problem hundreds of people deep.
I agree with you, Lauren, and I like that you made a point to state that Jefferson learned from example. Meacham manages to make it known on the very first page that Jefferson's father, Peter, was a man who was admired. Jefferson had a great deal of respect for his father. So although it is obviously not excusable that Jefferson owned slaves and had several children with one, it is unfair to allow this fact to change peoples' entire views of him; he was still a very remarkable man. I do think the fact that Jefferson was such an advocate for the abolition of slavery, yet he owned hundreds throughout his lifetime is a fault of his; this fact illustrates his hypocrisy. However, I agree with how you said that this is not as severe a fault as described "considering the time and culture". Aside from Jefferson's views of slavery, I believe he possessed other faults as well. In the earlier years of his life, Jefferson was extremely sensitive towards criticism. This is understandable, but as a high up political figure in a new nation, he should have not allowed this criticism to bother him so much. I think that the term "fault" can be a tad ambiguous in this specific prompt and I will explain why: I think that Jefferson's concern and devotion to his family could be viewed as a fault when considering his political character. He passed up opportunities because of his family- like when he was first asked to visit France. However, it is obviously not a character fault to be a devoted father and husband.
One of Jefferson’s main character faults was his ideological flexibility, aka being a hypocrite. While some might view this as a fault, others may argue that the times when he acted against his own said beliefs were for the good of the country and that he did the right thing, like in the Louisiana Purchase. Jefferson acted on several occasions to expand his own power, but simultaneously advocated for smaller central government and fewer executive powers. Jefferson’s immense debt is just one example of his actions contradicting his said beliefs. He spoiled his family and gave his friends favors (for example, Wilson Cary Nicholas) with borrowed money. He chose not to confront his own affairs until they were out of control, but advised others to never procrastinate or spend money before it is had. While Jefferson was faithful in his own marriage and clearly thought this important, he then tried to seduce the married Betsy Walker. Jefferson’s life was full of contradictions, some purely harmful, some beneficial to his country, and all showing his humanity.
I agree and support what you have said here. Jeffersons hypocritical thoughts are shown multiple times throughout his life. The most prominent hypocritical belief was his take on slavery. Jefferson fought for rights for slaves on multiple occasions including thoughts for the Constitution. Jefferson also attempted to make a "natural law argument" in the Samuel Howell v. Wade Netherland case claiming "everyone comes I to the world with a right to his own person and using it as his own will." Jefferson advocates this "right" although he has hundreds of slaves himself at Monticello, some even of his own blood (Sally Hemings). Another hypocritical act of Jeffersons was his strike against "entail and primogeniture". Jefferson stated passing down large properties and money to a single heir created a more privileged patrician order. He wanted to stop this I'm Virginia, his home state. However, Jefferson himself received massive amounts of property from his father including hundreds of slaves. Jefferson did have flaws like all men, and one of which was his hypocritical beliefs.
While I do agree with the idea that Jefferson's actions and opinions are a mass of contradictions, I do not find the fact that he inherited his father’s estate to be a compelling argument contradicting his believes on entail and primogeniture . While Jefferson did inherit a vast amount of land and many slaves from his father, he was not exactly politically informed or opinionated at the age of fourteen when his father passed away. The fact that Jefferson received his father's land and slaves was not by choice as much as the social norm at the time. However, I do agree with your point on Jefferson’s attitude towards slavery. The fact that Jefferson made bold statements defending the rights of all humans, and yet he enslaved hundreds of lives, including the lives of his illegitimate children, is a blatant example of Jefferson’s contradictory actions. His long term relationship with Sally Hemmings suggests a level of attachment and intimacy that shows he didn’t think of slaves as lesser beings, as did many other white elite of the time. It appears that his weakness for his own personal finances prevented him from living according to his own ideals. Jefferson enjoyed a lavish lifestyle and died in debt. Even though he rallied for racial equality in the constitution, advocated natural human rights in the Wade vs. Howell case, and had a love affair with one of his own slaves, he was not able to sacrifice his financial security for his beliefs by abolishing slavery in his own household.
I agree that Jefferson’s attitude toward slavery was less than admirable regarding slavery. Jefferson’s position on slavery asks how sound his morals were on the issue. I think he had flawed morals concerning slavery, but I also think the overarching flaw in his character is his vulnerability to the criticism of others. In the eighteenth century slavery was still common, but not universally prevalent. There were free blacks in the American colonies during Jefferson’s lifetime, like Benjamin Banneker. There were also white men who didn’t own slaves. Jefferson’s good friend and rival John Adams was vehemently opposed to slavery and was never a proprietor himself. Given that there were black men that were free and white men that did not own slaves, Jefferson is at fault simply for being a proprietor of slaves. Furthermore, Jefferson enslaved his own children that he had with Sally Hemmings until they were twenty one years old, and their freedom was due to an agreement between Hemmings and Jefferson so that she would return to America with him. With that being said, Jefferson cannot be at fault of having completely misplaced his morals. Jefferson made several attempts to reform the practice of slavery in his life time, but each time his actions were met with resistance and conflict, to which he backed down from, Jefferson’s overarching flaw. I don’t agree that Jefferson was a self-contradicting, hypocrite. He did not think that slavery would be abolished in his lifetime. Jefferson believed it “to be an eventuality for future generations,” (49) and I don’t think he’s a hypocrite for trying to oppose slavery while being a slave proprietor himself. He was a practical man who would have known that an act like releasing his own slaves would accomplish nothing on its own. He certainly understood that slavery was wrong because he opposed it a number of times in his political and legal career, but I think because of his vulnerability to criticism he ceased his opposition. Jefferson authored the Bland bill in 1769 and argued for the freedom of Samuel Howell in Howell v. Wade Netherland, but, left wounded after defeats in both efforts, he backed down from the fight for abolition. Jefferson also denounced slavery in his Declaration of Independence in 1776, but the second continental congress once again shot down his progressive efforts on slavery. The white Virginian plantation owner never contradicted himself, but he was not willing to stand up for abolition amid such criticism. Jefferson had his flaws like any man should, but in the case of this man, his accomplishments far outweighed his flaws.
Throughout the novel, Meacham shows many of Jefferson’s admirable qualities, however he makes it apparent that, although a great leader, Jefferson had flaws in his character. One flaw that affected him most as a leader was his sensitivity to public opinion and his ability to let the opinions of others influence his actions. He cared greatly how the people viewed him, which caused him to let others make the decisions that he should have made by himself. This was despite the fact that at times he benefited from this as it helped him to avoid making enemies in Congress. One important example of this was his decision not to call the militia together because he feared stirring up trouble with the people. As Meacham said “he had followed the people rather than led them” (135). He let the decision fall out of his hands as he placed it into the opinions of the people, for fear of “risking the wrath of the people “ (135) if he called on the militia. As a result of his non-committal decision, he not only allowed the British to invade, but he worsened his reputation as Governor.
I agree with you, Olivia, that Jefferson's inability to cope with criticism was a critical flaw in his character. A politician and a leader must understand that there are always conflicting opinions; criticism is inevitable in a society that allows freedom of political thought. Jefferson was too worried about his pride and reputation at times, which ultimately weakened him and his authority. Another fault of Jefferson's (apparent in the period during the invasion of Richmond) was that he was indecisive when faced with a large decision. In the words of Meacham, "Having failed to be either bold or decisive during the invasions of Virginia, [Jefferson] gained valuable experience about the price of waiting" (136). Jefferson deserves credit for learning from his prior mistakes, but the moments of uncertainty from his governorship damaged Jefferson and strengthened his political opponents. The crises in Virginia in 1781 revealed that Jefferson wasn't a god (like elementary school would have us believe); he was merely a normal man that was susceptible to mistakes and lapses of judgement.
As most people have stated, everyone has faults. I would also agree with many people to say that hypocrisy was one of Jefferson’s flaws. Throughout the book Meacham makes this specific imperfection in Jefferson’s life evident. From the beginning of his life Jefferson began to inherit massive amounts of property and money from his father. Contradicting his own situation his strike against “entail and primogeniture” was aimed at stopping the passing down of large amounts of land and money. He believed that this would only create a more privileged patrician order. At the same time, he began inheriting land and wealth at a young age. With more education his opinion on various political ideas could change. Although still hypocritical, I cannot completely blame Jefferson or his change in opinion as he becomes more politically involved
Despite Thomas Jefferson's many reputable qualities, like every human, he suffers from a few faults in his character. The most apparent faults, portrayed by Meacham, are Jefferson's hypocrisy, and deep concern over the opinion of others. A leader must be able to make decisions quickly on what he believes is best for the community, and conflict over opinion is inevitable. His wish to please everybody and avoid any sort of conflict was largely detrimental in some situations. The main example being his failure to call together the militia in 1781 in the midst of British invasion of his beloved Virginia. He said "to call out the militia created disgust when the militiamen find no enemy in place" (134), meaning he was afraid of what the already unhappy militiamen would think of him if he called them together for no reason. The result of this hesitation being the invasion and capture of Richmond. His sensitivity to rejection and conflict was evident in his personal life, shown in his reaction to rejection by his love interest Rebecca Burwell, as well as influential in major decision making. Some of Jefferson's major hypocrisy was shown in his treatment of other people. Despite his multiple attempts at setting America towards a more progressive path away from the institution of slavery, even trying to involve the Continental Congress, he still owned hundreds of slaves. He believed other races to be inferior to whites, and this racial belief even stretched far enough to apply to his own racially mixed children with slave Sally Hemmings. This was all very contradictory to his belief in natural law, and his writings in the Declaration of Independence. Part of his original draft included the denunciation of slavery, but he did not invoke any conflict when it was taken out, concluding that he should " fight only battles he believed he could win" (106). The part that remained in the Declaration was that all men were created equal, but he " basically meant all white men, especially propertied ones" (107). Though he showed much more progressiveness than others at the time, his hypocrisy still showed in his prejudice towards those different than him.
I wholly agree with Julia’s argument that Thomas Jefferson’s life was one of hypocrisy. Is it not ironic that the man responsible for creating a document based on freedom and equality for citizens of the developing United States owned over 600 human beings over the course of his life? I, for one, believe that Thomas Jefferson was not only a hypocrite, but a coward. In 1814, he wrote, “There is nothing I would not sacrifice to a practicable plan of abolishing every vestige of this moral and political depravity” (pg. 476). However, this is not true. By remaining a slave holder until the end of his life, he put his own needs ahead of his moral beliefs. Jefferson probably did believe slavery to be abominable, however did not possess the courage to demand change. As Julia stated, when the Continental Congress took out his words against slavery in the Declaration, Jefferson was upset, but did not put up a fight. Emancipation and equal rights for all were not unheard of, and were indeed, reality in various parts of the 18th and 19th century world. Meacham states that “some Virginians of Jefferson’s class recognized that the blight of slavery had to go and did what was within their power by emancipating their slaves.” (pg. 477). Also, politicians of the North were expressing antislavery sentiments, and in France, slaves could successfully emancipate themselves. Many believe that Jefferson did the best he could with taking steps toward emancipation, considering the world and times he was living in, but in light of the examples above, I disagree. I believe that if Jefferson truly meant what he said on page 476, he would have made a stronger effort to push through legislation to eliminate slavery. He continued to publicly denounce slavery, but was not willing to sacrifice his own comfort by freeing his slaves until after his death, making him a selfish coward.
I also agree with Julia in her argument that Thomas Jefferson was a hypocritical individual. A key point that stood out to me while reading the biography was Jefferson's focus, as a renowned politician, on the removal of slavery from America. However, not only did Jefferson own over 600 African-American slaves, he enslaved his own children until age 21. In Jefferson's time, it is understood that slavery was considered "acceptable" or "normal". Yet Jefferson, being a widely respected and influential individual, who could have perhaps had the power to eradicate slavery from America, waved the issue off as a minor loss. This feeble attempt at dealing with this growing issue shows Jefferson's lack of true motivation for his cause. A leader would step up and show respect to all human beings. Jefferson, as Louisa stated above, put his needs before the country's needs. I believe that bringing millions of people to a country far from their own, and putting them into a manual labor industry, constitutes these people as citizens with rights. Another fault I found in Jefferson’s character was his constant desire to be with women, sometimes under questionable circumstances. To starts, he fell in love with the bride of his best friend, Elizabeth Walker. Jefferson was so convinced she would leave him, that the rejection he must have felt when they were married was emotionally distracting. Jefferson did, however, settle down with his wife (Martha Skelton), yet after she became gravely ill, he continued to impregnate her. His relentless desire for love continued after Martha (“Patty”) died, and he and one of his many slave Sally Hemings had children together. These children, as mentioned above, were enslaved until age 21. Although Thomas Jefferson’s actions were hypocritical and arguably despicable as Julia and Louisa pointed out, he was still an influential politician who made huge advances in the United States political system, and expanded the country to become a powerful nation.
Thomas Jefferson was a strong, ambitious, and amiable leader, however his difficulty with handling criticism in his early years as a politician placed limitations on his power. Ever since Jefferson started his life in the world of politics, he refused to speak in public, fearful of making enemies with the people whom he admired. Instead, Jefferson chose to express his opinions and voice through composing letters, documents, and books. This technique proved advantageous for him, however he grew frustrated when his work was edited or changed. Jefferson was especially insulted when his draft of the Declaration of Independence was harshly analyzed and altered. Many of his ideas and arguments were shot down, and Jefferson felt defeated. Jefferson could have argued the importance of his points, but instead he stayed quiet in fear of creating hostilities with men of higher-ranking positions. Jefferson was very insecure about sharing his ideas with a large group of people, but that skill is a very important aspect of being a strong and respected leader. Jefferson continued to grow frustrated when he was evaluated after his years as governor. These years did not pass smoothly, and Jefferson made some poor decisions that threatened his reputation. For example, when he was notified about a threat of British invasion into Charlottesville, he did not mobilize his army for two days. He waited because he did not believe the threat was real. Once he did finally alarm everyone, it was too late. After Jefferson gave up his position as governor, he was interrogated for his past actions in the war. Of course this upset him tremendously, and he did not hide his anger. Jefferson lacked the ability to accept criticism and not take it personally, and this could have come across as a weak quality to the people he led. Overall, Thomas Jefferson did value the opinion of the world, he just did not like to hear his weaknesses being highlighted.
I agree with Caroline's argument about criticism. When in office, public criticism of an official is inevitable, and the inability of Jefferson to be able to adapt to this climate limited his decision-making and potential. One issue Jefferson argued at the beginning of his political career was anti-slavery. However, after a few lost battles over the topic, Jefferson quit advocating for it. Rather than make his own decisions, Jefferson let the public sway his decision-making. Jefferson was also plagued with issues around criticism during his time as secretary of state. When first asked by Washington whether he would take the job, Jefferson was unsure, saying: "he feared the 'criticisms and censures of a public just indeed in their intentions, but sometimes misinformed and misled.." (231) He considered returning to France instead, since: "a diplomatic arrangement gave him an unusual degree of autonomy and insulation from constant criticism." (232) The fact that public opinion was almost strong enough to convince Jefferson to not become secretary of state reflects a severe weakness in his decisions. He also became confrontation and aggressive when his policies and ideas were attacked or critiqued. This could damage important political relations, and make him more stubborn about his topic rather than progressive and listening to all ideas: "Jefferson hated to be told he was wrong, and he defended himself with ferocity." (264) It was not until his vice presidency late in his career that Jefferson finally accepted that criticism is part of politics: "During the vice presidential years Jefferson became more philosophical about criticism, seeing it as an inevitable feature of political life, something to be endured..." (307) Jefferson was an important and influential man during his career, however. his aversion to public criticism limited his potential, and swayed his decision-making.
Like all humans, Thomas Jefferson displayed many faults. As portrayed by Meacham, some of these faults included letting his emotions take over, and Jefferson's hypocritical nature. In the earlier stages of Jefferson's life, he experienced his first heart break by Rebecca Burwell. Once Jefferson was turned down by "the single token Jefferson appears to have had the object of his affections" (24), he was humiliated. It took him a good amount of time to get over his heartache and move forward. Also, Jefferson was very concerned about the opinions of the greater public. He feared doing something that will stir up conflict. Jefferson tries to bring happiness to all, and this action often caused more trouble for himself. Finally, while Jefferson proved to be a quality leader, many of his actions were contradictory and hypocritical. The biggest example of this is how Jefferson attempted to turn the United States away from the concept of owning other people as slaves, while he himself owned hundreds of slaves. Meacham portrays Jefferson as strong believer in the notions of the time regarding racism. It was written that though he attempted to take actions against slavery, even in his draft of the Declaration of Independence, he still believed whites were superior. Overall, Thomas Jefferson is a man with many layers to his character.
I completely agree with Katie. Although Thomas Jefferson was a quality leader, he also had his faults like every other human being has shown by Meacham. It was clear that one of his faults were with the emancipation of the slaves. he was very hypocritical of it. although he wanted to have the slaves emancipated, Jefferson still was a slave owner and continued to be a slave owner all throughout his life and even had relations with one of his slaves, (Sally Hemings) which he enslaved the children that he had with her until they reached age 21. I also agree on how Jefferson had concerns about the opinions of the greater public. For example when he was governor of Virginia during the Revolutionary war Jefferson was known to flee. Instead of holding his ground against the British and because of his actions, Jefferson was harshly criticized at that time for fleeing. Finally, I agree with Katie, that Rebecca Burwell and Meacham showed us that although Jefferson was a very flirtatious man and a bold man, He still had his faults of a human being and was unable to successfully impress every girl that he was attracted too.
Thomas Jefferson was an ambitious leader, who loved the arts and the written word. A family man at heart, he truly loved his nation and his hometown. He has been credited with producing some of the greatest works in the early history of the United States, including the Declaration of Independence, but Thomas Jefferson was still human. Meacham points out one of Jefferson's major faults, which is his inability to accept criticism. When Jefferson was writing the Declaration of Independence, he put many topics that where unpopular with his fellow congressmen, including passages condemning England, and the slave trade. Large portions of these passages where cut, irritating Jefferson. Congressmen said that condemning England to the point Jefferson did would lose the general public support, because they had personal relations living in England. The marks that Jefferson made about the Slave trade where removed to comply with the desire of South Carolina and Georgia, who did not want any restrictions on the import of slaves, and wanted to actively continue the trade. Jefferson hated being edited by a large group. He held high amounts of pride in his writing, and personally took offense when any of his passages came into question. Each negative remark about the Declaration seemed to Jefferson to be aimed directly at him, not the declaration itself. Jefferson inability to work positively with too much criticism affected his personal decisions, which included his poor public speaking. Jefferson did not want to offend anybody when he spoke, and would rather write than speak. He believed that public speaking would gain enemies, putting a political career in a bad place. Jefferson was sensitive of the thoughts of others, and did not want his political image to be soiled. Jefferson image was soiled though, in the events of him being governor of Virginia, from June 1779 until June 1781. The political mishaps he had during this stage of his career made him step out of the political stage for a while, showing how long it took Jefferson to recover from his broken pride. Overall, Jefferson described by Meacham is a man acutely sensitive to the public opinion around him, and does not wish to be held in ill favor.
Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham exhibits many of Jefferson’s honorable qualities, while also making it evident that there were faults in his character. One fault in particular that affected Jefferson as a leader was his desire to avoid conflict while also gaining approval from the people. This desire to gain approval from everyone in order to avoid conflict allowed others to influence his actions in various instances. An example of this occured when Jefferson decided not to call the militia together in fear that it would create hostility amongst the people, “he had followed the people rather than led them” (135). This mistake and inability to be “bold or decisive during the invasions of Virginia” (136)... resulted in the successful British invasion and seizure of Richmond. Jefferson was concerned with the opinion of the public; therefore, he feared actions that would create disagreements amongst the people. This fear was one of his greatest faults exhibited in the book and in this instance resulted in defeat and a damaging effect on his reputation.
I completely agree with Gabby’s argument concerning Jefferson’s self conscious tendencies. Before reading The Art of Power, I had thought of Jefferson as a somewhat “godlike” figure who had made vast strides in American history. I think that is exactly how Jefferson wanted to be perceived by the public during his lifetime, to the point where he was more concerned with public perception than doing what could be the best thing for his country. Some of his policies even reflected his tendencies: “ The embargo was not out of character for Jefferson. In the broadest sense, it put him in control, but somewhat at a remove, and it avoided immediate conflict with European powers” (432). It seems as though Jefferson preferred to appear neutral and, as Gabby stated prior, “avoid conflict”. Although, when Jefferson was contradicted, another one of his faults was consequently exposed: his temper. Page 290 details two occasions when Jefferson's anger went through the roof. On the occasions that Jefferson was sure of his decisions, his “commands were not to be challenged or questioned- ever” (290). This, to me, seems unusual for a man who was concerned with his public image, and only adds to the layers of his character.
I agree with Sara, that Jefferson was incredibly vulnerable to criticism, and relied on his writing skills rather than his oration. Furthermore, it seems that he was a sensitive man in general. Following the loss of a loved one, Jefferson would usually fall into a state of deep depression for days on end. In the circumstance of Patty's death, Jefferson went so far as to consider suicide (pg. 148). This emotional sensitivity led to him worrying too much about his public image. He was not concerned about who he was, rather, he worried about who he was to the people. As a result, Jefferson would be beside himself if the public opinion did not sway in his favor.
His speaking, however, is a different story. He did fear criticism, but mostly, he knew he simply could not compete with the greater orators of the time. Watching Patrick Henry in the house of burgesses in 1765, Jefferson was amazed at Henry's powerful speaking. He was "fascinated with how to marshal men"(pg. 36) but "when it came to the spoken word, Jefferson knew that he could not compete in such arenas with such men [as Patrick Henry]". (pg. 36) So, being the clever man that he was, Jefferson decided to instead improve his writing and use that to get his thoughts across. Overall, Jefferson was emotionally sensitive especially when it came to his own image. Also, knowing he could not match the great orators of the time, Jefferson pursued the manipulation of men through his writing.
Thomas Jefferson was indubitably a hypocrite. He lectured about lessening the federal debt but spent borrowed money extravagantly, to such an extent that at his death he was “in early twenty-first-century terms, between $1 million and $2 million” (496) in debt. He “knew slavery was a moral wrong” (474) but did not advocate strongly for emancipation and had an affair with his slave, Sally Hemings, for almost forty years. He was unwilling to risk his reputation, having a tendency to take criticism harshly. Jefferson advocated any means that would “improve the chances of his cause” at the moment (318), most likely a cause of his controlling persona. An example is in the case of James T. Callender, whom Jefferson had employed during the Sedition Act to speak against President John Adams’ policies, which caused Callender to be fined and imprisoned. In 1801, Callender requested a pardon and was denied, Jefferson having had turned his back on his former ally.
Thomas Jefferson is portrayed by Meacham as a man of great character and admirability, but despite his positive influences, Jefferson still possessed less than commendable traits. Meacham is not shy when it comes to providing evidence towards Jefferson’s flaws, the most prominent of these being Jefferson’s focus on others’ opinions and his avoidance of confrontation. A blatant example of Jefferson’s fear of a negative image is when the British invaded Richmond, Virginia in 1781. Due to Jefferson’s hesitation to summon the opposing militia, the British successfully kidnapped a large number of Jefferson’s slaves, “he feared mobilizing a public when he could not be sure the threat was real, thus risking the wrath of the people” (pg 135). Ironically, people were unhappy with Jefferson’s indecisiveness, which was a result of his fear of people disliking him. Another consequence of Jefferson’s self-conscious behavior was his avoidance of confrontation. By evading any dispute which may have damaged his image as an agreeable man, Jefferson also avoided making bigger changes in the government, “Jefferson disliked confrontation so much, however, that he forewent inviting Republicans and Federalists to dine together with him” (395). In order to avert from these confrontations Jefferson made a lot of compromises. An inevitable consequence of this was the discontent of others, such as Randolph, who stated: “Jefferson had proved too much of a compromiser” (417).
While some may think the desire for power is one of Jefferson’s strengths, Meacham makes a point of showing that is also one of his greatest faults. The need for power motivates him and is ultimately why he became the ambitious and honorable leader we know him as today. But Jefferson often took his desire too far. He “… always wanted some level of control…” (24). This yearning for power drives him to do selfish things, such as trying to steal Elizabeth Walker from his long time friend John Walker. While Jefferson claims to love her, which he may have in the beginning, the many years spent trying to seduce her are a result of Jefferson’s need to win. He is so obsessed with trying to, in a sense beat, John Walker that he writes countless love letters to Elizabeth. He attempts to “convince her of the innocence of promiscuous love.” (42), something Elizabeth turns down many times. The constant nagging of an affair leads Mrs. Walker to manifest horrible anxiety and drives her to dislike Jefferson. This is mediocre compared to his reasons for trying to create a bill in 1769 that would shift the control of emancipation from the General Court to the actual slave owners. Meacham explains how “For Jefferson, it was a question of power.” (48). He was trying to pass a bill that he merely made so he could gain even more control over the dozens of slaves he owned (some of which were his own children from his affair with Sally Hemings). Thomas Jefferson’s obsession with gaining power affects his personal life as well as his political life in many ways. His plan to make everyone love and adore him falls short as he soon begins creating enemies because of his many selfish acts.
Not unlike many other great leaders, Jefferson did display some flaws or faults that may have hindered his image or legitimacy to those looking back on his life. Perhaps the most obvious to point out would be his controversial stand on the issue of slavery. While he did make efforts to abolish or alleviate slavery politically, ironically he owned dozens and at times hundreds of slaves himself. However progressive his views on slavery as a whole may have been, Meacham does provide some backup for those who would be skeptical of Jefferson's position on slavery in his own household. This particular example could also have given Jefferson's opponents and doubters fuel to attack his legitimacy due to him holding what would appear to be two contradictory opinions at the same time. Another observable fault would be Jefferson's frustration and personal anguish at having his own work reviewed and to a larger extent criticized. To Jefferson, "every suggestion and demand on the floor was a fresh agony, as though each objection was directed not at the document but at Jefferson himself." (106). This illustrates how Jefferson was more concerned with his own image and views than those of a larger group when it came to his own work. Especially in the arena of politics, where criticism and editing run rampant, it would not be wise for Jefferson to hold these kinds of opinions about his own work, because over time it could impair his ability to contribute due to a reluctance to face pushback. As a leader and a person, Thomas Jefferson made many friends and for the most part was able to make the right decisions and appear measured and well-thought-out. However, at times slight flaws in his character were apparent which could have contributed to skepticism such as his views on slavey. Also in his earlier life his struggle to steel himself against the opinions of others caused him unnecessary strife in times when a more open mind could benefitted him greatly.
I agree that Jefferson's tendency to be concerned with his image, and therefore be hypersensitive to criticism, is evident throughout his career in politics. This is most apparent during his early career as he writes and drafts the Declaration of Independence. "Jefferson hated being edited by such a large group. He fairly writhed as...member after member offer[ed] his thoughts, wanting to change this and cut that"(106). This citation particularly exemplifies the criticism and editing associated with politics as you mention. However, I disagree that this quality could impair his ability to contribute. It is often evident that even though Jefferson preferred to avoid the vitriolic political spotlight, he persevered and made the decisions that were best for his career as well as the nation. Despite his hatred of the editing process for the Declaration of Independence, he continued to believe in the power of his work. "However many changes came in, it was still his voice at the core of the enterprise. And the author of the document saw his words as sacred"(106). Jefferson's ability to make the hard, but truly best decisions can be seen as his career progresses as well. Upon receiving a request to become Secretary of State, Jefferson "feared the 'criticisms and censures"... he was trapped in a familiar paradox. devoted to the stage and anxious for applause, Jefferson feared disapproval"(231). Jefferson appears to be constantly battling the internal fear of failure, however it is a battle he consistently wins. In this particular scenario, he is torn between staying in Paris, which gave him an “unusual degree of autonomy and insulation from constant criticism”(232), and servicing a larger and more important cause by securing the success of post-revolution America. By then choosing to become Secretary of State, Jefferson shows that his apparent fear of criticism is not a limitation for his career or his country.
I strongly agree with those who have chosen to discuss Thomas Jefferson's immense concern with his with his image as a fault. Jon Meacham shows many different sides of Jefferson throughout Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power, ranging from his ability to charm people all the was to his instabilities. Jefferson was a master with his words, producing many elaborate documents, such as the great American Declaration of Independence. His only fall out with this gift was his inability to take criticism. Meacham shows this almost, paranoia of Jefferson's in a few instances throughout the book. The one that I would like to emphasize the most is the editing of the Declaration of Independence. As Renee spoke on earlier, Jefferson reveals that he "hated being edited by such a large group." (106) Jefferson took each critique and edit as if it were "directed not at the document, but at Jefferson himself." (106) Due to his fragility and concern of public opinion, Thomas Jefferson often relied on writing rather than public oration. When speaking aloud, Jefferson preferred to be surrounded by "people he could trust," (128), often meaning people that were aware of his seemingly paranoia. Although he worked wonders with a pen, Jefferson's tendency to hide behind the paper did mean that he did not have the full package. Another aspect of Jefferson's concern with his image is what Renee explains in her second paragraph. Jefferson's fear of failure is something that many people suffer, but Jefferson defies this fear and somehow always seems to come out on top. Thomas Jefferson has so much faith in the United States of America, but no faith in himself without reassurance from others. Due to his fear of criticism, Jefferson often chose to hold back or stick with what he knows. This is backed up with Jefferson's reliance on his writing skills. One would think that a man of so much success would have a little more confidence in himself.
Thomas Jefferson has many faults in his character which are very apparent throughout his life. For instance, In 1778 Jefferson drafted a bill in order to protect the people from Josiah Phillips, for "committing murders, burning houses wasting farms, and doing other acts of hostility." This bill took away rights that Jefferson and so many other Americans were fighting for. This becomes even more hypocritical when you realize that Jefferson was against a strong central government in which these powers would not be allowed. Similar situations arise throughout Jefferson life and his presidency, in which he puts laws or acts in ways that go far beyond his powers. Another one of Jefferson's flaws is his need to have control over everything. When a slave refused to fetch him his horse, he called for the slave, and then " the rebuke that Jupiter endured, according to the family story, was no ordinary one. It was epic." Even just a slave disobeying Jefferson resulted in a huge reprimanding because the slave took away power from Jefferson. Meacham restates this point about Jeffersons need for power over and over again throughout the book. It is strange to think that a man so adamant in keeping a democracy was so much in need of power.
I agree that Thomas Jefferson was both hypocritical and power hungry; however, these faults are more severe than it would seem. In 1798, Jefferson promoted the idea of nullification in a resolution for the state legislature of Kentucky. His idea would allow the state government to refuse to follow any federal laws it believed were unconstitutional. This right would potentially over empower state governments as the term "unconstitutional" has a very broad definition. Eventually, the states would almost certainly divide and the United States would no longer be united. Nullification completely contradicted Jefferson's position at the time, being an officer of the federal government. This is only one of multiple instances in which Jefferson changed his ideals so that he could climb in power and then use it to do what he wanted. Additionally, he became so distracted by his quest for power that he caused the incident with James Thomson Callender. Callender had been a victim of the Sedition act for printing against the government and he was forced to pay a $200 fine. When Jefferson became president he issued a presidential pardon for his old friend Callender but, the fine was never repaid. Callender was so distraught by how Jefferson treated him that he eventually revealed Jefferson's relationship with Sally Hemings to the country. As Jefferson grew in power he started to forget about who helped him get there and it came back to hurt him later.
A few of Jefferson’s faults, portrayed by Meacham, were his inability to separate his personal and political life as well as his severe split between work and home life. Too often Jefferson denied the opinions and ideas of others because of his personal dislike of them. He once even admitted some of their ideas were okay, and not too far off from his, but because of his conflicts with the other he disregarded them completely from use. Jefferson also focused all his time on either his family or political life instead of meshing them together. At points in his life he would become fully invested in his work life and rarely ever saw a family member. A few bossy, instructive letters here and there were as much contact he had with his children. Vise versa, there were also times Jefferson pushed aside his work to go to Monticello and completely invest in his home lifestyle. During such time, he’d stay in little touch with friends in politics, hearing of help needed, but for as long as he could last, he remained out of the scene. Some might not see this as a fault, but in my opinion, it would have been much easier on Jefferson, and his family and colleagues, had he tried harder to indulge in both aspects of his life at the same time rather than so severely splitting the two up. Jefferson, though living a successful life, had his faults just like everyone of us and Meacham made sure to include them in Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power.
I agree. One of Jefferson's larger faults was the fact that he struggled to maintain a healthy balance between work and his home life. Meacham demonstrates through his writing that family was very important to Jefferson, but that his passion was politics, which caused a bit of conflict. At one point, Patty, Jefferson's wife, became ill. He would sporadically drop everything while working to ride to Monticello to see his sick wife and children. Patty passed away a short while after, and Meacham discusses how broken this left Jefferson. "He kept his room [for] three weeks (147)," his daughter Patsy stated. It is also mentioned that Jefferson was said to have been nearing madness because of his loss. As an upcoming and important leader and politician, Jefferson was not in the right place to be "nearing madness," nor was he able to control his emotions. Meacham states that "his world seemed to have died with Patty (148)." Although the death of a loved one is tragic and devastating, Jefferson was not able to focus on work after Patty was gone. Jefferson was a brilliant man, but these two worlds (his professional life and his home life) conflicted with each other. Of course, he bounded back up in a matter of time and left to Paris with Patsy; however, he was willing to drop everything at home to pursue work, just as he did for his family when Patty was sick. When the two left for France, "he did not know when they would return (155)." As committed as he was, this fault of Jefferson's created a few shaky times, especially because they coincided with the approaching conflict of declaring independence from Britain.
I agree that Thomas Jefferson was constantly facing the conflict between family and politics, but I do not view this as one of his faults. Every adult who has a job must balance their private and professional lives, and I believe Jefferson did it nicely. He always put the more important task first. If his wife or one of his children were dying, he would tend to their needs instead of going on excursions to France for politics. If he did have to stay behind, Jefferson would always be in contact with a friend involved in the action so he could stay informed. On the flip side, if Jefferson were needed in Philadelphia or Washington for an important gathering, he would sometimes leave his family behind in Monticello when he traveled. Of course Jefferson would miss out on some political opportunities, but family was a very important aspect of his life, and he was willing to sacrifice parts of his job for the ones he loved. Despite all of this however, I do believe Jefferson would sometimes let his love affairs get in the way of his job. For example, while Jefferson was in France, he met a lovely lady named Maria Cosway. He fell in love with her, and she was the only thing on his mind for the rest of the trip. Also while in France, Jefferson formed a relationship with his slave, Sally Hemings. She was also a distraction, and this relationship lasted long after they traveled back to America. Eventually, one of Jefferson’s foes, James Callender, was able to use this affair against him in the papers.
An unsettling fault of Jefferson was his willingness to trample upon the United States Constitution and its republican form of government when he deemed it to be in the best interest of America, and perhaps himself, to act unilaterally. On more than one occasion as president, Jefferson acted without first acquiring appropriate approval by the people or their elected representatives as required under the United States Constitution. Much like the monarchs he despised and feared therefore, Jefferson substituted his judgment for the exercise of free will by the people and their elected representatives, even when it meant breaking or exceeding the law. For example, the Constitution did not authorize Jefferson, as president, to make the 1803 Louisiana Purchase (389). Jefferson realized that to buy, and later govern, Louisiana, an amendment to the Constitution was necessary (389). Fearing that the deal would dissolve before such approval could be obtained, Jefferson rushed the transaction to prevent its illegality from becoming known, and executed the purchase anyway (390-1). While this decision was a masterfully timed, strong exercise of power, and greatly expanded the continental United States for a bargain monetary cost, it was still an illegal action because it was made without Constitutional authority. Similarly, in 1801, Jefferson ordered Commodore Richard Dale to undertake naval action “by sinking, burning, or destroying their (Barbary States) ships wherever you shall find them”, although he lacked the requisite authority to do so (365). By authorizing such action, Jefferson hoped to end piracy against American ships in the Mediterranean (364). True, he sought and received retroactive Congressional approval later; however, the fact remains that he exceeded his power as president by making an order involving foreign affairs and military issues in the first place (365). Jefferson’s willingness to seize power when it best served him is further underscored by his efforts to secure the congressional repeal of the Judiciary Act of 1801 and ensure the passage of the Judiciary Act of 1802 (374). Through the Jefferson led legislative actions, Jefferson gained the authority to remove Federalist circuit court judges appointed by former President John Adams and then to fill those positions with his own Democratic-Republican appointees (374). This time though, the United States Supreme Court stopped his overreaching. In the 1803 case of Marbury v. Madison, the Supreme Court ruled that Jefferson’s administration wrongly denied Marbury’s (a Federalist and Adam’s nominee) judicial appointment (375). It also established the legal precedent of judicial review (375). Due to Jefferson’s heavy-handed exercise of authority, consequently, it is now settled law that the judiciary branch functions, as a check on executive power, and presidents cannot remove judges with opposing political views in order to appoint their own supporters. For Jefferson, his decisions to exercise executive authority and usurp the law appeared to be a case of the ends justifying the means. Regardless, Jefferson’s actions, as president, demonstrated that he was willing to become the strong central, monarchical government that he feared before he became president whenever he desired.
I agree with you here Jack. While Jefferson was by no means a complete "monocrat" in the vein of an English king at the time, there's a strong argument to be made that Jefferson exceeded the amount of power he was given. I liked your point about Jefferson being willing to become the "strong central" leader. While I wouldn't go so far to call him monarchial, it's important to note Jefferson acted hypocritically as he previously was against having a strong central government. This polarization between ideas and actions is seen throughout Jefferson's life. What changes it? Power. When Jefferson has the power to do something in the best interest of his country or himself he often acts against his previously held ideals. The aforementioned example of the Louisiana Purchase is a great example, Jefferson previously believed the President should not have that much power, but when faced with the situation he acted against his previously held views. While this example turned out to be in the best interest of the nation, it is still one of his flaws. While Jack mentioned the political "trampling" on the US Constitution, the concept of Jefferson "trampling" on previously held ideas and ideals is not solely political. A non-political example is Jefferson's usage of slavery. While an accepted practice at the time, Jefferson previously had shown a relatively progressive view on slavery. This is seen in Jefferson's drafting of the Declaration of Independence where he included an anti-slave trade section before it was rejected and had to be edited out. However, Jefferson held many slaves during his lifetime and used them for personal profit on his plantation. This shows yet another hypocritical action vs. idea and highlights one of Jefferson's flaws.
What I find incredibly disturbing is Jefferson’s relationships with the different women he encounters. One woman Jefferson longed for was Elizabeth, “Betsy” Walker, the wife of one of his old friends: “a man he had known virtually all his life” (40). Betsy was already taken (by Jefferson’s friend, no less!), but this did not stop Jefferson’s attempts to win her. Betsy tried to keep Jefferson away but he “did not give up the chase” (42). Nevertheless, during this he is portraying a noble quality of being determined and unwilling to give up; however, he is using this trait at the wrong time and for the wrong reason. Jefferson should use this in politics to win a debate not to sleep with a woman who is already married and was also resisting his attempts to seduce her. Another woman yields the same behavior from Jefferson many years prior. Rebecca Burwell rejected Jefferson and in response to this, Jefferson got a terrible headache “that was to recur at times of stress” (25). Jefferson was unarguably an immensely influential politician and a key member of our nation’s founding fathers. He knew he was smart and excelled at reading and writing. Because of this he thinks of himself as higher than other men, or in other words, worth more. And consequently, after feeling embarrassed and disappointed at being rejected by Burwell, Jefferson “had some reason to say that ‘providence’ had given men like himself the ‘means’ to satisfy his sexual appetites” (26). I hate that Jefferson believed that, first off, he was better than everyone else because he was smart and, secondly, that he uses that belief to justify acting on his sexual appetites. His intelligence and determination? Definitely noteworthy as honorable qualities in the political setting. Using his determination to try to seduce a woman who is not his wife is most definitely a character flaw. His intelligence should not be used to make acting on his sexual desires appear acceptable, because, it’s not.
One of Jefferson’s biggest faults was that he was a huge hypocrite. One great example of this was his take on slavery. Multiple times in political documents such as both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution he spoke out against the treatment of slaves as property. He claims that “all men are created equal” and that “one should never own another individual like property”. Despite saying all of this, Jefferson was a prominent slave owner and owned hundreds of slaves at his plantation in Shadwell first and then Monticello later in his life. It was very ironic how Jefferson was such a strong advocate against slavery yet was one of the biggest slave owners in the entire state of Virginia. Another hypocritical view that Jefferson took was his view on the distribution of wealth. Jefferson lived in a family of wealth, hence massive amounts of money and property was passed down through his family. Over time his family developed into a powerful patriarch. When Jefferson was working in the Virginia House of Burgesses he often strives for an even distribution of wealth so everyone could live in the middle class and not a few families would control all the wealth. Jefferson was striving in office for the exact thing his family does.
In Meacham's novel, Thomas Jefferson is shown not only as a strong leader, but also as a person. Like everyone, Jefferson was a person with strengths, emotions, and passions, but also with faults. One fault Jefferson continually faced was his inability to effectively lead when he felt under stress due to circumstances out of his control and pressure to please ‘everyone’. As a politician and a leader such a fault meant he often lacked immediate responses, and would sometimes be “too much of a compromiser”(417). His desire to please everyone meant he would sometimes contradict his former stances on an issue. One of the worst situations where such a fault was evident was the Embargo Acts (1807-1808). At the time British ships had shot an American one, and was seen as “an act of war”(425). The fear of war was on rise, and while Jefferson knew taking a stance of neutrality by imposing “an embargo was a means, not an end”(428) to the problem, he passed it anyway in an effort to appease Congress. The embargo, enacted by the government, restricted trade and commerce. By imposing an embargo, Jefferson was contradicting his principles. Usually firmly against expanding federal power, in this instance he was being an “advocate of strong central power”(431). While sometimes his ability to compromise brought everyone together, many agreed the embargo was impractical. With the tensions between London and Paris already taking a toll on the American economy, the embargo only served to drag it down further. Limitations on trade turned ordinary citizens into criminals due to their need to smuggle goods. Any merchant who appeared to violate the acts was put on trial. The Embargo was tearing both the economy & the nation apart. New England was considering succession, and many citizens lost faith in Jefferson. While the embargo “put him in control”(432), easing Jefferson’s worries and stress, it did not serve the best interest of the nation. In an effort to compromise, Jefferson failed to focus on the need to increase defense for the unavoidable war.
I agree that Jefferson often lacked the ability to make decisions, which hurt the nation. Like many leaders, Thomas Jefferson possessed confidence, motivation, and personality, but he also had faults. In Thomas Jefferson; The Art of Power, Jon Meacham portrays the early president as lacking the ability to make quick and even harsh decisions in difficult times. For example, when Benedict Arnold, a former American general, led a British attack into Virginia on December 26, 1780, Jefferson, current governor of Virginia, was unable to establish or command an army in quick enough time to stop the British attack. In the end, he waited too long to make a decision and ultimately “he had followed the people rather than led them” (136) and the British continued their invasion further into the new country. According to a messenger who found him at his home in Richmond, VA, Jefferson seemed “calm and collected-too calm and collected” (135). Jefferson did not have a solution to stop the invasion and seemed to be giving up. In fact, Jefferson did give up and retreated home to Monticello instead of facing reality. He later fled again with his family to refuge in Poplar Forest in his family’s Bedford County Estate; as a result, the legislature met to investigate Jefferson’s conduct. Jefferson seemed inadequate to be a leader, since the primary role of a leader is to make decisions and guide the people. Though Thomas Jefferson was a great leader, one of his faults was his inability to make decisions which weakened the nation as the situation remained unresolved.
I agree with the above post stating that Jefferson is a bad decision maker, specifically in military terms. What is also important to note is that another one of his personal faults, his obsession with being a "golden public figure," (164) is tied closely in with his inability to make decisions correctly. When the British were first invading, Jon Meacham mentions: "It is possible that he feared mobilizing a public when he could not be sure the threat was real, thus risking the wrath of the people." (150) He's way more concerned with avoiding criticism and keeping up his image than making a decision that is best for the nation. In fact, by not doing anything, he probably caused more wrath from the people. It was unintelligent of him to just sit home being "calm and collected" when there was a threat of an enemy invasion. All threats should have been taken seriously.
Meacham is not afraid to point out Jefferson’s flaws. Thomas Jefferson struggled with balancing his home and work life. He did not know how to juggle being a father, husband, and politician. Throughout many parts of the novel, Jefferson would be invested with current events and be traveling across the world, seeming as if he completely forgot about his family, and in other parts of the novel be only concerned about his family and not his career. In one part of the novel Jefferson heads off to Paris leaving his children to stay in America with a friend. Another apparent flaw in Jefferson’s character is he is very stubborn and likes everything to go his way: “ He wanted as much control as possible” (491). Jefferson was overly concerned with how he was perceived by others and this led him to alter his views on many matters. He used his standing in society and his political clout to establish a sense on entitlement for himself. His liaisons with Sally Hemmings although somewhat accepted during this period, went beyond a sense of morality.
Although Thomas Jefferson was a brilliant multi-faceted man, he had his human faults. Jefferson’s relationship with Sally Hemings was his best known mistake. Some feel that Thomas Jefferson was a hypocrite. How could he say equality and justice for all when he owned and relied on slaves his whole life? Even Jefferson could not find a workable solution to slavery to please himself and the people. In Jefferson’s time he reflected the southern attitude when it came to slaves. Along with the south, he believed that slaves were a part of their financial survival. The third president of the United States lived beyond his means and died in debt. His estate and slaves were subsequently sold to pay his creditors. After reading the book it is clear to me that Jefferson’s good qualities outweigh the negative ones.
Although Thomas Jefferson is a considerably well-rounded man, he also has flaws as all men do. He does not hide his natural desires of love and often commits himself to a woman without much of an open mind. Not only do these desires end poorly, but also they result in criticism, which he despises most. Meacham shows that Jefferson allows his emotions to take over and interfere with his professional life. He absorbs himself in emotion and love letters and loses focus on the more important task: his career. Similar to all men, he fears public disapproval and worries about losing. He thinks he will be humiliated by losing and therefore is very competitive and driven. James Madison notes that "Jefferson had been so set on becoming president that he might refuse the second spot” (302). Because of this he wonders if his political career was a mistake, considering the amount of dislike he receives from his enemies. He seemed to take attacks against his character and beliefs personally, whereas other politicians use this to improve. As a Republican, Jefferson struggles to please both his followers and the Federalists. At one point, secession appeared to be a possibility in the northern states to rid of Jefferson’s rule. In his eight years of presidency, he was never able to please and unite the Republicans and Federalists as he had hoped.
I am going to talk about how Thomas Jefferson acts viscerally. Now even though it can be seen as flaw Meacham states "Jefferson had a remarkable capacity... to balance the inspirational and the pragmatic."(xxPro.). However, people such as James Madison do a good job of grounding him when he gets worked up. Jefferson says Hamilton's system "flowed from principles adverse to liberty, and was calculated to undermine and demolish the republic,by creating a influence of his department over the members of the legislature."(265). Now Alexander Hamilton is considered by some to be the greatest secretaries of treasury ever. Along with that many people felt that he did a great job. However, when Hamilton proposed the national bank idea Jefferson stepped forward and deemed it unconstitutional. Jefferson was a strict constructionist and argued the constitution made no explicit provisions for such an entity. Now this is interesting because Jefferson was in paris during the time of the constitutional convention and did not take part in making it. He was a fan of the Articles of Confederation which left more power with the state government. Now even though Hamilton was just doing his job and trying to decrease the national debt etc. Jefferson acted viscerally i believe because the National Bank would have to report to Hamilton and his department would get 1 fifth of their stock. So it gave the central government specifically Hamilton more power. At this point President Washington stepped to say the constitution had to be interpreted loosely at times in order to promote national well being. So I believe he was reacting to Alexander Hamilton's idea more viscerally then pragmatically because of Hamilton's federalists beliefs of a strong central government and the competition growing between the two.
Trying to analyze Jefferson’s hypocrisies almost two hundred years later may seem unfair, as Meacham articulates. Despite this time gap, there are still plenty of examples of Jefferson’s contradictory tendencies. For example, can a man who felt enthralled by power be a real democrat on a quest to provide liberty? Surely, it would seem hypocritical to condemn the Alien and Sedition Acts but a few short years down the road halt American trade, influencing the economic life of every American. Was it fair to promise his dying wife that he would never remarry and then father six children by her half-sister? Lastly, how can someone who has any shred of concern for his descendants spend oodles of money on expensive plants and construction projects and bequeath millions of dollars of debt to them? Though it may be tempting to criticize these flaws, the historian has to examine the context. Jefferson did exercise a hefty amount of power, but I think the vast majority of Americans would be much worse off without Jefferson’s achievements. Sole principle cannot guide power. He purchased Louisiana from France (on what could have been an unconstitutional exertion of authority), but its effects have mostly been good. Had Jefferson not acted, there would be slavery in an east-of-the-Mississippi U.S., we would never have had manifest destiny, and we never would have experienced the agricultural boom of the 1800s and all of its effects. The embargo was a failure yes, but nobody is perfect. In addition, Jefferson did technically fulfill his promise to his wife. Lastly, it is difficult to decide if a penny-pinching grandfather who left no financial problems or a loving one who “magically” gave his grandchildren (at least the full white ones) everything they wanted (and left a ton of debt) is better. On the other hand, Jefferson does not get a pass when it comes to Sally Hemings. Even though it was common to have interracial relationships, it is inexcusable for Jefferson. He demonized slavery and tried numerous times to downplay its role, such as the unratified passage concerning it in the Declaration of Independence; however, he used his power to force a fourteen-year-old girl to have sex with him for thirty-nine years. It is horrible to think that Jefferson thought “mixed-race children…suffered…from an intrinsic ‘degradation’ produced by the ‘amalgamation’ of white and black” (477). The worst part though is that his children were actually white under Virginia law because they were 7/8 white (they had one black great-grandparent). Until the Racial Integrity Act of 1924, Virginia law stated that people of 7/8 white ancestry were white. This means that Jefferson quietly enslaved his own children, who should have been free at birth. Even though Sally stated that her children would be free at age twenty-one, this was what Jefferson accepted to make her return to Virginia from France with him. Had Jefferson informed Sally of the law he knew (he argued about a similar law in Samuel Howell v. Wade Netherland, so it is reasonable to assume he knew that his children were white), she may have stayed in France as a free woman. Jefferson abused his power throughout the entire process to express the repressed sexual energy borne out of the promise to his wife to never remarry. Lastly, because Jefferson’s children were verifiably white, they were immune to his superstition that they were below him. This signifies that the only reason he did not behave like a father towards them is that he wanted to cover up his dastardly deed. Even though Jefferson’s actions are extremely heinous under today’s circumstances, they did not significantly affect his ability to rule, his image as a role model to contemporaries, or the numerous strides he made for the public. His children even went on to live successful lives. So can we criticize him? In my personal opinion, I think the affair was a huge blot on his character, but I think his numerous achievements more than compensate.
Jefferson was a master philosopher and politician. His image has been glorified over the centuries after his death. However, no body can be perfect, Meacham drives Jefferson's ego down to a more human level by vividly explaining his flaws. Jefferson's "Achilles heel" so to speak was his extreme desire for woman, and his controversial/hypocritical goals. Rebecca Burwell took Jefferson by storm. His feelings kept growing stronger over the years until he was humiliatingly turned down of marriage. His next kink in his chain of desire was Elizabeth "Betsy" Walker, a married woman Jefferson had known "all his life". Not only was Elizabeth married but her husband was Thomas' good friend John Walker. Jefferson again found himself in an even deeper debacle when he and his slave, Sally Hemmings had six children. Jefferson's deep desire for woman created controversy over his qualities as a leader. Jefferson can come across as a hypocrite. For example, in many of his documents including the Declaration of Independence, he speaks of abolishing slavery and how "all men are equal". However, Jefferson himself owned one of the largest plantations in Virginia as well as having relations with his slave Sally Hemmings. Lastly, in the Virginia House of Burgesses Jefferson stressed for an equal distribution of wealth. Meaning that he wanted wealth to be equally spaced out between families and create a large middle class. A goal to stop wealthy families from staying above society was to cut off the inheritance of wealth passed down from generations. I found that this was one of Jefferson's most hypocritical goals because he himself was once from a wealthy family until his father died, and Jefferson received all his wealth.
When thinking about the faults of Thomas Jefferson, most people instantly refer to his "hypocritical" thoughts on slavery, because while he found it morally wrong, he still owned numerous slaves at Monticello. That was something not in his control, because of the complications involved with slavery at the time. In fact, one fault of Jefferson (which he acknowledged himself) was that many of his ideals presented at the time were considered too radical. At the General Assembly, Jefferson expressed the desire for "the freedom of all slaves born after a certain day, and deportation at a proper age" (124). This was shut down pretty quickly, as the country was simply not ready for that radical of a change yet, and while Jefferson expressed dismay in that, he knew incidents like this would occur. Another fault of Jefferson was his strong desire for control. Being president gave him that ability to express his power and control over others, but an example of his need for power came when he temporarily retired from politics after being Secretary of State and took leave in Monticello. One incident involved a slave named Jupiter who refused to fetch a carriage horse, and the rebuke that Jupiter endured was epic, delivered "in tones and with a look that neither he nor the terrified bystanders ever forgot" (290)". This was one of the rare occasions where someone challenged Jefferson's authority, and it gave proof that his odd need for constant control could not be challenged without negative repercussions. One of the more obvious faults is the affair with his wife's half-sister Sally Hemings, who was around thirty years younger than he was. Jefferson stated that sex was the strongest of human passions, and "he was not a man to deny himself of what he wanted" (217). This did come back to bite him when he was president, because of all the rumors (which were all true) about Jefferson and Hemings, and of all of the children she conceived (all of them because of Jefferson). As a man who desired for slavery to be abolished, it was sad considering the situation, because Hemings just considered this to be one of the duties of being a slave, and Jefferson took advantage of that. This was easily the worst of Jefferson's faults, as it got in the way of his political work and presented him with more problems than necessary.
Regarding your first point, I disagree with your assertion that it wasn’t in Jefferson’s control wether or not he could own slaves because of “complications involved with slavery at the time”. Slavery was abolished in Massachusetts in 1780, and plantation owners in the north continued to be successful. Not only did he own slaves until his death in 1826, but he enslaved his own children out of his affair with his slave Sally Hemmings. Although the politics of the time may have forced Jefferson to abandon the idea that slavery could be abolished anytime soon, he still chose to own slaves, which he stated was morally wrong. Jefferson wrote “everyone comes into the world with a right to his own person and using it at his own will. This is what is called personal liberty, and is given him by author of nature, because it is necessary for his own sustenance.”, yet he owned over 600 slaves in his lifetime. I think that Jefferson's success was brought upon by his radical views, and although he attempted to move towards the abolition of slavery, his hypocrisy involving the issue contradicted his argument.
I am one that believes that Thomas Jefferson is the most effective leader America has ever had. Although this is my belief, his personality contains a number of faults that are apparent in his works and in his life. One of his major faults was that he always dreamed for the best and would not accept anything less than what his dream was. This is not a positive quality because he was occasionally unable to accept reality and would continue to push his acquaintances to a point where a situation worsened instead of getting better. Additionally, "he longed for affection and approval" (xxiii). The idea of longing for approval is not a fault in my mind, but longing for affection is. Some of his decisions were not ones to benefit America, but to win support of its citizens. It was significant to have the support of his citizens, but the country as a whole should have been his first concern. Jefferson was also very fearful of a return of the monarchy. Sometimes, he was a little too concerned. He pushed his acquaintances to put many decisions into action that prevented monarchy, but additionally hurt America. His decisions should have been based on protecting his country's future instead of worrying about its past. Touching on what has been written before this post, Jefferson was self-conscious of his appearance. This was not a fault to the public eye, but it was to Jefferson's personal character. Occasionally it affected his confidence and made him very nervous and embarrassed. This was very irrelevant to the citizens of his country, but this was a fault that he proclaimed for himself. Thomas Jefferson's faults may have been obstacles throughout his lifetime, but his achievements before, during, and after his Presidency atone for them.
Meacham portrays Thomas Jefferson as possibly one of the greatest minds in the history of US presidents, but as a man of weak character. The most glaring example of this was the fact that Jefferson continued to own hundreds of slaves even though it was apparent he knew this was morally wrong. Jefferson stated slavery was a “hideous blot” (476) but too complicated an issue to take on strongly. Meacham states that Jefferson felt “powerless over the central economic and social fact of his life” (476). While famously writing, “all men are created equal” he did not consider Negroes equal men but rather property to be owned and profited from. Jefferson continued to reveal his weak character throughout his presidency. A strong opponent of putting too much power in the hands of one person, Jefferson made himself the exception. During a conflict with the Barbary States he ordered Commodore Richard Dale to take action if necessary but asked for permission from Congress after already giving the command. Yet again, Meacham shows Jefferson doing the opposite of what he tells others to do. “Congress fell into Jefferson’s hands, essentially retroactively approving the orders to Dale and granting the president even wider authority…” (365). His weakness of character can be found in his personal life as well. Jefferson fell “in love” with and pursued Betsy Moore in spite of the fact that she was married to his friend. Finally, Meacham explains that Jefferson was rumored to have had a sexual relationship and children with Sally Hemings, the half-sister of his deceased wife. Meacham portrays Thomas Jefferson as a “do as I say not as I do” kind of man.
Thomas Jefferson is one of the most important men in the founding of the United States. Meacham shows throughout the book how great Jefferson was, but also showed that Jefferson did have faults. One fault that Jefferson had was that at times he was hypocritical. One example of this was how Jefferson handled the slave situation. Jefferson believed that slavery was immoral and should be abolished, but he still owned slaves for his whole life at Monticello. Jefferson also did not believe that free blacks and whites could live together. When asked about it, Jefferson said, "'Nothing is more certainly written in the book of fate than that these people are to be free. Nor it less certain that the two races, equally free, cannot live in the same government'" (476-77). Jefferson believed that African-Americans should be brought back to Africa. Another flaw of Jefferson was his pride. Though it is good to have pride, it hurt Jefferson at times. One example was how Jefferson dealt with his debt. Even though Jefferson accumulated a large debt in his life, he still frivolously spent money. He was always buying wine or presents for his grandchildren. In 1819, Jefferson was asked for a loan from Wilson Cary Nicholas, the governor of Virginia. Instead of saying no like he should have, Jefferson lent $20,000. In the end, Nicholas could not pay and left Jefferson in more debt. Instead of trying to deal with the debt, Jefferson let it go. He had too much pride to try to get his money back. Eventually, Jefferson had, "in twenty-first-century terms, between $1 million and $2 million in debt-so much that Monticello and his slaves had to be sold" (496). Every person had faults, including Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson did not let these faults get in the way and instead became one of the most important founders of America.
John Meacham does a great job of highlighting Jefferson's flaws from the beginning of the novel. As other students have pointed out, flaws are what makes and keeps us human. What separates a good leader from a bad leader is the amount and severity of ones flaws. Jefferson's obsession with reputation rears its ugly head early on in Jefferson's career, such as during his duty as governor. Towards the end of his employment as governor of Virginia Jefferson was heavily criticized, which led him to the statement: "'Attacks on his service', he said, 'had inflicted a wound on my spirit with which will only be cured by the all-healing grave'" (143) Jefferson was also asked to be the Secretary of State by George Washington, a position which he almost refused because, "he feared 'the criticisms and censures of a public, just indeed in their intentions, but sometimes misinformed and misled" (232) This is a major flaw because the role of a politician and philosopher is to inform and guide citizens, and a fear of criticism from them shows a lack of professionalism and bravery needed for the position. Another great flaw in Jefferson's Character that caused him some public scrutiny was his many affairs, both with married women and with Sally Hemmings. It is easy for us to condemn such actions today, but in Jefferson's time it seems as if it is more of a social norm. However this trait becomes a flaw when it shows Jefferson's ruthlessness and his shattering the trust of others, "He was the kind of man other men thought well of and believed they could trust -- unless, as one of his best friends was to discover, a beautiful young wife was in the picture" (39) Meacham also highlights the amount of frivolous spending by Jefferson, who was a man of culture and dignity, and had a lust for the finer things in life. Jefferson was in no way frugal with his finances, which would sometimes cause him distress: "wine, furniture, music, horses and linen consumed Jefferson's finances... I have been obliged to anticipate my salary from which however I shall never be able to repay it' Jefferson wrote to Monroe" (181) When you nit pick at the flaws presented it may seem as if Jefferson were not a good person, however if you compare the bad and good in Mr. Thomas Jefferson it is easy to say that the good greatly outweighs the bad, and even with his flaws, Jefferson managed to be one of the most influential people in the establishment of America.
Jefferson’s faults include the contradictions between his personal life and public ideas, his sensitivity to public criticism and his aristocratic nature. In public, Jefferson, at least in his earlier life, was firmly against slavery. He attempted to include a denunciation of slavery in the Declaration of Independence and tried multiple times to restrict and remove forced servitude. He did not, however, apply these ideas to his own plantations; he owned hundreds of slaves and never freed them. He also went deep into debt by the end of his life, because of his spending in order to remain part of the wealthy community. This connects to his love of power. Meacham repeats several times that Jefferson loved to be in control, and his life reflected that; he was a constant advocate for the power to be centered wherever he was. When he represented Virginia, he wanted power to center in the individual states; as President he expanded presidential power. Finally, he also was sensitive to criticism. He disliked entering public offices in which he would be under the public eye because he feared criticism (though that did not stop him). He did his best not to appear weak and avoided confrontation. Despite all his flaws, he still had an enormous positive effect on the United States and was one of the most influential presidents.
Thomas Jefferson was no doubt a hypocrite. The major argument for this idea seems to be the fact that while trying to eradicate slavery when he did indeed own slaves. about 600 which seems a bit absurd when you think about it. Another argument could be stated that though Thomas Jefferson tried to cut debt and spending to be less than the previous president john Adams but in turn he fell into debt himself. although some might argue against me which i understand. the common phrase "do as I say not as I do" could be used in this case but aside from that there is no way around the fact that he was a hypocrite. another flaw with Thomas Jefferson could be his thirst for power. It has been stated that he had a strong love for power which can be a very bad thing for a leader.although this attribute was not so much an issue for him as much as it was just a handicap for his actions. He was so concerned on staying in power that he was trying to please everybody which is virtually impossible as a leader of so many people. this made him very concerned what others think which some might say did not allow him to make changes as drastic as he could have wanted.
Thomas Jefferson was an American Founding Father, the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, a President of the United States, a family man father to six legitimate children, and much more. However, there is no scenario in which Jefferson is perfect. With all of his responsibilities, Jefferson did have flaws and make mistakes. Jefferson often would allow his emotions to take control of his life especially in the case of Rebecca Burwell, and he worried about his reputation greatly. Being concerned about the opinion of the people, Jefferson did not call together the militia resulting in a British Invasion. Often times Jefferson’s decisions were influenced by the people “he had followed the people rather than led them” (135). Meacham also points out Jefferson’s hypocrisy regarding slavery. Jefferson was in support of freeing slaves, however not only did he own hundreds, he was also the father of Sally Hemmings’ Children. Jefferson again let his emotions lead him to this act of desire, making it even more obvious that his life style contradicted his ideas on slavery. Often times the focus is on Jefferson’s positive characteristics, but Meacham sees the importance of including Jefferson’s flaws to portray him as being human like the rest of us.
Meacham highlights Thomas Jefferson’s character flaw as a need for power, which influences both his political and personal life. Jefferson is tested repeatedly when faced with unfavorable circumstances in politics, family situations, and relationships. Jefferson fails in these tests of political and personal strength, often letting the events of one aspect of his life impact the other. Following a time in his life where he lacked control in his personal life with the death of his wife Patty in September 1972, Jefferson needed to feel like he had power. He immersed himself in his political career first when called upon to serve on the Paris peace commission stating, “’I shall lose no moment in preparing for my departure’ (155).” Despite the mission concluding before Jefferson had begun, he threw himself in his next quest to gain control in his life, by advocating for power for the Congress to which he had been elected. I believe Jefferson was heavily influenced by a personal desire to have power since his politics were the only thing he had direct impact on at this time in his life due to the untimely death of his wife. Similarly, in the tumult of 1788 and 1789 Jefferson found, “a beautiful young woman at his command (217)” in his slave Sally Hemings, his deceased wife’s half-sister. Thomas Jefferson found an unfortunate way to exert his power, in a sexual relationship with his slave Sally Hemings. In credit to Jefferson, when wielding the power over his life, he thrived as an exceptional leader. His fault lies in how to effectively handle himself and his governing when the odds don’t work out in his favor, as Meacham addresses throughout the biography.
Despite his reputation as one of the most prominent figures the U.S. history, Thomas Jefferson did indeed have flaws that are apparent in his portrayal by Jon Meacham. Although he had great success in politics, Jefferson had a very pronounced inability to accept criticism, a flaw that can be crippling for one’s political career. This weakness takes roots even in his early years when he was starting out in politics, just after he first arrived in Williamsburg. Jefferson spent time in the House of Burgesses watching gifted orators such as Patrick Henry, but Jefferson did not dare to try and speak out himself because he feared people pointing out the pitfalls in his speaking, so he turned his attention entirely to his writing. Even in his writing however, Jefferson was heavily criticized from time to time, much to his frustration. When presenting the first draft of the Declaration of Independence to the Continental Congress, large portions of the document were cut and openly disputed, which Jefferson took as personal insults, “...every suggestion and demand on the floor was a fresh agony, as though each objection was directed not at the document but at Jefferson himself.”(Pg. 106).
Though Thomas Jefferson is a celebrated founder of the U.S., his character is not without faults. One of these faults is his relaxed moral judgment when it comes to other men's wives. It was not necessarily unheard of that he had feelings for others wives, but the fact that he found it acceptable to act upon them shows a certain lack of decency. He tried to seduce Elizabeth Walker, who happened to be married to a friend Jefferson had known for many years. Jefferson's disregard for his old friend is shocking and sad in the way that his friend trusted him, not unlike the way the American people would trust him to run their government. Jefferson also set himself up to fail yet again by forming a romantic attachment to Maria Hadfield, another married woman. Even though she was more susceptive to Jefferson's advances than Mrs. Walker had been, it does not change the fact that Jefferson once again went after what he knew he could never truly have. Jefferson's tendency to go after unavailable women is not only one of his biggest faults but also shows that he lacked the confidence to try to establish a relationship that had any hope of commitment and real feelings.
“Philosophers think; politicians maneuver. Jefferson’s genius is that he was both and could do both, often simultaneously. Such is the art of power” (xx). Jefferson was always looking for ways to better America. Jefferson wanted America to be strong and unified because he knew that would earn respect from other countries. In his travels to Paris he negotiated treaties and improved trade. By using his philosophies he “translated the best of the old world to the new and explained the benefits of the new to the old” (189). Jefferson loved having power and did everything he could to maintain it. Both the Louisiana Purchase and the embargo of 1807 showed his ability to apply his ideals to present situations. The embargo stopped, for the time being, a war with Britain. “The story of the Louisiana Purchase is one of strength, of Thomas Jefferson’s adaptability, and most important, his determination…” (384). Jefferson effectively exercises the art of power by thinking through his actions, then executing them for the benefit of America. An effective leader is one, like Jefferson, who captivates their follower’s emotions, connects with them and affects the future with the execution of their vision.
Although Thomas Jefferson is one of the most influential leaders in history, he, like any other human, had severe faults, including an unrelenting need for power, an uncanny ability to contradict himself, and little restraint when pertaining to money. Meacham portrays Jefferson as a man who is constantly in search of power, but Jefferson himself was a quiet person. Because he couldn't achieve power using his voice, Jefferson took to writing. However, when he wrote his most famous piece of all and arguably the most important document in USA history, the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson still couldn't bear edits being made to his work, which in his mind may have been reducing his power. Jefferson also shows a dangerous thirst for power during his relationship with Monticello slave, Sally Hemings. Additionally, Meacham clearly portrays Jefferson as a hypocrite, specifically pertaining to slavery and inheritance of property. Jefferson was an advocate for slaves' rights beginning during his time as a circuit lawyer, however, he hypocritically had many slaves, and blatantly disrespected his children which he conceived during a relationship with slave Sally Hemings. Additionally, after his father's death, Jefferson inherited vast amounts of territory and land, but on the contrary, he was an advocate for distributing estate. Finally, Thomas Jefferson showed little regard for money and spent it whimsically throughout his life, resulting in a severe debt issue towards the end of his life. Although he may have been accustomed to wealth as he grew up in a well-off family, that is still no excuse for a man who managed the debt of the United State as president tremendously (he cut it from $83 million down to about $55 million). In conclusion, Thomas Jefferson, just like every other human, had severe character faults, but these setbacks should certainly not take away from the remarkable achievements of one of the most influential Americans to ever live. Jon Meacham definitely portrays him as a man who certainly contradicted himself, needed power and resisted criticism, and didn't exert total control over his wealth, but this man was still crucial to the success of our country and should be remembered for the many positives in his life.
I agree with all of your points on Jefferson's flaws. His moral flaws, particularly his hypocritical nature was an unusual fault as it was by a man who is often portrayed as so focused. Jefferson was a determined man and wanted everything to be done his way, also linked to his close-mindedness with criticism. He had a clear cut way of how he wanted things to be done and took any criticism as an insult. However, he had no problem with owning about 600 slaves over the course of his life and banning international slave trade for the United States later on. Jefferson's hypocritical ways were not his only moral flaw. Jefferson fathered several children with his slave against his wife's wish of him to never have a serious relationship after she died. Even in his youth, Jefferson chased after women who already had husbands and clearly were not interested in him. While Jefferson was a successful politician, he contradicted himself and struggled to make good decisions in his relationships.
Although brilliant, Jefferson possessed many faults throughout his life. One of the largest imperfections Jefferson exhibited was the thirst for power and control. Described on page 258, “…control was something Jefferson never liked seeing in other men’s hands.” Evident during the American Revolution, Jefferson’s “…instincts for control and for action drove him from Monticello to a neighboring peak known as Montalto and as Carters Mountain.” (139) to possibly spot the British nearing his home. While not his responsibility, Jefferson’s desire to have the knowledge for himself drove him to commit this act. Jefferson also demonstrated control by placing the embargo in 1807 during the Napoleonic Wars, which put him in charge of French and English trade. Jefferson’s ultimate selfishness when wanting power caused him to create many enemies throughout his life. Another fault of Jefferson was his hypocrisy, especially with slavery. In both the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson writes about how slaves should not be seen as property, but as people when in fact he himself was the owner of 200+ slaves. Even though Jefferson was advocating for change seeing “slavery only as a tragedy” (476), he could not help but own slaves himself.
While I agree with you that Jefferson had a thirst for power and control,I do not see his ambitious behavior necessarily as a fault. In the example given during the American Revolution, I see Jefferson’s desire to be one of the first to see if the British were marching toward his home as a virtue. It shows that he chose action over inaction by taking matters into his own hands to obtain first hand information on the British’s whereabouts. As for the embargo in 1807, Jefferson actually gave up control and power in the trade relationships with France and England by cutting out American trade. So overall, while Jefferson may have wanted control and power he recognized the need to give it up when the situation demanded such actions
Thomas Jefferson was a devoted public servant, genius and perhaps one of the greatest politicians in American history. Yet, in the book “Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power”, author Jon Meacham does not portray Jefferson as a faultless man. One fault that Meacham highlights is Jefferson’s relationships with women. Throughout his marriage, Jefferson was committed to his wife, Martha. On her deathbed, he promised Martha that he would not remarry and Jefferson stayed true to this promise. However, he would have a variety of frowned-upon affairs. Jefferson’s history with taboo romance did not begin with the death of his wife. In his younger years, he chased after the wife of his close friend John Walker. Elizabeth Walker wanted nothing to do with the infatuations of Jefferson, but this did not stop him from pursuing Elizabeth for a period of many years. Not even the fact she was his best-friend’s wife stopped Jefferson from trying to claim what he wanted. As Meacham phrases it, Thomas Jefferson was “Attractive and virile, a powerful and charismatic man, he wanted what he wanted and he did not give up easily.” (40). After the death of his wife, Jefferson embarked on an affair with a married woman in France.. On this occasion, the woman was Maria Cosway, and she was married to a man by the name of Richard Cosway. Jefferson’s interest in her seemed to begin from the very moment the pair met and continued for a number of months. The two shared many romantic escapades over the course of their time together and as Jefferson said, in reference to one of their daily escapades, “when one took a retrospect of the day, what a mass of happiness we travelled over!” (200). Their fleeting romance would not last long, and when Jefferson returned to the states, he would embark on his most infamous romantic interest. In September of 1803 James T. Callender published allegations that Jefferson engaged in a relationship with one of his slaves, Sally Hemings. The report alleged that, “By this wench Sally, our president has had several children.” and that additionally her eldest son is, “... said to bear a striking resemblance to… the president himself.” (378). Jefferson never acknowledged or denied the allegations made by Callender, but Meacham treats the affair with Hemings as fact. The relationship is said to have carried on for a fair portion of Jefferson’s life, and resulted in the birth of as many as six children. This type of relationship between slave owner and slave was not uncommon in Jefferson’s time though, and the revelations by Callender did little to harm Jefferson’s political career. What these three incidents call into question are the morals of Thomas Jefferson and how he was willing to compromise them to get what he wanted, no matter what the consequences. While this proved to be questionable in his personal and romantic life, it was Jefferson’s ability to seize control and establishing himself as the man in charge that proved to be an important tactic in his political life.
Though an effective leader and progressive president, Thomas Jefferson, like all men, had his share of flaws. Jefferson's hypocrisy was perhaps his most outwardly apparent flaw, and this fault is best highlighted through his views on slavery. Though Jefferson tried multiple times to bring freedom to slaves, he himself owned over 600 slaves in his lifetime, and Monticello essentially ran on slave labor. Jefferson also had 6 children with Sally Hemings, one of his slaves, and he enslaved these children until age 21, and he only freed the children because of an agreement with Hemings in which he was backed into a corner. Jefferson's intentions on the important issue of slavery were well-founded, however the irony is evident.
Another major flaw of Jefferson's was his infatuation with the public's opinion of him. He often put himself into situations solely because he worried about how the public would perceive him. Even when drafting the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson took each suggestion for a change to the document as a personal insult directed at himself and not at the document. Though this fault does also have the benefit of working in his favor at times, as a leader, Jefferson would have been aided by being less concerned with criticism. Overall, Jefferson was a strong, capable leader with a great dedication to the republicanism that he so believed in, however, he, like all men, was not without his flaws.
Thomas Jefferson was a quintessential leader in the making of our country, but even a man with such knowledge and power can have flaws. During his early years in politics, Jefferson's youth somewhat took the best of him when he met Elizabeth "Betsy" Walker, the wife of John Walker, which was one of Jefferson's closest friends. He became so infatuated with her he constantly sent love letters, trying to persuade her to leave her husband. He became to optimistic and overly indulged in his love for her, he was in the end left heart broken and lost his best friend. Another one of Jefferson's flaws was his unwillingness to accept criticism. Meacham brings up a point which basically states that, a sensitive man involved in politics is a contradictory statement. I completely agree with this. Politics is debate, criticism, and compromise, so how can one who is so involved in it, reject it at the same time? For example, when congressman were editing Jefferson's Declaration of Independence, Meacham states, "Jefferson hated being edited by a large group... as though each objection was not directed at the document but at Jefferson himself" (106). He became too attached to his writing and was incredibly stubborn to the fact that not everyone will agree with him. Jefferson became very complicated and hypocritical when it came to the issue of slavery, something that was revised immensely in the Declaration of Independence. He was against the slave trade and believed slavery effected society poorly. But come to find out, Jefferson was one of the largest slave owners in Virginia. He believed they were ordinary people, but he still used them as his own slaves.
Like fleas on a mutt, the debate of Thomas Jefferson's character is riddled with controversy. Is this appraised leader, one of our own founding fathers, a hypocrite? a racist? While arguing for one side or the other, it is imperative to keep in mind Emily Dickinson's famous quote: "Today makes yesterday mean". That is, don't charge the past with crimes of the present. One apparent flaw in Jefferson's character steams from his physical relations with his slave, Sally Hemings. In Notes on the State of Virginia, he claims that blacks are inferior to whites and goes as far to say that miscegenation between the two is a crime against nature. The hypocrisy here is clear. Jefferson publicly displays his disapproval of having sexual relations with blacks, yet privately impregnates one of his own slaves. Another example of Thomas acting acting carelessly is in regard to his extravagant spending. Due to constant additions to Monticello and luxurious house dinners, Jefferson had accumulated more than 100,000 dollars in debt (several million in today's currency) at the end of his life. This inability to cut spending led to public embarrassment when he had to plead for a lottery to be held in order to help decrease the debts. Furthermore, after Jefferson's death, relatives had to watch in dismay as his cherished possessions, including Monticello, were auctioned off. These faults by no means makes our third president unintelligent or wicked. It reminds us, however, of one crucial thing: Jefferson was human.
Meacham portrays Jefferson as a strong leader and president of the United States but he is not afraid to point out Jefferson’s flaws. One of Jefferson’s major flaws is his hypocritical nature, especially when dealing with the topic of slaves. The most commonly known line in the Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson, is “All men are created equal.” During his lifetime, Jefferson owned more than 600 slaves. How are all men equal if one can be considered property of another? Another major fault of Jefferson is that he pursued a relationship with one of his slaves, Sally Hemings. Hemings bore children because of this relationship, children with Jefferson’s blood, and he kept them enslaved until the age of twenty-one.
Jon Meacham highlights many reasons why Thomas Jefferson was an important leader in American history, but did not try to hide his faults. Many of Jefferson’s political actions were contradicted in how he lived his social life. On the topic of slaves, Jefferson put an effort in for “the permission of the emancipation of slaves” (48). He tried on different occasions to achieve better situations for enslaved people, but Jefferson himself owned more than 600 slaves. Considering the time period it was very common to own slaves, but because of Jefferson’s actions to try and get emancipation for them, it doesn’t make sense for him to own so many. Another one of Jefferson’s faults is his constant wasting of money, even when he was in debt. Jefferson greatly helped the American cause by lowering the national debt from $83 million to $57 million but had no restraint in his own spending. According to family members, Jefferson was always buying presents for his grandchildren. Anything they wanted he would buy for them, resulting in about $1-2 million in debt after he died. Jefferson’s attributes shined over his faults, but that does not mean he did not have them.
Although Jefferson was a politically competent leader who helped shape the foundation of American government he, not unlike other politicians of his day, was tainted with flaws. Where hypocrisy, a somewhat ambitious desire for power, and unsavory views towards slavery were prominent foibles in Jefferson’s character, his lack of confrontational skills and unorthodox political beliefs proved to hurt Jefferson when it came to relationships with the public. When it came to confrontation, Jefferson chose “comity over controversy” (10), a character choice, which helped him avoid face-to-face relations from an early age. Often instead of choosing to address concerns and discontent, he would choose to avoid it, a characteristic that could be viewed as either cowardly or a sign of a certain collectiveness. Because of Jefferson’s acute sensitivity to public opinion, I see his lack of confrontational skills as flaw because of his fear of exposing himself to criticism. Additionally, while Jefferson’s complementary balance of philosophy and politics was a strength as it was successfully innovative, some of his enlightenment ideals applied to politics were too forward for the time. While Jefferson believed that in order to make progress, influence should not be extracted from the past, by rather drawn from new ideas, some of his beliefs were too radical for a time in the presence of great foundational change. While his enlightened reason is part of what made him such a successful politician, at times he turned the other cheek to the orthodox conformist views of the time, which often made him seem “too democratic” and “too enlightened” (248).
Though Thomas Jefferson was a great man he was nit immune to the human condition and did have his faults. Jefferson was a class A hypocrite and nothing displays this better than the situation he got himself into regarding slaves. He was the owner of over 600 slaves in his lifetime, while at the same time advocating for the freedom of the slaves. Even more concerning about this situation is the fact that Jefferson had sexual intercourse with a slave named Sally Hemmings that resulted in the production of six children. This is not the only time Jefferson commited transgressions romantically as seen by the time he tried to court his good friend John Walkers wife, Betsey Walker. This resulted in him losing a good friend of his as well as any relations with Betsey. Though the things he did for the country were very helpful financially he himself was a mess financially who accumulated a debt of about 100,000 dollars by the time he died resulting in the auctioning off of all his possessions. Jefferson also inherited most of the property that he owned but supported distributing estates, just another example of the hypocrisy he was tangled up in. Even history's greatest leaders are not perfect and subject to things such as hypocrisy.
I agree with you Mitch on the fact that he had made many physical mistakes, but you should not forget to mention some of his biggest imperfections, his mental flaws. Before the novel even begins, Meacham portrays Jefferson as a man who was great at just about everything: "He delighted in archaeology, paleontology, astronomy, botany, and meteorology... he drew sustenance from music and found joy in gardening... he was also a student of human nature" (xxi-xxii). Right off the bat Meacham has you thinking "does this guy have any flaws!" But as you read on, little by little, you start to realize he is human, and nobody is perfect. Some of Jefferson's life long flaws were mental such as his fear of confrontation and self consciousness: "sensitive to criticism, obsessed with his reputation... He hated arguing face to face leading some people to believe Jefferson agreed with them when in fact he was seeking to avoid conflict" (xxiv). Jefferson suffered consequences from these faults, like when he struggled to move on from his mistakes as Governor of Virginia. Even after the war was won Jefferson couldn't help but feel like a failure, and was deeply concerned with what the public thought of him. Instead of being able to just shake it off, his fear of public opinion resulted in an inability to move on from his mistakes. Though I do agree that Jefferson did make many physical mistakes in his life, I believe his mental flaws should also considered when discussing his imperfections.
Thomas Jefferson was a lawyer, diplomat, and politician. A brilliant man. However, Jon Meacham has shown us that there are many apparent faults in Thomas Jefferson's character. First of all he was a hypocrite. He knew that slavery was wrong, against moral. He fought against slavery. Yet he owned hundreds of slaves at Monticello. Including family related slave Sally Hemings. Next, Jefferson always cared about himself. He had lots of feelings toward women. Rebecca Burwell is a great example. When Rebecca rejected Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson immediately felt heart broken. He had that feeling for a long time which distracted him from his working life. Thirdly he hated criticism. He was criticized by many men who support the federalists. He wanted freedom of the press because he knew that it was healthy for the country. Lastly, he worried about the national debt during his presidency. He reduced the national debt by 28 million dollars. This was a great action he made. Again with the hypocrisy, he borrowed money and spent it not worrying about his own debt. In the end of his life time his debt was in between 1 and 2 million dollars (in present day currency). It is clear that Thomas Jefferson had many faults ,but we are all human, we all make mistakes.
In "The Art of Power" while Jon Meacham displays many of Thomas Jefferson's attributes, many of Thomas Jefferson's faults are also shown. One of Jefferson's many faults displayed in the book is the fact that he has difficulty dealing with tragedy. For example when someone close to Jefferson dies or is sick, it effects Jefferson's whole way of life. When Jefferson's wife died, Jefferson lost all control. Jefferson stayed in his room for three weeks before coming out after the passing out his wife (147). His inability to deal with tragedy therefore effected his political career as he was not able to do his job while he was mourning the loss of his wife. Even though everyone goes through grief with the loss of a loved one, one does not hide away for three weeks, effecting their careers. Another fault in Jefferson's character is that he is hypocritical. Politically Jefferson is always trying to end slavery. Jefferson promotes the idea that everyone is born equal and should live that way. Although his intention to create a law that prevents slavery fails, Jefferson was a major supporter to freeing the slaves. While Jefferson may share these thoughts with the public, in Jefferson's private life, he himself owned over 600 slaves in his life time. Jefferson even goes as far as to have children with one of his slave, Sally Hemings. Jefferson is hypocritical as he tells others to do one thing, while he does another.
Throughout Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power” Jon Meacham compiles a vast amount of evidence to show that Thomas Jefferson was one of the most effective leaders that this country has ever had. However, Meacham also bring out Jefferson’s many flaws. Jefferson is often seen as being a very hypocritical person. For example, Jefferson tried many times to abolish slavery, yet he owned hundreds of slaves at Monticello over the course of his life. Jefferson was also highly criticized for his relationship with one of his slaves, Sally Hemings. Jefferson and Hemings had six children together, which Jefferson enslaved. Thomas Jefferson also put himself in massive debt during his life, a debt that followed him until his death. Jefferson spent money rather carelessly, buying his children and grandchildren anything that they desired. Jefferson also lent money that he didn’t have, only resulting in more debt. While Jefferson helped lower the national debt nearly 20 million dollars as president, he made little effort to lower his personal debt. While Jefferson did have his fair share of flaws, he is remembered as an effective leader and a father to this country because of the many great achievements that outweigh his imperfections.
I believe Jefferson was a political coward. One fault was Jefferson’s public awareness which sometimes caused Jefferson to do nothing even when he personally disagreed with the masses. Jefferson’s idea that the public had to approve of everything he did made it so he could not follow through on his own moral beliefs. Jefferson, at first, made it clear he wanted the emancipation of all slaves. When Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, he included the denunciation of slavery, which was expectedly cut out from the draft. John Adams, remembering what Jefferson had wrote in the draft, stated he “. . . certainly never would oppose. . .” the ending of slavery, however, Adams “. . .knew his {Jefferson’s} Southern brethren would never suffer to pass in Congress. . .” (105). Slavery was firmly the way of life for a long time in the South. Jefferson knew ending slavery would be controversial. Jefferson neglected to pursue his beliefs that slavery should end. I believe this is due to his fear of angering his fellow citizens who supported slavery.
Jefferson also despised confrontation. This trait could be both a fault or an advantage. For example, when Jefferson was Governor of Virginia, British forces were threatening invasion of Richmond, Virginia. Jefferson’s fear of confrontation led him to worry over how the militia men and other citizens would view him if he called the militia together. Jefferson worried over their possible reactions, if it occurred, for no reason. Therefore, Jefferson, “declined to summon the militia,” (134). When Jefferson did summon the militia, it was far too late. The British had already invaded. Jefferson’s fear of confrontation which led him to stall calling the militia, ironically, led to conflict anyway.
While one of the most influential figures in United States history, Thomas Jefferson was not without faults. Meacham highlights his frequent affairs with women. Jefferson, a culprit of lust, seemed to lose all morals whenever a woman was involved. He even made attempts to seduce his lifelong friend John Walker’s wife Betsy. Jefferson kept up his campaign of Betsy during the first few years of her marriage, until finally accepting the futility of his pursuit. Even though Jefferson’s wife Patty made him promise not to marry again, he never stopped his relations with women. Jefferson kept up a nearly 40-year affair with one of his slaves, Sally Hemings, with whom he fathered six children.
Meacham also expresses Jefferson’s hypocritical nature, especially involving slavery. Jefferson advocated against slavery when with the House of Burgesses and in the Declaration of Independence. While both of these attempts failed, he still owned hundreds of slaves during the same period and owned over 600 slaves in his lifetime. However most appalling is his treatment towards his children from Sally Hemings. Jefferson enslaved his own children, and “was not in the habit of showing partiality or fatherly affection” (454) towards them, clearly favoring his white children. Although this was not uncommon during his time, Jefferson is unexcused as a man who asserts, “all men are created equal”. Jefferson declares that "there is nothing I would not sacrifice to...abolish every vestige of this moral and political depravity [slavery]" (476). Yet he would never give up his slaves to fulfill this statement. Nonetheless, Jefferson is only human, and his overall positive legacy outweighs his sins.
For every good quality found in Jefferson's character, there were foibles that went with them. Often times the skills that made him such a masterful politician were also the tendencies that led him to error. For one thing, he was hypocritical about slavery. It might not have been the time to champion that cause, just like he claimed, but he lived through a legislative decision that gave plantation owners the right to essentially abolish slavery on their own properties, and he ignored those courses of action. Furthermore, he engaged in a rather promiscuous relationship with his favorite slave, Sally Hemmings (who was half his age.) Jefferson was also rather melodramatic, especially in his earlier years. After almost every mistake made in government (the failure at the hands of Tarleton and the british as governor of virginia, the rough time he spent as secretary of state under Washington, etc) he took a period of several years to recover at Monticello. Only later in life did he start to understand that by staying in the arena after his hour of glory is over, and biding his time for a weakness in his enemies could he hope to affect real change in the country. There were also smaller faults. His personal management of Monticello in his later years I'm sure his indebted family found to be lacking after his death, and his political opponents surely found him a maddening man to argue with, but on the whole he accounted for his flaws marvelously. He appeared as he wanted, a renaissance man with the intentions of a expanding country at heart.
Jefferson, like any human being, had a few personal faults. One of his largest faults, which in my opinion costs him much of his otherwise well earned respect, is his unfair treatment of those who are ‘inferior’ to him. Although publicly he made pleas against the slave trade in front of the Continental Congress and House of Burgesses, he failed to follow through with some of his own ideas of fair treatment of others. He himself owned hundreds of slaves, and viewed the abolition of slavery as something that he was working to change for the future of America, not for the present. This shows that Jefferson recognized that slavery was wrong, but at the same time he selfishly wanted to keep his own slaves in order to make his life easier. Similarly, his interest in Indian culture led him to think of Indians as a “noble race” pg. 111, and despite this he still believed that whites were superior. It is ironic that all of his goals for the future of America revolved around freedom and fair treatment, while at the same time he thought it was okay to treat others as inferior to him. Another fault in Jefferson’s character is his overwhelming inability to get over losses. His long periods of grieving after a loss often interfered with his political life. His deep concern for the health of his wife Patty and family also got in the way of his political life, causing him to become obsessed and distracted with worry. He should have noted that maybe the source of Patty’s poor health could be linked to the fact that she was pregnant all the time – a problem which he could have shown a little more sensitivity towards, possibly lessening her health problems and giving him more ease of mind on the political front.
Although Thomas Jefferson was one of the most important men in American history, he was still in fact a man, and all men have their faults. One of the defects possibly the most detrimental to his political career was his lack of confidence and eloquence while making a speech or arguing in a debate. To make up for this, Jefferson perfected the art of argumentative writing and used that skill to communicate with the public and his fellow legislators. A second notable fault of Jeffersons is his hypocrisy towards slavery. Jefferson himself believed and has publicly stated that all men are created equal, yet he contradicts himself because he owns hundreds of slaves to run his estate and plantation. Jefferson knew that slavery was wrong yet he refused to argue against it publicly in fear of becoming unpopular and losing valuable supporters. Jefferson was not without faults in his private life either. Jefferson lusted after his best friends wife, Betsy Walker, for months. He sent her love notes and was very flirtatious in person, even though she showed little interest in Jefferson because of course, she was married. A similar situation occurred in France with the beautiful, but yet again married, Maria Cosway.
Meacham underscores several shortcomings in Thomas Jefferson's disposition, which are essential to fully understanding his character, thereby illustrating his strengths juxtaposed with his weaknesses. One in particular, his susceptibility to censure, repeatedly caused him internal agony. In the days of the Continental Congress, he earned the fewest votes for reelection. Predictably, he presumed his precious reputation had been attacked. Jefferson fretted, saying at the time, "it is a painful situation to be…open to secret assassination without a possibility of self-defense" (110). Jefferson was frequently caught between his angst over the disapproval of others and his own sentiments. Case in point, when musing on a possible constitutional amendment, Jefferson wrote to a correspondent he "[thinks] it important in the present case to set an example against broad construction by appealing for new power to the people" (391). While he did assert his ideological inclinations, he also stated, "if however our friends should think differently, certainly I shall acquiesce with satisfaction…" (391), exhibiting his tendency to submit to the will of others due to his anxiety over the risk of displeasing the populace. Thus, I disagree with the previous posts with respect to his habit of bending to the will of others. There is no pretense with Jefferson; he sincerely subscribes to his own beliefs. Agreed, his position adjusts accordingly, however Meacham persistently argues this is his pragmatism in action, not necessarily hypocrisy.
Jefferson was a man of his time who was focused more on furthering his political career than doing what was “right.” Many people are criticizing Jefferson because of his owning slaves and his relationship with Sally Hemmings. However in those days, both these things were not uncommon. His interest in abolishing slavery means he was rather progressive for the time. Though he may have wanted to get rid of slavery at one point, he ended up backing off about that issue after he lost the Howell v. Netherland case. He felt discouraged at the loss and laid off on that issue. Ending slavery was so controversial at the time that getting involved with it could hurt his career more than help it so he wanted to focus on issues that might help it.
I also agree that Jeffersons most major flaws are his hunger for power and the hypocritical double standard that he held for the citizens of the United States. Both Bryan and Zach talked about how Jefferson was power hungry and would support laws and legislature that contradicted the ideals he claimed to believe in in the pursuit of power. However I do not believe that his need for more power, it was his hypocrisy that was his greatest flaw. One example is in the Samuel Howell v. Wade Netherland case where he claimed "everyone comes Into the world with a right to his own person and using it as his own will.” He claims that slavery is unjust and that all people have a right to be free when he owns hundreds of slaves at Monticello. His hypocrisy is shown again when he claimed that passing down wealth and land to the eldest son which is known as “entail and primogeniture” is unjust. This however is the very system that allowed Jefferson to be as successful as he was in life. Had he not been born into a rich family and received a good education it is safe to assume that he would not have become the man he was. I believe these severe acts of hypocrisy to be his greatest flaw as a man and as a ruler.
One of Jefferson’s most serious and obvious flaws is his lack of self-control when it came to women. Even with women who were obviously not an option, he would continually try to be with them. An example of this is Betsy Walker, the wife of one of Jefferson’s old friends, whom he tried to seduce on many occasions. While he was married, many issues arose from the amount of times Jefferson’s wife gave birth during their years together. All of her pregnancies led to her becoming seriously ill, and eventually she died from this. Thomas Jefferson had already suffered through the sadness of multiple children not surviving through infancy, and when his wife died it left him in a serious depression for a long time. Had Jefferson not impregnated him wife so many times in so few years, he would not have suffered so much loss. After he promised his wife he wouldn’t marry again, he began to have relations Sally Hemmings, a slave who was many years younger than him. Though he kept his promise to his wife, it seems quite disrespectful to the memory of his wife to have children with a slave, especially one who was related to her.
Meacham’s book covers the entirety of the life of Thomas Jefferson. It highlights his accomplishments that have been achieved through hard work and the wielding of his power, and it also includes the questionable aspects of his life. The life Jefferson led and the ideals he preached could be used to call him a hypocrite. At the heart of the hypocrisy argument is the topic of slaves. It is no secret that Jefferson owned slaves in his life. During that time period in Virginia it was common to own slaves, so he was not alone. The surprising and somewhat confusing fact that contradicts his actions was what he vocalized publicly on the subject of freedom. In Jefferson’s first draft of the Declaration, he talks about equality for all men and the rights of liberty and happiness. He is known for writing a document thats entity is based on freedom and equality for mankind, yet owned slaves throughout his lifetime. Although Jefferson claimed that there was “nothing I would not sacrifice to a practicable plan of abolishing every vestige of this moral and political depravity” (pg. 476), he held his own needs ahead of his moral beliefs because he owned slaves for his entire life.
Going back a little in response to Marika's, I disagree in saying that Jefferson was hypocritical about slaves because he stated in the constitution that all men are created equal. At the time the term men was used to describe white land owners, who all had equal rights. Jeffersons biggest flaw that most likely hampered his way to power the most was his inability to give eloquent speeches. He managed to get around this by writing, but speeches were and still area very important and major way to gain support. And yes Jefferson was a very popular guy but the ability to give great speeches can sometimes win elections. And finally his strange obsession with married women, and women whom are not culturally okay for him. The first being Sally Hemmings, this type of slave/master affair was not uncommon at the time, and neither were most of Jeffersons actions regarding it. His denial about fathering the children was a big mistake for him, when his guests recognized the family resemblance his character became questionable. Another women he tried to seduce on many occasions was the wife of one of his old friends. This shows that his lust is almost as great as his need for power.
One could argue that throughout the novel Thomas Jefferson was portrayed by Meacham as being unperturbed, overly sensitive to criticism, high-strung, and showed apathy towards others. Towards the introduction of the book he mentioned how Jefferson romantically pursued Elizabeth Moore, the wife of his life long friend John Walker. The fact that he attempted to cuckold a life long friend, showed his apathy towards even his close friends. In our era, such behavior would be considered a major transgression against the “Bro-Code”. Meacham went on to say that “It would have been adultery, but Jefferson was too much in love to care”(40), this was only the beginning. Seducing the wives of married men, was a certain flaw the unperturbed Jefferson perpetuated over the years. The pattern repeated again with Maria Hadfield, wife of Richard Cosway. When Thomas Jefferson contributed to the writing of the Declaration of Independence he was fully aware that for it to be considered flawless, it would have to undergo severe revisions. Naturally when the declaration was brought in for reexamination, it was put under harsh editing. Though Jefferson was high strung and expected this to happen, he was appalled when parts were removed. Meacham described the situation as “He fairly writhed as he sat in the Pennsylvania State House listening to member after member offering his thoughts, wanting to change this and cut that” (106), the perfect embodiment of his sensitivity to criticism. It progressed to the point where Benjamin Franklin pitied him, and even attempted to comfort him. Although Thomas Jefferson was hindered by his many faults, he was still able to attain many great accomplishments and become the famous man we all know him as today.
Jon Meacham wrote his book with the intention to not only expose the good in Tomas Jefferson but also the bad and to also show that Jefferson did have flaws, like all humans do. Some of Jefferson’s more obvious flaws includes his inability to speak in public, his impulsive lust for women, and his hippocratic views. Jefferson was a man of politics yet he lacked what all others of his profession had, strong public speaking. This certainly was unfortunate, although he did compensate by improving his writing skills. Jefferson’s flirtatious manor was controversial in both his time and ours. An example of Jefferson’s reckless romancing is in his pursuit of the beautiful Elizabeth Moore, she was married to his good friend John Walker. Jefferson was obviously not too concerned about Walker discovering his intentions or the potential destruction of their friendship. Another example is after Jefferson promised his dying wife that he would not marry another woman, he began a relationship with Sally Hemings, a significantly younger slave of his. With Sally, he had six mixed-race children, all of which remained slaves to him. He did, however, free each child when they turned 21. Jefferson did have other slaves, which does not align with his political beliefs on slavery. In drafting the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson writes about how “all men are created equal” even though he himself was a slave owner at the time. This is an arguable topic, so in his defense, slaves were considered property, not people back then. This is why people of his time were not as completely confused as we are today about how he got away with this.
For all of his admirable traits, Thomas Jefferson is portrayed by Meacham with his many flaws apparent, including his sensitivity to criticism and his hypocritical position on slavery. Due to the nature of political life, Jefferson was constantly criticized by his peers. From the drafting of the Declaration of Independence to his time in office, Jefferson was always pained to see his ideas opposed. In drafting the Declaration, Jefferson took on the responsibility of carving out the stone from which the final document would be sculpted, but still disliked seeing his work torn apart and rearranged by his fellow committee members; “Jefferson hated being edited by such a large group.” (106). Although Jefferson was well-liked during his presidency, he still faced criticism from his political opponents. To soften some of the opposition Jefferson commonly invited politicians from both parties to dine with him at the President’s House. The hosting of his political opponents shows both his cunning and his desire to avoid criticism. Meacham also draws attention to the contradictions between Jefferson’s philosophical views and his actions, particularly in the case of slavery. Jefferson always viewed slavery as “a hideous blot”(476) on humanity, and early in his political career he went so far as to add a clause to the Declaration of Independence “reprobating the enslaving [of] the inhabitants of Africa”(105). However, due to his political and social position as a Virginian plantation owner Jefferson was unable to pursue abolition. The greatest instance of this conflict between philosophy and reality occurred when Jefferson returned home from his time in France. In convincing Sally Hemings to return with him to America and abandon freedom in Revolutionary France, Jefferson places his own desires over Sally’s for freedom. Jefferson was also torn on the point of slavery by his economic position. Being heavily indebted and suffering, as Meacham puts it, like many other Virginia plantation owners from being “land rich and cash poor”(478), Jefferson could not afford to free his own slaves. For all his determination and energy, Jefferson was never able to overcome these inherent faults.
Meacham portrays Thomas Jefferson as a highly influential politician, philosopher, and founding father, but he does not attempt to hide his very human faults. Thomas Jefferson’s indisputable role in the history of our country occasionally prompts modern society to view him as perfect or even divine. However great, Jefferson was still a man. And like all men, he had his faults. Jefferson’s relationship with one of his slaves, Sally Hemings, has been an area of criticism from the start. Jefferson, vulnerable to human emotions and desires, fathered six children with Hemings. Despite the blood connection, Jefferson treated his black & white children unequally. The Hemings children remained as slaves to their father - a sickening thought even in Jefferson’s time. Jefferson often contradicted himself, saying and believing two opposing views. He owned slaves, yet tried multiple times to initiate the emancipation of slaves. Also, Jefferson spent money imprudently, accumulating two million dollars in debt by the end of his life. Even in debt, Jefferson never hesitated to spend freely on his white children and grandchildren, further enforcing his discrimination and favoritism. He acted as if he could dismiss the inconvenient truth by simply ignoring it. These faults, however horrid they seem, are all human. Jefferson is no beast, to say so would be claiming human emotions and mistakes are unnatural and bad. Jefferson was, and still is, held in high esteem, but he was also human. And like all humans, Jefferson had his faults.
ReplyDeleteI do not agree,Jefferson does try to hide his faults by attempting to pay off Callender with $50 of the $200 fine he was to repay. Taken as hush money pg 357-359. Meacham even goes as far to say that Jefferson was following the path of an arrogant man who has made it to the top and disregards the people who helped him reach that spot on page 358. Jefferson's relationship with Sally wasn’t uncommon for the time nor was his treatment of her or the children. His giving of freedom to his kids at the age of 21 was considerate. Part of this can be result of his father dieing when he was 14 as Jefferson was not able to witness or experience how a plantaion was to be run. He also had promised to not remarry and a relationship with a slave could have been seen at the time as not formal allowing himself to not feel guilty. Concerning slaves Jefferson was bonded by his time thus incapable of freeing the slaves. George Washington held the same views as him on this subject but was in the same boat. Jefferson was a smart man and understood that the slaves would need to be freed at some point however in order for his party to survive they needed support from the southern states and such the population boost given by the slaves. The state of Virginia at the time held one of the largest slave populaton in the nation. Jefferson's real faults lay in his need for power and control shown throughout the beginning of his term as president. Jefferson send notes to his cabinet members telling them how he wants his governemnt run pg 359. Chapter 32 is ended with the quote "He wanted to know everything. He had to know everything."pg 359. This is were I feel Thomas Jefferson's real faults play out
DeleteAlthough I agree Jefferson’s relationship with Sally Hemmings reveals some of Jefferson’s very human faults, their relationship does not exemplify notable discrimination or favoritism. His relationship with Sally was not unheard of or unusual amongst wealthy estate owners, a visitor to Virginia remarked keeping one’s children as slaves “’ is very common in these parts”’ (454). He also freed each Hemmings child after each turned 21, an action he never repeated with any of his other slaves. The exclusive action of only freeing his mixed race children signifies he did give them some special treatment and attention.
DeleteJefferson’s denial surrounding the existence of his mixed race children proved to be a greater problem. Rather than acknowledging the resemblance and presence of his mixed race children, Jefferson preferred to ignore the likeliness of his mixed race children, allowing them to directly serve and interact with esteemed guests. Attacks on Jefferson’s character resulting from the evident family resemblance damaged Jefferson’s already fragile and sensitive ego. Similarly Jefferson’s accumulation of debt reflects his obsession with the public’s opinion of him rather than favoritism. In order to appear successful and to please those around him, Jefferson took out extensive loans and acquired extraordinary amounts of debt in order to please those around him and present the illusion of prosperity (479). Jefferson’s excessive concern regarding the opinions of others was a common theme throughout his life. During Jefferson’s terms in office as president, he preferred to control power via written communication rather than speeches due to his weak speaking voice. Even as secretary of state, Jefferson risked contracting yellow fever to make public appearances (277). Ultimately, Jefferson’s relationship with Hemmings , while not unprecedented, lead to a plethora of other issues harming his delicate ego, one of his central faults.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteMy first reply is actually to Jakob Wikar.
DeleteThe fact that Jefferson had to know everything does not seem like a true fault to me. I think the cabinet letter was just his way of taking control as president and saying this is how i want things done. Jefferson was basing his approach on what President Washington had done before. He even told his cabinet this "Jefferson told his own cabinet, President Washington 'was always in accurate possession of all facts and proceedings in every part of the union, and to whatsoever department they related,"(359). Then to take it a step further he said that he felt "a sense of obligation imposed on me by the public will to meet personally the duties to which they have appointed me."(359). Then Meacham goes on to say how he looked forward to any intelligence he may receive. So it would be one thing if he was some sovereign leader who was thirsty for power going around and accosting people for information. However, he was quite the opposite and tended to go about his business in an amiable way. So i found what you were saying interesting but did you find any other things to further your argument that this was a fault. To me it seems smart to stay informed on everything thats going on especially when you have as much responsibility as he had at the time.
Now Sarah
DeleteYou are saying Thomas Jefferson contradicts himself by owning slaves and also trying to free them. However, Meacham says "For Jefferson, it was a question of power"(48) referring to emancipation. Meacham aslso mentions how Jefferson says he "was making an effort for the 'permission of' emancipation, not for the kind of broad emancipation that Abraham Lincoln would declare nine decades later."(48). So in 1769 when he was pushing for this he drafted a bill that shifted control of emancipation. At the time the general court had the power not he individual slave owner himself. Now Jefferson wanted him and others like him to be outside the reach of the Governor and council. The judges not the planter would decide requests for emancipation meacham says "... the judges-- chose to define "meritorious services."(49). Now one thing he could be considered hypocritical about is the case where he defended the mixed raced Samuel Howell arguing he should be free. Now he did have mixed race kids of his own much later in life and he allowed them to be freed at 21. However, this just was not a reality at the time and people were not sure how to handle it. Meacham goes on to say how the Howell brief "suggest a jeffersonian openness to such an eventuality for future generations, but for him abolition was always to be a... reality that he would never see."(49). So my argument is that Jefferson was doing this mainly to give power back to the slave holders and take it away from the state. Which to me seems fair in some ways because the slave holder would know the extent of their "meritorious services better then the judge, but there is to much room for corruption with that. Also Jefferson backed away from this issue because it was not a reality of their time and it would hurt his popularity and reputation with others.
I agree completely with what you’re saying about Jefferson’s unfair treatment between his “white” children and “black and white” children; however, we have to remember that this treatment is not unusual for this time period. Of course, today blacks are considered whole, free, people equal to whites. But, in the 1700’s, blacks were slaves, owned property. According to the government, slaves and blacks were not equal because whites were superior. So, it only makes sense that Jefferson would treat his children unequally. This does not justify the affair Jefferson had with Sally, but it does explain the unfair treatment of his children. Jefferson and Sally’s affair is not condemned because one is white and one is black; it is considered horrible because Sally and Jefferson were not married, and the fact that Jefferson was 30 years older than Sally.
DeleteMaddie, I understand your position that the position of blacks was different some two hundred years ago, but I do not agree that the most horrible parts of Jefferson's relationship with Sally Hemings were marital status and age. If fact, when condemning such a relationship, the view of the society on such a relationship deserves the most criticism from a modern standpoint. To comprehend that the connection Jefferson and Hemings had was commonplace is anywhere from distasteful to shocking to depressing. From a standpoint where the relations were based on mutual feelings and wanting, or from an acceptance of forced servitude is downright depressing. In addition, Jefferson's refusal to acknowledge the birth of a daughter or the submissive work of a son speak to the intense wrongness of the relationship. Meacham describes in detail the repeated trials his kin are put through, as they grow up ignored by their father or grandfather. He also gives them minimal goodwill after his death and through his will, making his daughter propagate the silence his entire family has accepted in regards to the Hemings children. So, while it may make sense that Jefferson would treat his Hemings offspring as he did, that treatment was his biggest offense in the relationship.
DeleteAlthough Jefferson enslaved his children, I do not think this is as inconceivable as portrayed. At the time, any blacks were slaves, and Jefferson did free them at age 21. Jefferson also learned from example: Sally Hemings was a slave to her father and Jefferson's father-in-law. Jefferson was a man of influence and learned from his elders. His real fault is his sense of desire. It benefits him when he desires to learn and become a better politician, but it harms him when he desires prohibited pleasures. His love affairs get him into trouble and causes tremendous amounts of criticism. Desire is a human emotion, and he cannot be deemed a monster for feeling, as said above. Meacham does not hesitate to show his faults and I agree that although with flaws, Jefferson is deservedly held in high esteem. However, I do not agree his morals around slavery are as big a fault as described considering the times and circumstances.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with what you have stated, especially the part about desire. Meacham definatly stresses the fact that desire and other things such as tragedy got in the way of Jefferson's professional life and even goes far enough to give us a different view on the American Hero. One certain example that comes to mind is his pursuit for the soon to be married Elizabeth Moore. Jefferson's long and obnoxious ploy to prove the "innocence of promiscuous love" is just plain humiliating especially in the time period that he lived in. It also shows that he learned nothing from the heart breaking rejection by Rebecca Burwell; to which he stayed gloom about for months. Even when Elizabeth eventually got married to his best friend, John Walker, Jefferson's compassionate interest in women still got the best of him. He was in no place or mood to celebrate the happiness of another man including his best friend and was only looking for personal gain.
DeleteTragedy had about the same affect on Jefferson as desire. When the Shadwell burned down, Jefferson quickly turned from a powerful man of the house to a devestated lonely man. Instead of figuring out a solution to the problem, he begins thinking of the worst case scenarios such as pleading for advice and aid to somehow replace his books and years of paper work or even moving away to begin somewhere new. The rapid breakdown of Jefferson's character at the time is a bit surprising due to the fact that he was a strong and convincing lawyer. All and all, as you have pretty much summed up above, Jefferson is a human being just like any other person and must deal with the faults in his life.
Lauren, I understand your salute to the power of human emotion, but I don’t think we can excuse Jefferson’s political or personal strategy on the subject of slavery, especially when idealizing him as one of the nation’s most respected presidents. The time is never fully right for change, but Americans have proven that over time it is feasible. If Jefferson truly believed that slavery was atrocious and immoral, he should have emancipated his slaves. Jeffersonian advocates may argue that his plantation was too vast for paid labor or that slavery was simply consistent with the characteristics of his time. Firstly, Jefferson could have maintained a smaller home, one that did not require extraordinary amounts of maintenance and production labor. Secondly, if he truly were an abolitionist, he should not have (allegedly) repeatedly impregnated and statutorily raped Sally Hemings, the 15-year- old friend of his daughter. By having an affair with a young slave, he was able to execute his dominance without possibility of disproval or critique, his greatest fears, for she had no authority to reject him. Furthermore, he enslaved the children of this affair, and according to Monticello’s modern website, “A nailery manager and overseer at Monticello for five years whipped James Hemings three times in a single day, even when he was too ill ‘to raise his head’” demonstrating that Jefferson’s slaves were not always protected. Jefferson does not deserve praise for liberating his children at age 21; rather, the fact that he enslaved them at all is deplorable.
DeleteJefferson conveyed that while he favored emancipation and deportation of slaves, liberation was an insurmountable goal. Meacham, however, argues that “It is not as though Jefferson lived in a time or in places where abolition was the remotest or most fanciful of prospects. It had not only been thought of but had been brought into being in his lifetime in lands he knew intimately. Jefferson was wrong about slavery…”(478). I fear that we have imposed the Civil Rights Movement’s moral motions for equality on our mental picture of Jefferson where credit may not be due, and that his motives were economically and conflict- reduction based. He quickly abandoned his abolitionist activities; however, citing that “Justice is in one scale, and self-preservation in the other”(475). Just as I believe that anti-feminism before the 1900’s is inexcusable, genocide of Native Americans before it was stopped is inexcusable, and modern discrimination towards the LGBT community is inexcusable, I believe that having slaves even when it was common is inexcusable. Treating humans as property simply because their skin is darker can NOT be classified as simply a “character flaw” and to do so is to disrespect the strides we have made in bringing equality under the law to all. I firmly believe that if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem, and not only was Jefferson not part of the solution, he had a problem hundreds of people deep.
I agree with you, Lauren, and I like that you made a point to state that Jefferson learned from example. Meacham manages to make it known on the very first page that Jefferson's father, Peter, was a man who was admired. Jefferson had a great deal of respect for his father. So although it is obviously not excusable that Jefferson owned slaves and had several children with one, it is unfair to allow this fact to change peoples' entire views of him; he was still a very remarkable man. I do think the fact that Jefferson was such an advocate for the abolition of slavery, yet he owned hundreds throughout his lifetime is a fault of his; this fact illustrates his hypocrisy. However, I agree with how you said that this is not as severe a fault as described "considering the time and culture". Aside from Jefferson's views of slavery, I believe he possessed other faults as well. In the earlier years of his life, Jefferson was extremely sensitive towards criticism. This is understandable, but as a high up political figure in a new nation, he should have not allowed this criticism to bother him so much. I think that the term "fault" can be a tad ambiguous in this specific prompt and I will explain why: I think that Jefferson's concern and devotion to his family could be viewed as a fault when considering his political character. He passed up opportunities because of his family- like when he was first asked to visit France. However, it is obviously not a character fault to be a devoted father and husband.
DeleteOne of Jefferson’s main character faults was his ideological flexibility, aka being a hypocrite. While some might view this as a fault, others may argue that the times when he acted against his own said beliefs were for the good of the country and that he did the right thing, like in the Louisiana Purchase. Jefferson acted on several occasions to expand his own power, but simultaneously advocated for smaller central government and fewer executive powers.
ReplyDeleteJefferson’s immense debt is just one example of his actions contradicting his said beliefs. He spoiled his family and gave his friends favors (for example, Wilson Cary Nicholas) with borrowed money. He chose not to confront his own affairs until they were out of control, but advised others to never procrastinate or spend money before it is had. While Jefferson was faithful in his own marriage and clearly thought this important, he then tried to seduce the married Betsy Walker. Jefferson’s life was full of contradictions, some purely harmful, some beneficial to his country, and all showing his humanity.
I agree and support what you have said here. Jeffersons hypocritical thoughts are shown multiple times throughout his life.
DeleteThe most prominent hypocritical belief was his take on slavery. Jefferson fought for rights for slaves on multiple occasions including thoughts for the Constitution. Jefferson also attempted to make a "natural law argument" in the Samuel Howell v. Wade Netherland case claiming "everyone comes I to the world with a right to his own person and using it as his own will." Jefferson advocates this "right" although he has hundreds of slaves himself at Monticello, some even of his own blood (Sally Hemings).
Another hypocritical act of Jeffersons was his strike against "entail and primogeniture". Jefferson stated passing down large properties and money to a single heir created a more privileged patrician order. He wanted to stop this I'm Virginia, his home state. However, Jefferson himself received massive amounts of property from his father including hundreds of slaves.
Jefferson did have flaws like all men, and one of which was his hypocritical beliefs.
While I do agree with the idea that Jefferson's actions and opinions are a mass of contradictions, I do not find the fact that he inherited his father’s estate to be a compelling argument contradicting his believes on entail and primogeniture . While Jefferson did inherit a vast amount of land and many slaves from his father, he was not exactly politically informed or opinionated at the age of fourteen when his father passed away. The fact that Jefferson received his father's land and slaves was not by choice as much as the social norm at the time.
DeleteHowever, I do agree with your point on Jefferson’s attitude towards slavery. The fact that Jefferson made bold statements defending the rights of all humans, and yet he enslaved hundreds of lives, including the lives of his illegitimate children, is a blatant example of Jefferson’s contradictory actions. His long term relationship with Sally Hemmings suggests a level of attachment and intimacy that shows he didn’t think of slaves as lesser beings, as did many other white elite of the time. It appears that his weakness for his own personal finances prevented him from living according to his own ideals. Jefferson enjoyed a lavish lifestyle and died in debt. Even though he rallied for racial equality in the constitution, advocated natural human rights in the Wade vs. Howell case, and had a love affair with one of his own slaves, he was not able to sacrifice his financial security for his beliefs by abolishing slavery in his own household.
I agree that Jefferson’s attitude toward slavery was less than admirable regarding slavery. Jefferson’s position on slavery asks how sound his morals were on the issue. I think he had flawed morals concerning slavery, but I also think the overarching flaw in his character is his vulnerability to the criticism of others. In the eighteenth century slavery was still common, but not universally prevalent. There were free blacks in the American colonies during Jefferson’s lifetime, like Benjamin Banneker. There were also white men who didn’t own slaves. Jefferson’s good friend and rival John Adams was vehemently opposed to slavery and was never a proprietor himself. Given that there were black men that were free and white men that did not own slaves, Jefferson is at fault simply for being a proprietor of slaves. Furthermore, Jefferson enslaved his own children that he had with Sally Hemmings until they were twenty one years old, and their freedom was due to an agreement between Hemmings and Jefferson so that she would return to America with him. With that being said, Jefferson cannot be at fault of having completely misplaced his morals. Jefferson made several attempts to reform the practice of slavery in his life time, but each time his actions were met with resistance and conflict, to which he backed down from, Jefferson’s overarching flaw.
DeleteI don’t agree that Jefferson was a self-contradicting, hypocrite. He did not think that slavery would be abolished in his lifetime. Jefferson believed it “to be an eventuality for future generations,” (49) and I don’t think he’s a hypocrite for trying to oppose slavery while being a slave proprietor himself. He was a practical man who would have known that an act like releasing his own slaves would accomplish nothing on its own. He certainly understood that slavery was wrong because he opposed it a number of times in his political and legal career, but I think because of his vulnerability to criticism he ceased his opposition. Jefferson authored the Bland bill in 1769 and argued for the freedom of Samuel Howell in Howell v. Wade Netherland, but, left wounded after defeats in both efforts, he backed down from the fight for abolition. Jefferson also denounced slavery in his Declaration of Independence in 1776, but the second continental congress once again shot down his progressive efforts on slavery. The white Virginian plantation owner never contradicted himself, but he was not willing to stand up for abolition amid such criticism. Jefferson had his flaws like any man should, but in the case of this man, his accomplishments far outweighed his flaws.
Throughout the novel, Meacham shows many of Jefferson’s admirable qualities, however he makes it apparent that, although a great leader, Jefferson had flaws in his character. One flaw that affected him most as a leader was his sensitivity to public opinion and his ability to let the opinions of others influence his actions. He cared greatly how the people viewed him, which caused him to let others make the decisions that he should have made by himself. This was despite the fact that at times he benefited from this as it helped him to avoid making enemies in Congress. One important example of this was his decision not to call the militia together because he feared stirring up trouble with the people. As Meacham said “he had followed the people rather than led them” (135). He let the decision fall out of his hands as he placed it into the opinions of the people, for fear of “risking the wrath of the people “ (135) if he called on the militia. As a result of his non-committal decision, he not only allowed the British to invade, but he worsened his reputation as Governor.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Olivia, that Jefferson's inability to cope with criticism was a critical flaw in his character. A politician and a leader must understand that there are always conflicting opinions; criticism is inevitable in a society that allows freedom of political thought. Jefferson was too worried about his pride and reputation at times, which ultimately weakened him and his authority. Another fault of Jefferson's (apparent in the period during the invasion of Richmond) was that he was indecisive when faced with a large decision. In the words of Meacham, "Having failed to be either bold or decisive during the invasions of Virginia, [Jefferson] gained valuable experience about the price of waiting" (136). Jefferson deserves credit for learning from his prior mistakes, but the moments of uncertainty from his governorship damaged Jefferson and strengthened his political opponents. The crises in Virginia in 1781 revealed that Jefferson wasn't a god (like elementary school would have us believe); he was merely a normal man that was susceptible to mistakes and lapses of judgement.
DeleteAs most people have stated, everyone has faults. I would also agree with many people to say that hypocrisy was one of Jefferson’s flaws. Throughout the book Meacham makes this specific imperfection in Jefferson’s life evident. From the beginning of his life Jefferson began to inherit massive amounts of property and money from his father. Contradicting his own situation his strike against “entail and primogeniture” was aimed at stopping the passing down of large amounts of land and money. He believed that this would only create a more privileged patrician order.
DeleteAt the same time, he began inheriting land and wealth at a young age. With more education his opinion on various political ideas could change. Although still hypocritical, I cannot completely blame Jefferson or his change in opinion as he becomes more politically involved
Despite Thomas Jefferson's many reputable qualities, like every human, he suffers from a few faults in his character. The most apparent faults, portrayed by Meacham, are Jefferson's hypocrisy, and deep concern over the opinion of others. A leader must be able to make decisions quickly on what he believes is best for the community, and conflict over opinion is inevitable. His wish to please everybody and avoid any sort of conflict was largely detrimental in some situations. The main example being his failure to call together the militia in 1781 in the midst of British invasion of his beloved Virginia. He said "to call out the militia created disgust when the militiamen find no enemy in place" (134), meaning he was afraid of what the already unhappy militiamen would think of him if he called them together for no reason. The result of this hesitation being the invasion and capture of Richmond. His sensitivity to rejection and conflict was evident in his personal life, shown in his reaction to rejection by his love interest Rebecca Burwell, as well as influential in major decision making.
ReplyDeleteSome of Jefferson's major hypocrisy was shown in his treatment of other people. Despite his multiple attempts at setting America towards a more progressive path away from the institution of slavery, even trying to involve the Continental Congress, he still owned hundreds of slaves. He believed other races to be inferior to whites, and this racial belief even stretched far enough to apply to his own racially mixed children with slave Sally Hemmings. This was all very contradictory to his belief in natural law, and his writings in the Declaration of Independence. Part of his original draft included the denunciation of slavery, but he did not invoke any conflict when it was taken out, concluding that he should " fight only battles he believed he could win" (106). The part that remained in the Declaration was that all men were created equal, but he " basically meant all white men, especially propertied ones" (107). Though he showed much more progressiveness than others at the time, his hypocrisy still showed in his prejudice towards those different than him.
I wholly agree with Julia’s argument that Thomas Jefferson’s life was one of hypocrisy. Is it not ironic that the man responsible for creating a document based on freedom and equality for citizens of the developing United States owned over 600 human beings over the course of his life? I, for one, believe that Thomas Jefferson was not only a hypocrite, but a coward. In 1814, he wrote, “There is nothing I would not sacrifice to a practicable plan of abolishing every vestige of this moral and political depravity” (pg. 476). However, this is not true. By remaining a slave holder until the end of his life, he put his own needs ahead of his moral beliefs. Jefferson probably did believe slavery to be abominable, however did not possess the courage to demand change. As Julia stated, when the Continental Congress took out his words against slavery in the Declaration, Jefferson was upset, but did not put up a fight.
DeleteEmancipation and equal rights for all were not unheard of, and were indeed, reality in various parts of the 18th and 19th century world. Meacham states that “some Virginians of Jefferson’s class recognized that the blight of slavery had to go and did what was within their power by emancipating their slaves.” (pg. 477). Also, politicians of the North were expressing antislavery sentiments, and in France, slaves could successfully emancipate themselves. Many believe that Jefferson did the best he could with taking steps toward emancipation, considering the world and times he was living in, but in light of the examples above, I disagree. I believe that if Jefferson truly meant what he said on page 476, he would have made a stronger effort to push through legislation to eliminate slavery. He continued to publicly denounce slavery, but was not willing to sacrifice his own comfort by freeing his slaves until after his death, making him a selfish coward.
I also agree with Julia in her argument that Thomas Jefferson was a hypocritical individual. A key point that stood out to me while reading the biography was Jefferson's focus, as a renowned politician, on the removal of slavery from America. However, not only did Jefferson own over 600 African-American slaves, he enslaved his own children until age 21. In Jefferson's time, it is understood that slavery was considered "acceptable" or "normal". Yet Jefferson, being a widely respected and influential individual, who could have perhaps had the power to eradicate slavery from America, waved the issue off as a minor loss. This feeble attempt at dealing with this growing issue shows Jefferson's lack of true motivation for his cause. A leader would step up and show respect to all human beings. Jefferson, as Louisa stated above, put his needs before the country's needs. I believe that bringing millions of people to a country far from their own, and putting them into a manual labor industry, constitutes these people as citizens with rights.
DeleteAnother fault I found in Jefferson’s character was his constant desire to be with women, sometimes under questionable circumstances. To starts, he fell in love with the bride of his best friend, Elizabeth Walker. Jefferson was so convinced she would leave him, that the rejection he must have felt when they were married was emotionally distracting. Jefferson did, however, settle down with his wife (Martha Skelton), yet after she became gravely ill, he continued to impregnate her. His relentless desire for love continued after Martha (“Patty”) died, and he and one of his many slave Sally Hemings had children together. These children, as mentioned above, were enslaved until age 21. Although Thomas Jefferson’s actions were hypocritical and arguably despicable as Julia and Louisa pointed out, he was still an influential politician who made huge advances in the United States political system, and expanded the country to become a powerful nation.
Thomas Jefferson was a strong, ambitious, and amiable leader, however his difficulty with handling criticism in his early years as a politician placed limitations on his power. Ever since Jefferson started his life in the world of politics, he refused to speak in public, fearful of making enemies with the people whom he admired. Instead, Jefferson chose to express his opinions and voice through composing letters, documents, and books. This technique proved advantageous for him, however he grew frustrated when his work was edited or changed. Jefferson was especially insulted when his draft of the Declaration of Independence was harshly analyzed and altered. Many of his ideas and arguments were shot down, and Jefferson felt defeated. Jefferson could have argued the importance of his points, but instead he stayed quiet in fear of creating hostilities with men of higher-ranking positions. Jefferson was very insecure about sharing his ideas with a large group of people, but that skill is a very important aspect of being a strong and respected leader. Jefferson continued to grow frustrated when he was evaluated after his years as governor. These years did not pass smoothly, and Jefferson made some poor decisions that threatened his reputation. For example, when he was notified about a threat of British invasion into Charlottesville, he did not mobilize his army for two days. He waited because he did not believe the threat was real. Once he did finally alarm everyone, it was too late. After Jefferson gave up his position as governor, he was interrogated for his past actions in the war. Of course this upset him tremendously, and he did not hide his anger. Jefferson lacked the ability to accept criticism and not take it personally, and this could have come across as a weak quality to the people he led. Overall, Thomas Jefferson did value the opinion of the world, he just did not like to hear his weaknesses being highlighted.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Caroline's argument about criticism. When in office, public criticism of an official is inevitable, and the inability of Jefferson to be able to adapt to this climate limited his decision-making and potential. One issue Jefferson argued at the beginning of his political career was anti-slavery. However, after a few lost battles over the topic, Jefferson quit advocating for it. Rather than make his own decisions, Jefferson let the public sway his decision-making. Jefferson was also plagued with issues around criticism during his time as secretary of state. When first asked by Washington whether he would take the job, Jefferson was unsure, saying: "he feared the 'criticisms and censures of a public just indeed in their intentions, but sometimes misinformed and misled.." (231) He considered returning to France instead, since: "a diplomatic arrangement gave him an unusual degree of autonomy and insulation from constant criticism." (232) The fact that public opinion was almost strong enough to convince Jefferson to not become secretary of state reflects a severe weakness in his decisions. He also became confrontation and aggressive when his policies and ideas were attacked or critiqued. This could damage important political relations, and make him more stubborn about his topic rather than progressive and listening to all ideas: "Jefferson hated to be told he was wrong, and he defended himself with ferocity." (264) It was not until his vice presidency late in his career that Jefferson finally accepted that criticism is part of politics: "During the vice presidential years Jefferson became more philosophical about criticism, seeing it as an inevitable feature of political life, something to be endured..." (307) Jefferson was an important and influential man during his career, however. his aversion to public criticism limited his potential, and swayed his decision-making.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLike all humans, Thomas Jefferson displayed many faults. As portrayed by Meacham, some of these faults included letting his emotions take over, and Jefferson's hypocritical nature. In the earlier stages of Jefferson's life, he experienced his first heart break by Rebecca Burwell. Once Jefferson was turned down by "the single token Jefferson appears to have had the object of his affections" (24), he was humiliated. It took him a good amount of time to get over his heartache and move forward.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Jefferson was very concerned about the opinions of the greater public. He feared doing something that will stir up conflict. Jefferson tries to bring happiness to all, and this action often caused more trouble for himself.
Finally, while Jefferson proved to be a quality leader, many of his actions were contradictory and hypocritical. The biggest example of this is how Jefferson attempted to turn the United States away from the concept of owning other people as slaves, while he himself owned hundreds of slaves. Meacham portrays Jefferson as strong believer in the notions of the time regarding racism. It was written that though he attempted to take actions against slavery, even in his draft of the Declaration of Independence, he still believed whites were superior. Overall, Thomas Jefferson is a man with many layers to his character.
I completely agree with Katie. Although Thomas Jefferson was a quality leader, he also had his faults like every other human being has shown by Meacham. It was clear that one of his faults were with the emancipation of the slaves. he was very hypocritical of it. although he wanted to have the slaves emancipated, Jefferson still was a slave owner and continued to be a slave owner all throughout his life and even had relations with one of his slaves, (Sally Hemings) which he enslaved the children that he had with her until they reached age 21.
DeleteI also agree on how Jefferson had concerns about the opinions of the greater public. For example when he was governor of Virginia during the Revolutionary war Jefferson was known to flee. Instead of holding his ground against the British and because of his actions, Jefferson was harshly criticized at that time for fleeing.
Finally, I agree with Katie, that Rebecca Burwell and Meacham showed us that although Jefferson was a very flirtatious man and a bold man, He still had his faults of a human being and was unable to successfully impress every girl that he was attracted too.
Thomas Jefferson was an ambitious leader, who loved the arts and the written word. A family man at heart, he truly loved his nation and his hometown. He has been credited with producing some of the greatest works in the early history of the United States, including the Declaration of Independence, but Thomas Jefferson was still human. Meacham points out one of Jefferson's major faults, which is his inability to accept criticism.
ReplyDeleteWhen Jefferson was writing the Declaration of Independence, he put many topics that where unpopular with his fellow congressmen, including passages condemning England, and the slave trade. Large portions of these passages where cut, irritating Jefferson. Congressmen said that condemning England to the point Jefferson did would lose the general public support, because they had personal relations living in England. The marks that Jefferson made about the Slave trade where removed to comply with the desire of South Carolina and Georgia, who did not want any restrictions on the import of slaves, and wanted to actively continue the trade. Jefferson hated being edited by a large group. He held high amounts of pride in his writing, and personally took offense when any of his passages came into question. Each negative remark about the Declaration seemed to Jefferson to be aimed directly at him, not the declaration itself. Jefferson inability to work positively with too much criticism affected his personal decisions, which included his poor public speaking. Jefferson did not want to offend anybody when he spoke, and would rather write than speak. He believed that public speaking would gain enemies, putting a political career in a bad place. Jefferson was sensitive of the thoughts of others, and did not want his political image to be soiled. Jefferson image was soiled though, in the events of him being governor of Virginia, from June 1779 until June 1781. The political mishaps he had during this stage of his career made him step out of the political stage for a while, showing how long it took Jefferson to recover from his broken pride. Overall, Jefferson described by Meacham is a man acutely sensitive to the public opinion around him, and does not wish to be held in ill favor.
Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham exhibits many of Jefferson’s honorable qualities, while also making it evident that there were faults in his character. One fault in particular that affected Jefferson as a leader was his desire to avoid conflict while also gaining approval from the people. This desire to gain approval from everyone in order to avoid conflict allowed others to influence his actions in various instances. An example of this occured when Jefferson decided not to call the militia together in fear that it would create hostility amongst the people, “he had followed the people rather than led them” (135). This mistake and inability to be “bold or decisive during the invasions of Virginia” (136)... resulted in the successful British invasion and seizure of Richmond. Jefferson was concerned with the opinion of the public; therefore, he feared actions that would create disagreements amongst the people. This fear was one of his greatest faults exhibited in the book and in this instance resulted in defeat and a damaging effect on his reputation.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Gabby’s argument concerning Jefferson’s self conscious tendencies. Before reading The Art of Power, I had thought of Jefferson as a somewhat “godlike” figure who had made vast strides in American history. I think that is exactly how Jefferson wanted to be perceived by the public during his lifetime, to the point where he was more concerned with public perception than doing what could be the best thing for his country. Some of his policies even reflected his tendencies: “ The embargo was not out of character for Jefferson. In the broadest sense, it put him in control, but somewhat at a remove, and it avoided immediate conflict with European powers” (432). It seems as though Jefferson preferred to appear neutral and, as Gabby stated prior, “avoid conflict”. Although, when Jefferson was contradicted, another one of his faults was consequently exposed: his temper. Page 290 details two occasions when Jefferson's anger went through the roof. On the occasions that Jefferson was sure of his decisions, his “commands were not to be challenged or questioned- ever” (290). This, to me, seems unusual for a man who was concerned with his public image, and only adds to the layers of his character.
DeleteI agree with Sara, that Jefferson was incredibly vulnerable to criticism, and relied on his writing skills rather than his oration. Furthermore, it seems that he was a sensitive man in general. Following the loss of a loved one, Jefferson would usually fall into a state of deep depression for days on end. In the circumstance of Patty's death, Jefferson went so far as to consider suicide (pg. 148). This emotional sensitivity led to him worrying too much about his public image. He was not concerned about who he was, rather, he worried about who he was to the people. As a result, Jefferson would be beside himself if the public opinion did not sway in his favor.
ReplyDeleteHis speaking, however, is a different story. He did fear criticism, but mostly, he knew he simply could not compete with the greater orators of the time. Watching Patrick Henry in the house of burgesses in 1765, Jefferson was amazed at Henry's powerful speaking. He was "fascinated with how to marshal men"(pg. 36) but "when it came to the spoken word, Jefferson knew that he could not compete in such arenas with such men [as Patrick Henry]". (pg. 36) So, being the clever man that he was, Jefferson decided to instead improve his writing and use that to get his thoughts across. Overall, Jefferson was emotionally sensitive especially when it came to his own image. Also, knowing he could not match the great orators of the time, Jefferson pursued the manipulation of men through his writing.
Thomas Jefferson was indubitably a hypocrite. He lectured about lessening the federal debt but spent borrowed money extravagantly, to such an extent that at his death he was “in early twenty-first-century terms, between $1 million and $2 million” (496) in debt. He “knew slavery was a moral wrong” (474) but did not advocate strongly for emancipation and had an affair with his slave, Sally Hemings, for almost forty years. He was unwilling to risk his reputation, having a tendency to take criticism harshly. Jefferson advocated any means that would “improve the chances of his cause” at the moment (318), most likely a cause of his controlling persona. An example is in the case of James T. Callender, whom Jefferson had employed during the Sedition Act to speak against President John Adams’ policies, which caused Callender to be fined and imprisoned. In 1801, Callender requested a pardon and was denied, Jefferson having had turned his back on his former ally.
ReplyDeleteThomas Jefferson is portrayed by Meacham as a man of great character and admirability, but despite his positive influences, Jefferson still possessed less than commendable traits. Meacham is not shy when it comes to providing evidence towards Jefferson’s flaws, the most prominent of these being Jefferson’s focus on others’ opinions and his avoidance of confrontation. A blatant example of Jefferson’s fear of a negative image is when the British invaded Richmond, Virginia in 1781. Due to Jefferson’s hesitation to summon the opposing militia, the British successfully kidnapped a large number of Jefferson’s slaves, “he feared mobilizing a public when he could not be sure the threat was real, thus risking the wrath of the people” (pg 135). Ironically, people were unhappy with Jefferson’s indecisiveness, which was a result of his fear of people disliking him. Another consequence of Jefferson’s self-conscious behavior was his avoidance of confrontation. By evading any dispute which may have damaged his image as an agreeable man, Jefferson also avoided making bigger changes in the government, “Jefferson disliked confrontation so much, however, that he forewent inviting Republicans and Federalists to dine together with him” (395). In order to avert from these confrontations Jefferson made a lot of compromises. An inevitable consequence of this was the discontent of others, such as Randolph, who stated: “Jefferson had proved too much of a compromiser” (417).
ReplyDeleteWhile some may think the desire for power is one of Jefferson’s strengths, Meacham makes a point of showing that is also one of his greatest faults. The need for power motivates him and is ultimately why he became the ambitious and honorable leader we know him as today. But Jefferson often took his desire too far. He “… always wanted some level of control…” (24). This yearning for power drives him to do selfish things, such as trying to steal Elizabeth Walker from his long time friend John Walker. While Jefferson claims to love her, which he may have in the beginning, the many years spent trying to seduce her are a result of Jefferson’s need to win. He is so obsessed with trying to, in a sense beat, John Walker that he writes countless love letters to Elizabeth. He attempts to “convince her of the innocence of promiscuous love.” (42), something Elizabeth turns down many times. The constant nagging of an affair leads Mrs. Walker to manifest horrible anxiety and drives her to dislike Jefferson.
ReplyDeleteThis is mediocre compared to his reasons for trying to create a bill in 1769 that would shift the control of emancipation from the General Court to the actual slave owners. Meacham explains how “For Jefferson, it was a question of power.” (48). He was trying to pass a bill that he merely made so he could gain even more control over the dozens of slaves he owned (some of which were his own children from his affair with Sally Hemings).
Thomas Jefferson’s obsession with gaining power affects his personal life as well as his political life in many ways. His plan to make everyone love and adore him falls short as he soon begins creating enemies because of his many selfish acts.
Not unlike many other great leaders, Jefferson did display some flaws or faults that may have hindered his image or legitimacy to those looking back on his life. Perhaps the most obvious to point out would be his controversial stand on the issue of slavery. While he did make efforts to abolish or alleviate slavery politically, ironically he owned dozens and at times hundreds of slaves himself. However progressive his views on slavery as a whole may have been, Meacham does provide some backup for those who would be skeptical of Jefferson's position on slavery in his own household. This particular example could also have given Jefferson's opponents and doubters fuel to attack his legitimacy due to him holding what would appear to be two contradictory opinions at the same time.
ReplyDeleteAnother observable fault would be Jefferson's frustration and personal anguish at having his own work reviewed and to a larger extent criticized. To Jefferson, "every suggestion and demand on the floor was a fresh agony, as though each objection was directed not at the document but at Jefferson himself." (106). This illustrates how Jefferson was more concerned with his own image and views than those of a larger group when it came to his own work. Especially in the arena of politics, where criticism and editing run rampant, it would not be wise for Jefferson to hold these kinds of opinions about his own work, because over time it could impair his ability to contribute due to a reluctance to face pushback.
As a leader and a person, Thomas Jefferson made many friends and for the most part was able to make the right decisions and appear measured and well-thought-out. However, at times slight flaws in his character were apparent which could have contributed to skepticism such as his views on slavey. Also in his earlier life his struggle to steel himself against the opinions of others caused him unnecessary strife in times when a more open mind could benefitted him greatly.
I agree that Jefferson's tendency to be concerned with his image, and therefore be hypersensitive to criticism, is evident throughout his career in politics. This is most apparent during his early career as he writes and drafts the Declaration of Independence. "Jefferson hated being edited by such a large group. He fairly writhed as...member after member offer[ed] his thoughts, wanting to change this and cut that"(106). This citation particularly exemplifies the criticism and editing associated with politics as you mention. However, I disagree that this quality could impair his ability to contribute. It is often evident that even though Jefferson preferred to avoid the vitriolic political spotlight, he persevered and made the decisions that were best for his career as well as the nation. Despite his hatred of the editing process for the Declaration of Independence, he continued to believe in the power of his work. "However many changes came in, it was still his voice at the core of the enterprise. And the author of the document saw his words as sacred"(106).
DeleteJefferson's ability to make the hard, but truly best decisions can be seen as his career progresses as well. Upon receiving a request to become Secretary of State, Jefferson "feared the 'criticisms and censures"... he was trapped in a familiar paradox. devoted to the stage and anxious for applause, Jefferson feared disapproval"(231). Jefferson appears to be constantly battling the internal fear of failure, however it is a battle he consistently wins. In this particular scenario, he is torn between staying in Paris, which gave him an “unusual degree of autonomy and insulation from constant criticism”(232), and servicing a larger and more important cause by securing the success of post-revolution America. By then choosing to become Secretary of State, Jefferson shows that his apparent fear of criticism is not a limitation for his career or his country.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI strongly agree with those who have chosen to discuss Thomas Jefferson's immense concern with his with his image as a fault. Jon Meacham shows many different sides of Jefferson throughout Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power, ranging from his ability to charm people all the was to his instabilities. Jefferson was a master with his words, producing many elaborate documents, such as the great American Declaration of Independence. His only fall out with this gift was his inability to take criticism. Meacham shows this almost, paranoia of Jefferson's in a few instances throughout the book. The one that I would like to emphasize the most is the editing of the Declaration of Independence. As Renee spoke on earlier, Jefferson reveals that he "hated being edited by such a large group." (106) Jefferson took each critique and edit as if it were "directed not at the document, but at Jefferson himself." (106) Due to his fragility and concern of public opinion, Thomas Jefferson often relied on writing rather than public oration. When speaking aloud, Jefferson preferred to be surrounded by "people he could trust," (128), often meaning people that were aware of his seemingly paranoia. Although he worked wonders with a pen, Jefferson's tendency to hide behind the paper did mean that he did not have the full package. Another aspect of Jefferson's concern with his image is what Renee explains in her second paragraph. Jefferson's fear of failure is something that many people suffer, but Jefferson defies this fear and somehow always seems to come out on top. Thomas Jefferson has so much faith in the United States of America, but no faith in himself without reassurance from others. Due to his fear of criticism, Jefferson often chose to hold back or stick with what he knows. This is backed up with Jefferson's reliance on his writing skills. One would think that a man of so much success would have a little more confidence in himself.
DeleteThomas Jefferson has many faults in his character which are very apparent throughout his life. For instance, In 1778 Jefferson drafted a bill in order to protect the people from Josiah Phillips, for "committing murders, burning houses wasting farms, and doing other acts of hostility." This bill took away rights that Jefferson and so many other Americans were fighting for. This becomes even more hypocritical when you realize that Jefferson was against a strong central government in which these powers would not be allowed. Similar situations arise throughout Jefferson life and his presidency, in which he puts laws or acts in ways that go far beyond his powers.
ReplyDeleteAnother one of Jefferson's flaws is his need to have control over everything. When a slave refused to fetch him his horse, he called for the slave, and then " the rebuke that Jupiter endured, according to the family story, was no ordinary one. It was epic." Even just a slave disobeying Jefferson resulted in a huge reprimanding because the slave took away power from Jefferson. Meacham restates this point about Jeffersons need for power over and over again throughout the book. It is strange to think that a man so adamant in keeping a democracy was so much in need of power.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI agree that Thomas Jefferson was both hypocritical and power hungry; however, these faults are more severe than it would seem. In 1798, Jefferson promoted the idea of nullification in a resolution for the state legislature of Kentucky. His idea would allow the state government to refuse to follow any federal laws it believed were unconstitutional. This right would potentially over empower state governments as the term "unconstitutional" has a very broad definition. Eventually, the states would almost certainly divide and the United States would no longer be united. Nullification completely contradicted Jefferson's position at the time, being an officer of the federal government. This is only one of multiple instances in which Jefferson changed his ideals so that he could climb in power and then use it to do what he wanted.
DeleteAdditionally, he became so distracted by his quest for power that he caused the incident with James Thomson Callender. Callender had been a victim of the Sedition act for printing against the government and he was forced to pay a $200 fine. When Jefferson became president he issued a presidential pardon for his old friend Callender but, the fine was never repaid. Callender was so distraught by how Jefferson treated him that he eventually revealed Jefferson's relationship with Sally Hemings to the country. As Jefferson grew in power he started to forget about who helped him get there and it came back to hurt him later.
A few of Jefferson’s faults, portrayed by Meacham, were his inability to separate his personal and political life as well as his severe split between work and home life. Too often Jefferson denied the opinions and ideas of others because of his personal dislike of them. He once even admitted some of their ideas were okay, and not too far off from his, but because of his conflicts with the other he disregarded them completely from use. Jefferson also focused all his time on either his family or political life instead of meshing them together. At points in his life he would become fully invested in his work life and rarely ever saw a family member. A few bossy, instructive letters here and there were as much contact he had with his children. Vise versa, there were also times Jefferson pushed aside his work to go to Monticello and completely invest in his home lifestyle. During such time, he’d stay in little touch with friends in politics, hearing of help needed, but for as long as he could last, he remained out of the scene. Some might not see this as a fault, but in my opinion, it would have been much easier on Jefferson, and his family and colleagues, had he tried harder to indulge in both aspects of his life at the same time rather than so severely splitting the two up. Jefferson, though living a successful life, had his faults just like everyone of us and Meacham made sure to include them in Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power.
ReplyDeleteI agree. One of Jefferson's larger faults was the fact that he struggled to maintain a healthy balance between work and his home life. Meacham demonstrates through his writing that family was very important to Jefferson, but that his passion was politics, which caused a bit of conflict. At one point, Patty, Jefferson's wife, became ill. He would sporadically drop everything while working to ride to Monticello to see his sick wife and children. Patty passed away a short while after, and Meacham discusses how broken this left Jefferson. "He kept his room [for] three weeks (147)," his daughter Patsy stated. It is also mentioned that Jefferson was said to have been nearing madness because of his loss. As an upcoming and important leader and politician, Jefferson was not in the right place to be "nearing madness," nor was he able to control his emotions.
DeleteMeacham states that "his world seemed to have died with Patty (148)." Although the death of a loved one is tragic and devastating, Jefferson was not able to focus on work after Patty was gone. Jefferson was a brilliant man, but these two worlds (his professional life and his home life) conflicted with each other. Of course, he bounded back up in a matter of time and left to Paris with Patsy; however, he was willing to drop everything at home to pursue work, just as he did for his family when Patty was sick. When the two left for France, "he did not know when they would return (155)." As committed as he was, this fault of Jefferson's created a few shaky times, especially because they coincided with the approaching conflict of declaring independence from Britain.
I agree that Thomas Jefferson was constantly facing the conflict between family and politics, but I do not view this as one of his faults. Every adult who has a job must balance their private and professional lives, and I believe Jefferson did it nicely. He always put the more important task first. If his wife or one of his children were dying, he would tend to their needs instead of going on excursions to France for politics. If he did have to stay behind, Jefferson would always be in contact with a friend involved in the action so he could stay informed. On the flip side, if Jefferson were needed in Philadelphia or Washington for an important gathering, he would sometimes leave his family behind in Monticello when he traveled. Of course Jefferson would miss out on some political opportunities, but family was a very important aspect of his life, and he was willing to sacrifice parts of his job for the ones he loved. Despite all of this however, I do believe Jefferson would sometimes let his love affairs get in the way of his job. For example, while Jefferson was in France, he met a lovely lady named Maria Cosway. He fell in love with her, and she was the only thing on his mind for the rest of the trip. Also while in France, Jefferson formed a relationship with his slave, Sally Hemings. She was also a distraction, and this relationship lasted long after they traveled back to America. Eventually, one of Jefferson’s foes, James Callender, was able to use this affair against him in the papers.
DeleteAn unsettling fault of Jefferson was his willingness to trample upon the United States Constitution and its republican form of government when he deemed it to be in the best interest of America, and perhaps himself, to act unilaterally. On more than one occasion as president, Jefferson acted without first acquiring appropriate approval by the people or their elected representatives as required under the United States Constitution. Much like the monarchs he despised and feared therefore, Jefferson substituted his judgment for the exercise of free will by the people and their elected representatives, even when it meant breaking or exceeding the law. For example, the Constitution did not authorize Jefferson, as president, to make the 1803 Louisiana Purchase (389). Jefferson realized that to buy, and later govern, Louisiana, an amendment to the Constitution was necessary (389). Fearing that the deal would dissolve before such approval could be obtained, Jefferson rushed the transaction to prevent its illegality from becoming known, and executed the purchase anyway (390-1). While this decision was a masterfully timed, strong exercise of power, and greatly expanded the continental United States for a bargain monetary cost, it was still an illegal action because it was made without Constitutional authority. Similarly, in 1801, Jefferson ordered Commodore Richard Dale to undertake naval action “by sinking, burning, or destroying their (Barbary States) ships wherever you shall find them”, although he lacked the requisite authority to do so (365). By authorizing such action, Jefferson hoped to end piracy against American ships in the Mediterranean (364). True, he sought and received retroactive Congressional approval later; however, the fact remains that he exceeded his power as president by making an order involving foreign affairs and military issues in the first place (365). Jefferson’s willingness to seize power when it best served him is further underscored by his efforts to secure the congressional repeal of the Judiciary Act of 1801 and ensure the passage of the Judiciary Act of 1802 (374). Through the Jefferson led legislative actions, Jefferson gained the authority to remove Federalist circuit court judges appointed by former President John Adams and then to fill those positions with his own Democratic-Republican appointees (374). This time though, the United States Supreme Court stopped his overreaching. In the 1803 case of Marbury v. Madison, the Supreme Court ruled that Jefferson’s administration wrongly denied Marbury’s (a Federalist and Adam’s nominee) judicial appointment (375). It also established the legal precedent of judicial review (375). Due to Jefferson’s heavy-handed exercise of authority, consequently, it is now settled law that the judiciary branch functions, as a check on executive power, and presidents cannot remove judges with opposing political views in order to appoint their own supporters. For Jefferson, his decisions to exercise executive authority and usurp the law appeared to be a case of the ends justifying the means. Regardless, Jefferson’s actions, as president, demonstrated that he was willing to become the strong central, monarchical government that he feared before he became president whenever he desired.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI agree with you here Jack. While Jefferson was by no means a complete "monocrat" in the vein of an English king at the time, there's a strong argument to be made that Jefferson exceeded the amount of power he was given. I liked your point about Jefferson being willing to become the "strong central" leader. While I wouldn't go so far to call him monarchial, it's important to note Jefferson acted hypocritically as he previously was against having a strong central government. This polarization between ideas and actions is seen throughout Jefferson's life. What changes it? Power. When Jefferson has the power to do something in the best interest of his country or himself he often acts against his previously held ideals. The aforementioned example of the Louisiana Purchase is a great example, Jefferson previously believed the President should not have that much power, but when faced with the situation he acted against his previously held views. While this example turned out to be in the best interest of the nation, it is still one of his flaws. While Jack mentioned the political "trampling" on the US Constitution, the concept of Jefferson "trampling" on previously held ideas and ideals is not solely political. A non-political example is Jefferson's usage of slavery. While an accepted practice at the time, Jefferson previously had shown a relatively progressive view on slavery. This is seen in Jefferson's drafting of the Declaration of Independence where he included an anti-slave trade section before it was rejected and had to be edited out. However, Jefferson held many slaves during his lifetime and used them for personal profit on his plantation. This shows yet another hypocritical action vs. idea and highlights one of Jefferson's flaws.
DeleteWhat I find incredibly disturbing is Jefferson’s relationships with the different women he encounters. One woman Jefferson longed for was Elizabeth, “Betsy” Walker, the wife of one of his old friends: “a man he had known virtually all his life” (40). Betsy was already taken (by Jefferson’s friend, no less!), but this did not stop Jefferson’s attempts to win her. Betsy tried to keep Jefferson away but he “did not give up the chase” (42). Nevertheless, during this he is portraying a noble quality of being determined and unwilling to give up; however, he is using this trait at the wrong time and for the wrong reason. Jefferson should use this in politics to win a debate not to sleep with a woman who is already married and was also resisting his attempts to seduce her.
ReplyDeleteAnother woman yields the same behavior from Jefferson many years prior. Rebecca Burwell rejected Jefferson and in response to this, Jefferson got a terrible headache “that was to recur at times of stress” (25). Jefferson was unarguably an immensely influential politician and a key member of our nation’s founding fathers. He knew he was smart and excelled at reading and writing. Because of this he thinks of himself as higher than other men, or in other words, worth more. And consequently, after feeling embarrassed and disappointed at being rejected by Burwell, Jefferson “had some reason to say that ‘providence’ had given men like himself the ‘means’ to satisfy his sexual appetites” (26). I hate that Jefferson believed that, first off, he was better than everyone else because he was smart and, secondly, that he uses that belief to justify acting on his sexual appetites. His intelligence and determination? Definitely noteworthy as honorable qualities in the political setting. Using his determination to try to seduce a woman who is not his wife is most definitely a character flaw. His intelligence should not be used to make acting on his sexual desires appear acceptable, because, it’s not.
One of Jefferson’s biggest faults was that he was a huge hypocrite. One great example of this was his take on slavery. Multiple times in political documents such as both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution he spoke out against the treatment of slaves as property. He claims that “all men are created equal” and that “one should never own another individual like property”. Despite saying all of this, Jefferson was a prominent slave owner and owned hundreds of slaves at his plantation in Shadwell first and then Monticello later in his life. It was very ironic how Jefferson was such a strong advocate against slavery yet was one of the biggest slave owners in the entire state of Virginia.
ReplyDeleteAnother hypocritical view that Jefferson took was his view on the distribution of wealth. Jefferson lived in a family of wealth, hence massive amounts of money and property was passed down through his family. Over time his family developed into a powerful patriarch. When Jefferson was working in the Virginia House of Burgesses he often strives for an even distribution of wealth so everyone could live in the middle class and not a few families would control all the wealth. Jefferson was striving in office for the exact thing his family does.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIn Meacham's novel, Thomas Jefferson is shown not only as a strong leader, but also as a person. Like everyone, Jefferson was a person with strengths, emotions, and passions, but also with faults. One fault Jefferson continually faced was his inability to effectively lead when he felt under stress due to circumstances out of his control and pressure to please ‘everyone’. As a politician and a leader such a fault meant he often lacked immediate responses, and would sometimes be “too much of a compromiser”(417). His desire to please everyone meant he would sometimes contradict his former stances on an issue. One of the worst situations where such a fault was evident was the Embargo Acts (1807-1808). At the time British ships had shot an American one, and was seen as “an act of war”(425). The fear of war was on rise, and while Jefferson knew taking a stance of neutrality by imposing “an embargo was a means, not an end”(428) to the problem, he passed it anyway in an effort to appease Congress. The embargo, enacted by the government, restricted trade and commerce. By imposing an embargo, Jefferson was contradicting his principles. Usually firmly against expanding federal power, in this instance he was being an “advocate of strong central power”(431). While sometimes his ability to compromise brought everyone together, many agreed the embargo was impractical. With the tensions between London and Paris already taking a toll on the American economy, the embargo only served to drag it down further. Limitations on trade turned ordinary citizens into criminals due to their need to smuggle goods. Any merchant who appeared to violate the acts was put on trial. The Embargo was tearing both the economy & the nation apart. New England was considering succession, and many citizens lost faith in Jefferson. While the embargo “put him in control”(432), easing Jefferson’s worries and stress, it did not serve the best interest of the nation. In an effort to compromise, Jefferson failed to focus on the need to increase defense for the unavoidable war.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI agree that Jefferson often lacked the ability to make decisions, which hurt the nation. Like many leaders, Thomas Jefferson possessed confidence, motivation, and personality, but he also had faults. In Thomas Jefferson; The Art of Power, Jon Meacham portrays the early president as lacking the ability to make quick and even harsh decisions in difficult times. For example, when Benedict Arnold, a former American general, led a British attack into Virginia on December 26, 1780, Jefferson, current governor of Virginia, was unable to establish or command an army in quick enough time to stop the British attack. In the end, he waited too long to make a decision and ultimately “he had followed the people rather than led them” (136) and the British continued their invasion further into the new country. According to a messenger who found him at his home in Richmond, VA, Jefferson seemed “calm and collected-too calm and collected” (135). Jefferson did not have a solution to stop the invasion and seemed to be giving up. In fact, Jefferson did give up and retreated home to Monticello instead of facing reality. He later fled again with his family to refuge in Poplar Forest in his family’s Bedford County Estate; as a result, the legislature met to investigate Jefferson’s conduct. Jefferson seemed inadequate to be a leader, since the primary role of a leader is to make decisions and guide the people. Though Thomas Jefferson was a great leader, one of his faults was his inability to make decisions which weakened the nation as the situation remained unresolved.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the above post stating that Jefferson is a bad decision maker, specifically in military terms. What is also important to note is that another one of his personal faults, his obsession with being a "golden public figure," (164) is tied closely in with his inability to make decisions correctly. When the British were first invading, Jon Meacham mentions: "It is possible that he feared mobilizing a public when he could not be sure the threat was real, thus risking the wrath of the people." (150) He's way more concerned with avoiding criticism and keeping up his image than making a decision that is best for the nation. In fact, by not doing anything, he probably caused more wrath from the people. It was unintelligent of him to just sit home being "calm and collected" when there was a threat of an enemy invasion. All threats should have been taken seriously.
DeleteMeacham is not afraid to point out Jefferson’s flaws. Thomas Jefferson struggled with balancing his home and work life. He did not know how to juggle being a father, husband, and politician. Throughout many parts of the novel, Jefferson would be invested with current events and be traveling across the world, seeming as if he completely forgot about his family, and in other parts of the novel be only concerned about his family and not his career. In one part of the novel Jefferson heads off to Paris leaving his children to stay in America with a friend. Another apparent flaw in Jefferson’s character is he is very stubborn and likes everything to go his way: “ He wanted as much control as possible” (491). Jefferson was overly concerned with how he was perceived by others and this led him to alter his views on many matters. He used his standing in society and his political clout to establish a sense on entitlement for himself. His liaisons with Sally Hemmings although somewhat accepted during this period, went beyond a sense of morality.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Thomas Jefferson was a brilliant multi-faceted man, he had his human faults. Jefferson’s relationship with Sally Hemings was his best known mistake. Some feel that Thomas Jefferson was a hypocrite. How could he say equality and justice for all when he owned and relied on slaves his whole life? Even Jefferson could not find a workable solution to slavery to please himself and the people. In Jefferson’s time he reflected the southern attitude when it came to slaves. Along with the south, he believed that slaves were a part of their financial survival. The third president of the United States lived beyond his means and died in debt. His estate and slaves were subsequently sold to pay his creditors. After reading the book it is clear to me that Jefferson’s good qualities outweigh the negative ones.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteAlthough Thomas Jefferson is a considerably well-rounded man, he also has flaws as all men do. He does not hide his natural desires of love and often commits himself to a woman without much of an open mind. Not only do these desires end poorly, but also they result in criticism, which he despises most. Meacham shows that Jefferson allows his emotions to take over and interfere with his professional life. He absorbs himself in emotion and love letters and loses focus on the more important task: his career. Similar to all men, he fears public disapproval and worries about losing. He thinks he will be humiliated by losing and therefore is very competitive and driven. James Madison notes that "Jefferson had been so set on becoming president that he might refuse the second spot” (302). Because of this he wonders if his political career was a mistake, considering the amount of dislike he receives from his enemies. He seemed to take attacks against his character and beliefs personally, whereas other politicians use this to improve. As a Republican, Jefferson struggles to please both his followers and the Federalists. At one point, secession appeared to be a possibility in the northern states to rid of Jefferson’s rule. In his eight years of presidency, he was never able to please and unite the Republicans and Federalists as he had hoped.
I am going to talk about how Thomas Jefferson acts viscerally. Now even though it can be seen as flaw Meacham states "Jefferson had a remarkable capacity... to balance the inspirational and the pragmatic."(xxPro.). However, people such as James Madison do a good job of grounding him when he gets worked up. Jefferson says Hamilton's system "flowed from principles adverse to liberty, and was calculated to undermine and demolish the republic,by creating a influence of his department over the members of the legislature."(265). Now Alexander Hamilton is considered by some to be the greatest secretaries of treasury ever. Along with that many people felt that he did a great job. However, when Hamilton proposed the national bank idea Jefferson stepped forward and deemed it unconstitutional. Jefferson was a strict constructionist and argued the constitution made no explicit provisions for such an entity. Now this is interesting because Jefferson was in paris during the time of the constitutional convention and did not take part in making it. He was a fan of the Articles of Confederation which left more power with the state government. Now even though Hamilton was just doing his job and trying to decrease the national debt etc. Jefferson acted viscerally i believe because the National Bank would have to report to Hamilton and his department would get 1 fifth of their stock. So it gave the central government specifically Hamilton more power. At this point President Washington stepped to say the constitution had to be interpreted loosely at times in order to promote national well being. So I believe he was reacting to Alexander Hamilton's idea more viscerally then pragmatically because of Hamilton's federalists beliefs of a strong central government and the competition growing between the two.
ReplyDeleteTrying to analyze Jefferson’s hypocrisies almost two hundred years later may seem unfair, as Meacham articulates. Despite this time gap, there are still plenty of examples of Jefferson’s contradictory tendencies. For example, can a man who felt enthralled by power be a real democrat on a quest to provide liberty? Surely, it would seem hypocritical to condemn the Alien and Sedition Acts but a few short years down the road halt American trade, influencing the economic life of every American. Was it fair to promise his dying wife that he would never remarry and then father six children by her half-sister? Lastly, how can someone who has any shred of concern for his descendants spend oodles of money on expensive plants and construction projects and bequeath millions of dollars of debt to them? Though it may be tempting to criticize these flaws, the historian has to examine the context. Jefferson did exercise a hefty amount of power, but I think the vast majority of Americans would be much worse off without Jefferson’s achievements. Sole principle cannot guide power. He purchased Louisiana from France (on what could have been an unconstitutional exertion of authority), but its effects have mostly been good. Had Jefferson not acted, there would be slavery in an east-of-the-Mississippi U.S., we would never have had manifest destiny, and we never would have experienced the agricultural boom of the 1800s and all of its effects. The embargo was a failure yes, but nobody is perfect. In addition, Jefferson did technically fulfill his promise to his wife. Lastly, it is difficult to decide if a penny-pinching grandfather who left no financial problems or a loving one who “magically” gave his grandchildren (at least the full white ones) everything they wanted (and left a ton of debt) is better.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, Jefferson does not get a pass when it comes to Sally Hemings. Even though it was common to have interracial relationships, it is inexcusable for Jefferson. He demonized slavery and tried numerous times to downplay its role, such as the unratified passage concerning it in the Declaration of Independence; however, he used his power to force a fourteen-year-old girl to have sex with him for thirty-nine years. It is horrible to think that Jefferson thought “mixed-race children…suffered…from an intrinsic ‘degradation’ produced by the ‘amalgamation’ of white and black” (477). The worst part though is that his children were actually white under Virginia law because they were 7/8 white (they had one black great-grandparent). Until the Racial Integrity Act of 1924, Virginia law stated that people of 7/8 white ancestry were white. This means that Jefferson quietly enslaved his own children, who should have been free at birth. Even though Sally stated that her children would be free at age twenty-one, this was what Jefferson accepted to make her return to Virginia from France with him. Had Jefferson informed Sally of the law he knew (he argued about a similar law in Samuel Howell v. Wade Netherland, so it is reasonable to assume he knew that his children were white), she may have stayed in France as a free woman. Jefferson abused his power throughout the entire process to express the repressed sexual energy borne out of the promise to his wife to never remarry. Lastly, because Jefferson’s children were verifiably white, they were immune to his superstition that they were below him. This signifies that the only reason he did not behave like a father towards them is that he wanted to cover up his dastardly deed. Even though Jefferson’s actions are extremely heinous under today’s circumstances, they did not significantly affect his ability to rule, his image as a role model to contemporaries, or the numerous strides he made for the public. His children even went on to live successful lives. So can we criticize him? In my personal opinion, I think the affair was a huge blot on his character, but I think his numerous achievements more than compensate.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteJefferson was a master philosopher and politician. His image has been glorified over the centuries after his death. However, no body can be perfect, Meacham drives Jefferson's ego down to a more human level by vividly explaining his flaws. Jefferson's "Achilles heel" so to speak was his extreme desire for woman, and his controversial/hypocritical goals. Rebecca Burwell took Jefferson by storm. His feelings kept growing stronger over the years until he was humiliatingly turned down of marriage. His next kink in his chain of desire was Elizabeth "Betsy" Walker, a married woman Jefferson had known "all his life". Not only was Elizabeth married but her husband was Thomas' good friend John Walker. Jefferson again found himself in an even deeper debacle when he and his slave, Sally Hemmings had six children. Jefferson's deep desire for woman created controversy over his qualities as a leader.
ReplyDeleteJefferson can come across as a hypocrite. For example, in many of his documents including the Declaration of Independence, he speaks of abolishing slavery and how "all men are equal". However, Jefferson himself owned one of the largest plantations in Virginia as well as having relations with his slave Sally Hemmings. Lastly, in the Virginia House of Burgesses Jefferson stressed for an equal distribution of wealth. Meaning that he wanted wealth to be equally spaced out between families and create a large middle class. A goal to stop wealthy families from staying above society was to cut off the inheritance of wealth passed down from generations. I found that this was one of Jefferson's most hypocritical goals because he himself was once from a wealthy family until his father died, and Jefferson received all his wealth.
When thinking about the faults of Thomas Jefferson, most people instantly refer to his "hypocritical" thoughts on slavery, because while he found it morally wrong, he still owned numerous slaves at Monticello. That was something not in his control, because of the complications involved with slavery at the time. In fact, one fault of Jefferson (which he acknowledged himself) was that many of his ideals presented at the time were considered too radical. At the General Assembly, Jefferson expressed the desire for "the freedom of all slaves born after a certain day, and deportation at a proper age" (124). This was shut down pretty quickly, as the country was simply not ready for that radical of a change yet, and while Jefferson expressed dismay in that, he knew incidents like this would occur.
ReplyDeleteAnother fault of Jefferson was his strong desire for control. Being president gave him that ability to express his power and control over others, but an example of his need for power came when he temporarily retired from politics after being Secretary of State and took leave in Monticello. One incident involved a slave named Jupiter who refused to fetch a carriage horse, and the rebuke that Jupiter endured was epic, delivered "in tones and with a look that neither he nor the terrified bystanders ever forgot" (290)". This was one of the rare occasions where someone challenged Jefferson's authority, and it gave proof that his odd need for constant control could not be challenged without negative repercussions.
One of the more obvious faults is the affair with his wife's half-sister Sally Hemings, who was around thirty years younger than he was. Jefferson stated that sex was the strongest of human passions, and "he was not a man to deny himself of what he wanted" (217). This did come back to bite him when he was president, because of all the rumors (which were all true) about Jefferson and Hemings, and of all of the children she conceived (all of them because of Jefferson). As a man who desired for slavery to be abolished, it was sad considering the situation, because Hemings just considered this to be one of the duties of being a slave, and Jefferson took advantage of that. This was easily the worst of Jefferson's faults, as it got in the way of his political work and presented him with more problems than necessary.
Regarding your first point, I disagree with your assertion that it wasn’t in Jefferson’s control wether or not he could own slaves because of “complications involved with slavery at the time”. Slavery was abolished in Massachusetts in 1780, and plantation owners in the north continued to be successful. Not only did he own slaves until his death in 1826, but he enslaved his own children out of his affair with his slave Sally Hemmings. Although the politics of the time may have forced Jefferson to abandon the idea that slavery could be abolished anytime soon, he still chose to own slaves, which he stated was morally wrong. Jefferson wrote “everyone comes into the world with a right to his own person and using it at his own will. This is what is called personal liberty, and is given him by author of nature, because it is necessary for his own sustenance.”, yet he owned over 600 slaves in his lifetime. I think that Jefferson's success was brought upon by his radical views, and although he attempted to move towards the abolition of slavery, his hypocrisy involving the issue contradicted his argument.
DeleteI am one that believes that Thomas Jefferson is the most effective leader America has ever had. Although this is my belief, his personality contains a number of faults that are apparent in his works and in his life. One of his major faults was that he always dreamed for the best and would not accept anything less than what his dream was. This is not a positive quality because he was occasionally unable to accept reality and would continue to push his acquaintances to a point where a situation worsened instead of getting better. Additionally, "he longed for affection and approval" (xxiii). The idea of longing for approval is not a fault in my mind, but longing for affection is. Some of his decisions were not ones to benefit America, but to win support of its citizens. It was significant to have the support of his citizens, but the country as a whole should have been his first concern. Jefferson was also very fearful of a return of the monarchy. Sometimes, he was a little too concerned. He pushed his acquaintances to put many decisions into action that prevented monarchy, but additionally hurt America. His decisions should have been based on protecting his country's future instead of worrying about its past. Touching on what has been written before this post, Jefferson was self-conscious of his appearance. This was not a fault to the public eye, but it was to Jefferson's personal character. Occasionally it affected his confidence and made him very nervous and embarrassed. This was very irrelevant to the citizens of his country, but this was a fault that he proclaimed for himself. Thomas Jefferson's faults may have been obstacles throughout his lifetime, but his achievements before, during, and after his Presidency atone for them.
ReplyDeleteMeacham portrays Thomas Jefferson as possibly one of the greatest minds in the history of US presidents, but as a man of weak character. The most glaring example of this was the fact that Jefferson continued to own hundreds of slaves even though it was apparent he knew this was morally wrong. Jefferson stated slavery was a “hideous blot” (476) but too complicated an issue to take on strongly. Meacham states that Jefferson felt “powerless over the central economic and social fact of his life” (476). While famously writing, “all men are created equal” he did not consider Negroes equal men but rather property to be owned and profited from. Jefferson continued to reveal his weak character throughout his presidency. A strong opponent of putting too much power in the hands of one person, Jefferson made himself the exception. During a conflict with the Barbary States he ordered Commodore Richard Dale to take action if necessary but asked for permission from Congress after already giving the command. Yet again, Meacham shows Jefferson doing the opposite of what he tells others to do. “Congress fell into Jefferson’s hands, essentially retroactively approving the orders to Dale and granting the president even wider authority…” (365). His weakness of character can be found in his personal life as well. Jefferson fell “in love” with and pursued Betsy Moore in spite of the fact that she was married to his friend. Finally, Meacham explains that Jefferson was rumored to have had a sexual relationship and children with Sally Hemings, the half-sister of his deceased wife. Meacham portrays Thomas Jefferson as a “do as I say not as I do” kind of man.
ReplyDeleteThomas Jefferson is one of the most important men in the founding of the United States. Meacham shows throughout the book how great Jefferson was, but also showed that Jefferson did have faults. One fault that Jefferson had was that at times he was hypocritical. One example of this was how Jefferson handled the slave situation. Jefferson believed that slavery was immoral and should be abolished, but he still owned slaves for his whole life at Monticello. Jefferson also did not believe that free blacks and whites could live together. When asked about it, Jefferson said, "'Nothing is more certainly written in the book of fate than that these people are to be free. Nor it less certain that the two races, equally free, cannot live in the same government'" (476-77). Jefferson believed that African-Americans should be brought back to Africa. Another flaw of Jefferson was his pride. Though it is good to have pride, it hurt Jefferson at times. One example was how Jefferson dealt with his debt. Even though Jefferson accumulated a large debt in his life, he still frivolously spent money. He was always buying wine or presents for his grandchildren. In 1819, Jefferson was asked for a loan from Wilson Cary Nicholas, the governor of Virginia. Instead of saying no like he should have, Jefferson lent $20,000. In the end, Nicholas could not pay and left Jefferson in more debt. Instead of trying to deal with the debt, Jefferson let it go. He had too much pride to try to get his money back. Eventually, Jefferson had, "in twenty-first-century terms, between $1 million and $2 million in debt-so much that Monticello and his slaves had to be sold" (496). Every person had faults, including Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson did not let these faults get in the way and instead became one of the most important founders of America.
ReplyDeleteJohn Meacham does a great job of highlighting Jefferson's flaws from the beginning of the novel. As other students have pointed out, flaws are what makes and keeps us human. What separates a good leader from a bad leader is the amount and severity of ones flaws. Jefferson's obsession with reputation rears its ugly head early on in Jefferson's career, such as during his duty as governor. Towards the end of his employment as governor of Virginia Jefferson was heavily criticized, which led him to the statement: "'Attacks on his service', he said, 'had inflicted a wound on my spirit with which will only be cured by the all-healing grave'" (143) Jefferson was also asked to be the Secretary of State by George Washington, a position which he almost refused because, "he feared 'the criticisms and censures of a public, just indeed in their intentions, but sometimes misinformed and misled" (232) This is a major flaw because the role of a politician and philosopher is to inform and guide citizens, and a fear of criticism from them shows a lack of professionalism and bravery needed for the position. Another great flaw in Jefferson's Character that caused him some public scrutiny was his many affairs, both with married women and with Sally Hemmings. It is easy for us to condemn such actions today, but in Jefferson's time it seems as if it is more of a social norm. However this trait becomes a flaw when it shows Jefferson's ruthlessness and his shattering the trust of others, "He was the kind of man other men thought well of and believed they could trust -- unless, as one of his best friends was to discover, a beautiful young wife was in the picture" (39) Meacham also highlights the amount of frivolous spending by Jefferson, who was a man of culture and dignity, and had a lust for the finer things in life. Jefferson was in no way frugal with his finances, which would sometimes cause him distress: "wine, furniture, music, horses and linen consumed Jefferson's finances... I have been obliged to anticipate my salary from which however I shall never be able to repay it' Jefferson wrote to Monroe" (181) When you nit pick at the flaws presented it may seem as if Jefferson were not a good person, however if you compare the bad and good in Mr. Thomas Jefferson it is easy to say that the good greatly outweighs the bad, and even with his flaws, Jefferson managed to be one of the most influential people in the establishment of America.
ReplyDeleteJefferson’s faults include the contradictions between his personal life and public ideas, his sensitivity to public criticism and his aristocratic nature. In public, Jefferson, at least in his earlier life, was firmly against slavery. He attempted to include a denunciation of slavery in the Declaration of Independence and tried multiple times to restrict and remove forced servitude. He did not, however, apply these ideas to his own plantations; he owned hundreds of slaves and never freed them. He also went deep into debt by the end of his life, because of his spending in order to remain part of the wealthy community. This connects to his love of power. Meacham repeats several times that Jefferson loved to be in control, and his life reflected that; he was a constant advocate for the power to be centered wherever he was. When he represented Virginia, he wanted power to center in the individual states; as President he expanded presidential power. Finally, he also was sensitive to criticism. He disliked entering public offices in which he would be under the public eye because he feared criticism (though that did not stop him). He did his best not to appear weak and avoided confrontation. Despite all his flaws, he still had an enormous positive effect on the United States and was one of the most influential presidents.
ReplyDeleteThomas Jefferson was no doubt a hypocrite. The major argument for this idea seems to be the fact that while trying to eradicate slavery when he did indeed own slaves. about 600 which seems a bit absurd when you think about it. Another argument could be stated that though Thomas Jefferson tried to cut debt and spending to be less than the previous president john Adams but in turn he fell into debt himself. although some might argue against me which i understand. the common phrase "do as I say not as I do" could be used in this case but aside from that there is no way around the fact that he was a hypocrite. another flaw with Thomas Jefferson could be his thirst for power. It has been stated that he had a strong love for power which can be a very bad thing for a leader.although this attribute was not so much an issue for him as much as it was just a handicap for his actions. He was so concerned on staying in power that he was trying to please everybody which is virtually impossible as a leader of so many people. this made him very concerned what others think which some might say did not allow him to make changes as drastic as he could have wanted.
ReplyDeleteThomas Jefferson was an American Founding Father, the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, a President of the United States, a family man father to six legitimate children, and much more. However, there is no scenario in which Jefferson is perfect. With all of his responsibilities, Jefferson did have flaws and make mistakes. Jefferson often would allow his emotions to take control of his life especially in the case of Rebecca Burwell, and he worried about his reputation greatly. Being concerned about the opinion of the people, Jefferson did not call together the militia resulting in a British Invasion. Often times Jefferson’s decisions were influenced by the people “he had followed the people rather than led them” (135).
ReplyDeleteMeacham also points out Jefferson’s hypocrisy regarding slavery. Jefferson was in support of freeing slaves, however not only did he own hundreds, he was also the father of Sally Hemmings’ Children. Jefferson again let his emotions lead him to this act of desire, making it even more obvious that his life style contradicted his ideas on slavery. Often times the focus is on Jefferson’s positive characteristics, but Meacham sees the importance of including Jefferson’s flaws to portray him as being human like the rest of us.
Meacham highlights Thomas Jefferson’s character flaw as a need for power, which influences both his political and personal life. Jefferson is tested repeatedly when faced with unfavorable circumstances in politics, family situations, and relationships. Jefferson fails in these tests of political and personal strength, often letting the events of one aspect of his life impact the other. Following a time in his life where he lacked control in his personal life with the death of his wife Patty in September 1972, Jefferson needed to feel like he had power. He immersed himself in his political career first when called upon to serve on the Paris peace commission stating, “’I shall lose no moment in preparing for my departure’ (155).” Despite the mission concluding before Jefferson had begun, he threw himself in his next quest to gain control in his life, by advocating for power for the Congress to which he had been elected. I believe Jefferson was heavily influenced by a personal desire to have power since his politics were the only thing he had direct impact on at this time in his life due to the untimely death of his wife. Similarly, in the tumult of 1788 and 1789 Jefferson found, “a beautiful young woman at his command (217)” in his slave Sally Hemings, his deceased wife’s half-sister. Thomas Jefferson found an unfortunate way to exert his power, in a sexual relationship with his slave Sally Hemings. In credit to Jefferson, when wielding the power over his life, he thrived as an exceptional leader. His fault lies in how to effectively handle himself and his governing when the odds don’t work out in his favor, as Meacham addresses throughout the biography.
ReplyDeleteDespite his reputation as one of the most prominent figures the U.S. history, Thomas Jefferson did indeed have flaws that are apparent in his portrayal by Jon Meacham. Although he had great success in politics, Jefferson had a very pronounced inability to accept criticism, a flaw that can be crippling for one’s political career. This weakness takes roots even in his early years when he was starting out in politics, just after he first arrived in Williamsburg. Jefferson spent time in the House of Burgesses watching gifted orators such as Patrick Henry, but Jefferson did not dare to try and speak out himself because he feared people pointing out the pitfalls in his speaking, so he turned his attention entirely to his writing. Even in his writing however, Jefferson was heavily criticized from time to time, much to his frustration. When presenting the first draft of the Declaration of Independence to the Continental Congress, large portions of the document were cut and openly disputed, which Jefferson took as personal insults, “...every suggestion and demand on the floor was a fresh agony, as though each objection was directed not at the document but at Jefferson himself.”(Pg. 106).
ReplyDeleteThough Thomas Jefferson is a celebrated founder of the U.S., his character is not without faults. One of these faults is his relaxed moral judgment when it comes to other men's wives. It was not necessarily unheard of that he had feelings for others wives, but the fact that he found it acceptable to act upon them shows a certain lack of decency. He tried to seduce Elizabeth Walker, who happened to be married to a friend Jefferson had known for many years. Jefferson's disregard for his old friend is shocking and sad in the way that his friend trusted him, not unlike the way the American people would trust him to run their government. Jefferson also set himself up to fail yet again by forming a romantic attachment to Maria Hadfield, another married woman. Even though she was more susceptive to Jefferson's advances than Mrs. Walker had been, it does not change the fact that Jefferson once again went after what he knew he could never truly have. Jefferson's tendency to go after unavailable women is not only one of his biggest faults but also shows that he lacked the confidence to try to establish a relationship that had any hope of commitment and real feelings.
ReplyDelete“Philosophers think; politicians maneuver. Jefferson’s genius is that he was both and could do both, often simultaneously. Such is the art of power” (xx). Jefferson was always looking for ways to better America. Jefferson wanted America to be strong and unified because he knew that would earn respect from other countries. In his travels to Paris he negotiated treaties and improved trade. By using his philosophies he “translated the best of the old world to the new and explained the benefits of the new to the old” (189). Jefferson loved having power and did everything he could to maintain it. Both the Louisiana Purchase and the embargo of 1807 showed his ability to apply his ideals to present situations. The embargo stopped, for the time being, a war with Britain. “The story of the Louisiana Purchase is one of strength, of Thomas Jefferson’s adaptability, and most important, his determination…” (384). Jefferson effectively exercises the art of power by thinking through his actions, then executing them for the benefit of America.
ReplyDeleteAn effective leader is one, like Jefferson, who captivates their follower’s emotions, connects with them and affects the future with the execution of their vision.
Although Thomas Jefferson is one of the most influential leaders in history, he, like any other human, had severe faults, including an unrelenting need for power, an uncanny ability to contradict himself, and little restraint when pertaining to money.
ReplyDeleteMeacham portrays Jefferson as a man who is constantly in search of power, but Jefferson himself was a quiet person. Because he couldn't achieve power using his voice, Jefferson took to writing. However, when he wrote his most famous piece of all and arguably the most important document in USA history, the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson still couldn't bear edits being made to his work, which in his mind may have been reducing his power. Jefferson also shows a dangerous thirst for power during his relationship with Monticello slave, Sally Hemings.
Additionally, Meacham clearly portrays Jefferson as a hypocrite, specifically pertaining to slavery and inheritance of property. Jefferson was an advocate for slaves' rights beginning during his time as a circuit lawyer, however, he hypocritically had many slaves, and blatantly disrespected his children which he conceived during a relationship with slave Sally Hemings. Additionally, after his father's death, Jefferson inherited vast amounts of territory and land, but on the contrary, he was an advocate for distributing estate.
Finally, Thomas Jefferson showed little regard for money and spent it whimsically throughout his life, resulting in a severe debt issue towards the end of his life. Although he may have been accustomed to wealth as he grew up in a well-off family, that is still no excuse for a man who managed the debt of the United State as president tremendously (he cut it from $83 million down to about $55 million).
In conclusion, Thomas Jefferson, just like every other human, had severe character faults, but these setbacks should certainly not take away from the remarkable achievements of one of the most influential Americans to ever live. Jon Meacham definitely portrays him as a man who certainly contradicted himself, needed power and resisted criticism, and didn't exert total control over his wealth, but this man was still crucial to the success of our country and should be remembered for the many positives in his life.
I agree with all of your points on Jefferson's flaws. His moral flaws, particularly his hypocritical nature was an unusual fault as it was by a man who is often portrayed as so focused. Jefferson was a determined man and wanted everything to be done his way, also linked to his close-mindedness with criticism. He had a clear cut way of how he wanted things to be done and took any criticism as an insult. However, he had no problem with owning about 600 slaves over the course of his life and banning international slave trade for the United States later on. Jefferson's hypocritical ways were not his only moral flaw. Jefferson fathered several children with his slave against his wife's wish of him to never have a serious relationship after she died. Even in his youth, Jefferson chased after women who already had husbands and clearly were not interested in him. While Jefferson was a successful politician, he contradicted himself and struggled to make good decisions in his relationships.
DeleteAlthough brilliant, Jefferson possessed many faults throughout his life. One of the largest imperfections Jefferson exhibited was the thirst for power and control. Described on page 258, “…control was something Jefferson never liked seeing in other men’s hands.” Evident during the American Revolution, Jefferson’s “…instincts for control and for action drove him from Monticello to a neighboring peak known as Montalto and as Carters Mountain.” (139) to possibly spot the British nearing his home. While not his responsibility, Jefferson’s desire to have the knowledge for himself drove him to commit this act. Jefferson also demonstrated control by placing the embargo in 1807 during the Napoleonic Wars, which put him in charge of French and English trade. Jefferson’s ultimate selfishness when wanting power caused him to create many enemies throughout his life. Another fault of Jefferson was his hypocrisy, especially with slavery. In both the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson writes about how slaves should not be seen as property, but as people when in fact he himself was the owner of 200+ slaves. Even though Jefferson was advocating for change seeing “slavery only as a tragedy” (476), he could not help but own slaves himself.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree with you that Jefferson had a thirst for power and control,I do not see his ambitious behavior necessarily as a fault. In the example given during the American Revolution, I see Jefferson’s desire to be one of the first to see if the British were marching toward his home as a virtue. It shows that he chose action over inaction by taking matters into his own hands to obtain first hand information on the British’s whereabouts. As for the embargo in 1807, Jefferson actually gave up control and power in the trade relationships with France and England by cutting out American trade. So overall, while Jefferson may have wanted control and power he recognized the need to give it up when the situation demanded such actions
DeleteThomas Jefferson was a devoted public servant, genius and perhaps one of the greatest politicians in American history. Yet, in the book “Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power”, author Jon Meacham does not portray Jefferson as a faultless man. One fault that Meacham highlights is Jefferson’s relationships with women. Throughout his marriage, Jefferson was committed to his wife, Martha. On her deathbed, he promised Martha that he would not remarry and Jefferson stayed true to this promise. However, he would have a variety of frowned-upon affairs.
ReplyDeleteJefferson’s history with taboo romance did not begin with the death of his wife.
In his younger years, he chased after the wife of his close friend John Walker. Elizabeth Walker wanted nothing to do with the infatuations of Jefferson, but this did not stop him from pursuing Elizabeth for a period of many years. Not even the fact she was his best-friend’s wife stopped Jefferson from trying to claim what he wanted. As Meacham phrases it, Thomas Jefferson was “Attractive and virile, a powerful and charismatic man, he wanted what he wanted and he did not give up easily.” (40).
After the death of his wife, Jefferson embarked on an affair with a married woman in France.. On this occasion, the woman was Maria Cosway, and she was married to a man by the name of Richard Cosway. Jefferson’s interest in her seemed to begin from the very moment the pair met and continued for a number of months. The two shared many romantic escapades over the course of their time together and as Jefferson said, in reference to one of their daily escapades, “when one took a retrospect of the day, what a mass of happiness we travelled over!” (200). Their fleeting romance would not last long, and when Jefferson returned to the states, he would embark on his most infamous romantic interest. In September of 1803 James T. Callender published allegations that Jefferson engaged in a relationship with one of his slaves, Sally Hemings. The report alleged that, “By this wench Sally, our president has had several children.” and that additionally her eldest son is, “... said to bear a striking resemblance to… the president himself.” (378). Jefferson never acknowledged or denied the allegations made by Callender, but Meacham treats the affair with Hemings as fact. The relationship is said to have carried on for a fair portion of Jefferson’s life, and resulted in the birth of as many as six children. This type of relationship between slave owner and slave was not uncommon in Jefferson’s time though, and the revelations by Callender did little to harm Jefferson’s political career.
What these three incidents call into question are the morals of Thomas Jefferson and how he was willing to compromise them to get what he wanted, no matter what the consequences. While this proved to be questionable in his personal and romantic life, it was Jefferson’s ability to seize control and establishing himself as the man in charge that proved to be an important tactic in his political life.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThough an effective leader and progressive president, Thomas Jefferson, like all men, had his share of flaws. Jefferson's hypocrisy was perhaps his most outwardly apparent flaw, and this fault is best highlighted through his views on slavery. Though Jefferson tried multiple times to bring freedom to slaves, he himself owned over 600 slaves in his lifetime, and Monticello essentially ran on slave labor. Jefferson also had 6 children with Sally Hemings, one of his slaves, and he enslaved these children until age 21, and he only freed the children because of an agreement with Hemings in which he was backed into a corner. Jefferson's intentions on the important issue of slavery were well-founded, however the irony is evident.
ReplyDeleteAnother major flaw of Jefferson's was his infatuation with the public's opinion of him. He often put himself into situations solely because he worried about how the public would perceive him. Even when drafting the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson took each suggestion for a change to the document as a personal insult directed at himself and not at the document. Though this fault does also have the benefit of working in his favor at times, as a leader, Jefferson would have been aided by being less concerned with criticism. Overall, Jefferson was a strong, capable leader with a great dedication to the republicanism that he so believed in, however, he, like all men, was not without his flaws.
Thomas Jefferson was a quintessential leader in the making of our country, but even a man with such knowledge and power can have flaws. During his early years in politics, Jefferson's youth somewhat took the best of him when he met Elizabeth "Betsy" Walker, the wife of John Walker, which was one of Jefferson's closest friends. He became so infatuated with her he constantly sent love letters, trying to persuade her to leave her husband. He became to optimistic and overly indulged in his love for her, he was in the end left heart broken and lost his best friend. Another one of Jefferson's flaws was his unwillingness to accept criticism. Meacham brings up a point which basically states that, a sensitive man involved in politics is a contradictory statement. I completely agree with this. Politics is debate, criticism, and compromise, so how can one who is so involved in it, reject it at the same time? For example, when congressman were editing Jefferson's Declaration of Independence, Meacham states, "Jefferson hated being edited by a large group... as though each objection was not directed at the document but at Jefferson himself" (106). He became too attached to his writing and was incredibly stubborn to the fact that not everyone will agree with him. Jefferson became very complicated and hypocritical when it came to the issue of slavery, something that was revised immensely in the Declaration of Independence. He was against the slave trade and believed slavery effected society poorly. But come to find out, Jefferson was one of the largest slave owners in Virginia. He believed they were ordinary people, but he still used them as his own slaves.
ReplyDeleteLike fleas on a mutt, the debate of Thomas Jefferson's character is riddled with controversy. Is this appraised leader, one of our own founding fathers, a hypocrite? a racist? While arguing for one side or the other, it is imperative to keep in mind Emily Dickinson's famous quote: "Today makes yesterday mean". That is, don't charge the past with crimes of the present. One apparent flaw in Jefferson's character steams from his physical relations with his slave, Sally Hemings. In Notes on the State of Virginia, he claims that blacks are inferior to whites and goes as far to say that miscegenation between the two is a crime against nature. The hypocrisy here is clear. Jefferson publicly displays his disapproval of having sexual relations with blacks, yet privately impregnates one of his own slaves. Another example of Thomas acting acting carelessly is in regard to his extravagant spending. Due to constant additions to Monticello and luxurious house dinners, Jefferson had accumulated more than 100,000 dollars in debt (several million in today's currency) at the end of his life. This inability to cut spending led to public embarrassment when he had to plead for a lottery to be held in order to help decrease the debts. Furthermore, after Jefferson's death, relatives had to watch in dismay as his cherished possessions, including Monticello, were auctioned off. These faults by no means makes our third president unintelligent or wicked. It reminds us, however, of one crucial thing: Jefferson was human.
ReplyDeleteMeacham portrays Jefferson as a strong leader and president of the United States but he is not afraid to point out Jefferson’s flaws. One of Jefferson’s major flaws is his hypocritical nature, especially when dealing with the topic of slaves. The most commonly known line in the Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson, is “All men are created equal.” During his lifetime, Jefferson owned more than 600 slaves. How are all men equal if one can be considered property of another?
ReplyDeleteAnother major fault of Jefferson is that he pursued a relationship with one of his slaves, Sally Hemings. Hemings bore children because of this relationship, children with Jefferson’s blood, and he kept them enslaved until the age of twenty-one.
Jon Meacham highlights many reasons why Thomas Jefferson was an important leader in American history, but did not try to hide his faults. Many of Jefferson’s political actions were contradicted in how he lived his social life. On the topic of slaves, Jefferson put an effort in for “the permission of the emancipation of slaves” (48). He tried on different occasions to achieve better situations for enslaved people, but Jefferson himself owned more than 600 slaves. Considering the time period it was very common to own slaves, but because of Jefferson’s actions to try and get emancipation for them, it doesn’t make sense for him to own so many.
ReplyDeleteAnother one of Jefferson’s faults is his constant wasting of money, even when he was in debt. Jefferson greatly helped the American cause by lowering the national debt from $83 million to $57 million but had no restraint in his own spending. According to family members, Jefferson was always buying presents for his grandchildren. Anything they wanted he would buy for them, resulting in about $1-2 million in debt after he died. Jefferson’s attributes shined over his faults, but that does not mean he did not have them.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Jefferson was a politically competent leader who helped shape the foundation of American government he, not unlike other politicians of his day, was tainted with flaws. Where hypocrisy, a somewhat ambitious desire for power, and unsavory views towards slavery were prominent foibles in Jefferson’s character, his lack of confrontational skills and unorthodox political beliefs proved to hurt Jefferson when it came to relationships with the public.
ReplyDeleteWhen it came to confrontation, Jefferson chose “comity over controversy” (10), a character choice, which helped him avoid face-to-face relations from an early age. Often instead of choosing to address concerns and discontent, he would choose to avoid it, a characteristic that could be viewed as either cowardly or a sign of a certain collectiveness. Because of Jefferson’s acute sensitivity to public opinion, I see his lack of confrontational skills as flaw because of his fear of exposing himself to criticism.
Additionally, while Jefferson’s complementary balance of philosophy and politics was a strength as it was successfully innovative, some of his enlightenment ideals applied to politics were too forward for the time. While Jefferson believed that in order to make progress, influence should not be extracted from the past, by rather drawn from new ideas, some of his beliefs were too radical for a time in the presence of great foundational change. While his enlightened reason is part of what made him such a successful politician, at times he turned the other cheek to the orthodox conformist views of the time, which often made him seem “too democratic” and “too enlightened” (248).
Though Thomas Jefferson was a great man he was nit immune to the human condition and did have his faults. Jefferson was a class A hypocrite and nothing displays this better than the situation he got himself into regarding slaves. He was the owner of over 600 slaves in his lifetime, while at the same time advocating for the freedom of the slaves. Even more concerning about this situation is the fact that Jefferson had sexual intercourse with a slave named Sally Hemmings that resulted in the production of six children. This is not the only time Jefferson commited transgressions romantically as seen by the time he tried to court his good friend John Walkers wife, Betsey Walker. This resulted in him losing a good friend of his as well as any relations with Betsey. Though the things he did for the country were very helpful financially he himself was a mess financially who accumulated a debt of about 100,000 dollars by the time he died resulting in the auctioning off of all his possessions. Jefferson also inherited most of the property that he owned but supported distributing estates, just another example of the hypocrisy he was tangled up in. Even history's greatest leaders are not perfect and subject to things such as hypocrisy.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Mitch on the fact that he had made many physical mistakes, but you should not forget to mention some of his biggest imperfections, his mental flaws. Before the novel even begins, Meacham portrays Jefferson as a man who was great at just about everything: "He delighted in archaeology, paleontology, astronomy, botany, and meteorology... he drew sustenance from music and found joy in gardening... he was also a student of human nature" (xxi-xxii). Right off the bat Meacham has you thinking "does this guy have any flaws!" But as you read on, little by little, you start to realize he is human, and nobody is perfect. Some of Jefferson's life long flaws were mental such as his fear of confrontation and self consciousness: "sensitive to criticism, obsessed with his reputation... He hated arguing face to face leading some people to believe Jefferson agreed with them when in fact he was seeking to avoid conflict" (xxiv). Jefferson suffered consequences from these faults, like when he struggled to move on from his mistakes as Governor of Virginia. Even after the war was won Jefferson couldn't help but feel like a failure, and was deeply concerned with what the public thought of him. Instead of being able to just shake it off, his fear of public opinion resulted in an inability to move on from his mistakes. Though I do agree that Jefferson did make many physical mistakes in his life, I believe his mental flaws should also considered when discussing his imperfections.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThomas Jefferson was a lawyer, diplomat, and politician. A brilliant man. However, Jon Meacham has shown us that there are many apparent faults in Thomas Jefferson's character. First of all he was a hypocrite. He knew that slavery was wrong, against moral. He fought against slavery. Yet he owned hundreds of slaves at Monticello. Including family related slave Sally Hemings. Next, Jefferson always cared about himself. He had lots of feelings toward women. Rebecca Burwell is a great example. When Rebecca rejected Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson immediately felt heart broken. He had that feeling for a long time which distracted him from his working life. Thirdly he hated criticism. He was criticized by many men who support the federalists. He wanted freedom of the press because he knew that it was healthy for the country. Lastly, he worried about the national debt during his presidency. He reduced the national debt by 28 million dollars. This was a great action he made. Again with the hypocrisy, he borrowed money and spent it not worrying about his own debt. In the end of his life time his debt was in between 1 and 2 million dollars (in present day currency). It is clear that Thomas Jefferson had many faults ,but we are all human, we all make mistakes.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIn "The Art of Power" while Jon Meacham displays many of Thomas Jefferson's attributes, many of Thomas Jefferson's faults are also shown. One of Jefferson's many faults displayed in the book is the fact that he has difficulty dealing with tragedy. For example when someone close to Jefferson dies or is sick, it effects Jefferson's whole way of life. When Jefferson's wife died, Jefferson lost all control. Jefferson stayed in his room for three weeks before coming out after the passing out his wife (147). His inability to deal with tragedy therefore effected his political career as he was not able to do his job while he was mourning the loss of his wife. Even though everyone goes through grief with the loss of a loved one, one does not hide away for three weeks, effecting their careers.
ReplyDeleteAnother fault in Jefferson's character is that he is hypocritical. Politically Jefferson is always trying to end slavery. Jefferson promotes the idea that everyone is born equal and should live that way. Although his intention to create a law that prevents slavery fails, Jefferson was a major supporter to freeing the slaves. While Jefferson may share these thoughts with the public, in Jefferson's private life, he himself owned over 600 slaves in his life time. Jefferson even goes as far as to have children with one of his slave, Sally Hemings. Jefferson is hypocritical as he tells others to do one thing, while he does another.
Throughout Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power” Jon Meacham compiles a vast amount of evidence to show that Thomas Jefferson was one of the most effective leaders that this country has ever had. However, Meacham also bring out Jefferson’s many flaws. Jefferson is often seen as being a very hypocritical person. For example, Jefferson tried many times to abolish slavery, yet he owned hundreds of slaves at Monticello over the course of his life. Jefferson was also highly criticized for his relationship with one of his slaves, Sally Hemings. Jefferson and Hemings had six children together, which Jefferson enslaved. Thomas Jefferson also put himself in massive debt during his life, a debt that followed him until his death. Jefferson spent money rather carelessly, buying his children and grandchildren anything that they desired. Jefferson also lent money that he didn’t have, only resulting in more debt. While Jefferson helped lower the national debt nearly 20 million dollars as president, he made little effort to lower his personal debt. While Jefferson did have his fair share of flaws, he is remembered as an effective leader and a father to this country because of the many great achievements that outweigh his imperfections.
ReplyDeleteI believe Jefferson was a political coward. One fault was Jefferson’s public awareness which sometimes caused Jefferson to do nothing even when he personally disagreed with the masses. Jefferson’s idea that the public had to approve of everything he did made it so he could not follow through on his own moral beliefs. Jefferson, at first, made it clear he wanted the emancipation of all slaves. When Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, he included the denunciation of slavery, which was expectedly cut out from the draft. John Adams, remembering what Jefferson had wrote in the draft, stated he “. . . certainly never would oppose. . .” the ending of slavery, however, Adams “. . .knew his {Jefferson’s} Southern brethren would never suffer to pass in Congress. . .” (105). Slavery was firmly the way of life for a long time in the South. Jefferson knew ending slavery would be controversial. Jefferson neglected to pursue his beliefs that slavery should end. I believe this is due to his fear of angering his fellow citizens who supported slavery.
ReplyDeleteJefferson also despised confrontation. This trait could be both a fault or an advantage. For example, when Jefferson was Governor of Virginia, British forces were threatening invasion of Richmond, Virginia. Jefferson’s fear of confrontation led him to worry over how the militia men and other citizens would view him if he called the militia together. Jefferson worried over their possible reactions, if it occurred, for no reason. Therefore, Jefferson, “declined to summon the militia,” (134). When Jefferson did summon the militia, it was far too late. The British had already invaded. Jefferson’s fear of confrontation which led him to stall calling the militia, ironically, led to conflict anyway.
While one of the most influential figures in United States history, Thomas Jefferson was not without faults. Meacham highlights his frequent affairs with women. Jefferson, a culprit of lust, seemed to lose all morals whenever a woman was involved. He even made attempts to seduce his lifelong friend John Walker’s wife Betsy. Jefferson kept up his campaign of Betsy during the first few years of her marriage, until finally accepting the futility of his pursuit. Even though Jefferson’s wife Patty made him promise not to marry again, he never stopped his relations with women. Jefferson kept up a nearly 40-year affair with one of his slaves, Sally Hemings, with whom he fathered six children.
ReplyDeleteMeacham also expresses Jefferson’s hypocritical nature, especially involving slavery. Jefferson advocated against slavery when with the House of Burgesses and in the Declaration of Independence. While both of these attempts failed, he still owned hundreds of slaves during the same period and owned over 600 slaves in his lifetime. However most appalling is his treatment towards his children from Sally Hemings. Jefferson enslaved his own children, and “was not in the habit of showing partiality or fatherly affection” (454) towards them, clearly favoring his white children. Although this was not uncommon during his time, Jefferson is unexcused as a man who asserts, “all men are created equal”. Jefferson declares that "there is nothing I would not sacrifice to...abolish every vestige of this moral and political depravity [slavery]" (476). Yet he would never give up his slaves to fulfill this statement. Nonetheless, Jefferson is only human, and his overall positive legacy outweighs his sins.
For every good quality found in Jefferson's character, there were foibles that went with them. Often times the skills that made him such a masterful politician were also the tendencies that led him to error. For one thing, he was hypocritical about slavery. It might not have been the time to champion that cause, just like he claimed, but he lived through a legislative decision that gave plantation owners the right to essentially abolish slavery on their own properties, and he ignored those courses of action. Furthermore, he engaged in a rather promiscuous relationship with his favorite slave, Sally Hemmings (who was half his age.)
ReplyDeleteJefferson was also rather melodramatic, especially in his earlier years. After almost every mistake made in government (the failure at the hands of Tarleton and the british as governor of virginia, the rough time he spent as secretary of state under Washington, etc) he took a period of several years to recover at Monticello. Only later in life did he start to understand that by staying in the arena after his hour of glory is over, and biding his time for a weakness in his enemies could he hope to affect real change in the country.
There were also smaller faults. His personal management of Monticello in his later years I'm sure his indebted family found to be lacking after his death, and his political opponents surely found him a maddening man to argue with, but on the whole he accounted for his flaws marvelously. He appeared as he wanted, a renaissance man with the intentions of a expanding country at heart.
Jefferson, like any human being, had a few personal faults. One of his largest faults, which in my opinion costs him much of his otherwise well earned respect, is his unfair treatment of those who are ‘inferior’ to him. Although publicly he made pleas against the slave trade in front of the Continental Congress and House of Burgesses, he failed to follow through with some of his own ideas of fair treatment of others. He himself owned hundreds of slaves, and viewed the abolition of slavery as something that he was working to change for the future of America, not for the present. This shows that Jefferson recognized that slavery was wrong, but at the same time he selfishly wanted to keep his own slaves in order to make his life easier. Similarly, his interest in Indian culture led him to think of Indians as a “noble race” pg. 111, and despite this he still believed that whites were superior. It is ironic that all of his goals for the future of America revolved around freedom and fair treatment, while at the same time he thought it was okay to treat others as inferior to him. Another fault in Jefferson’s character is his overwhelming inability to get over losses. His long periods of grieving after a loss often interfered with his political life. His deep concern for the health of his wife Patty and family also got in the way of his political life, causing him to become obsessed and distracted with worry. He should have noted that maybe the source of Patty’s poor health could be linked to the fact that she was pregnant all the time – a problem which he could have shown a little more sensitivity towards, possibly lessening her health problems and giving him more ease of mind on the political front.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Thomas Jefferson was one of the most important men in American history, he was still in fact a man, and all men have their faults. One of the defects possibly the most detrimental to his political career was his lack of confidence and eloquence while making a speech or arguing in a debate. To make up for this, Jefferson perfected the art of argumentative writing and used that skill to communicate with the public and his fellow legislators. A second notable fault of Jeffersons is his hypocrisy towards slavery. Jefferson himself believed and has publicly stated that all men are created equal, yet he contradicts himself because he owns hundreds of slaves to run his estate and plantation. Jefferson knew that slavery was wrong yet he refused to argue against it publicly in fear of becoming unpopular and losing valuable supporters. Jefferson was not without faults in his private life either. Jefferson lusted after his best friends wife, Betsy Walker, for months. He sent her love notes and was very flirtatious in person, even though she showed little interest in Jefferson because of course, she was married. A similar situation occurred in France with the beautiful, but yet again married, Maria Cosway.
ReplyDeleteMeacham underscores several shortcomings in Thomas Jefferson's disposition, which are essential to fully understanding his character, thereby illustrating his strengths juxtaposed with his weaknesses. One in particular, his susceptibility to censure, repeatedly caused him internal agony. In the days of the Continental Congress, he earned the fewest votes for reelection. Predictably, he presumed his precious reputation had been attacked. Jefferson fretted, saying at the time, "it is a painful situation to be…open to secret assassination without a possibility of self-defense" (110). Jefferson was frequently caught between his angst over the disapproval of others and his own sentiments. Case in point, when musing on a possible constitutional amendment, Jefferson wrote to a correspondent he "[thinks] it important in the present case to set an example against broad construction by appealing for new power to the people" (391). While he did assert his ideological inclinations, he also stated, "if however our friends should think differently, certainly I shall acquiesce with satisfaction…" (391), exhibiting his tendency to submit to the will of others due to his anxiety over the risk of displeasing the populace. Thus, I disagree with the previous posts with respect to his habit of bending to the will of others. There is no pretense with Jefferson; he sincerely subscribes to his own beliefs. Agreed, his position adjusts accordingly, however Meacham persistently argues this is his pragmatism in action, not necessarily hypocrisy.
ReplyDeleteJefferson was a man of his time who was focused more on furthering his political career than doing what was “right.” Many people are criticizing Jefferson because of his owning slaves and his relationship with Sally Hemmings. However in those days, both these things were not uncommon. His interest in abolishing slavery means he was rather progressive for the time. Though he may have wanted to get rid of slavery at one point, he ended up backing off about that issue after he lost the Howell v. Netherland case. He felt discouraged at the loss and laid off on that issue. Ending slavery was so controversial at the time that getting involved with it could hurt his career more than help it so he wanted to focus on issues that might help it.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that Jeffersons most major flaws are his hunger for power and the hypocritical double standard that he held for the citizens of the United States. Both Bryan and Zach talked about how Jefferson was power hungry and would support laws and legislature that contradicted the ideals he claimed to believe in in the pursuit of power. However I do not believe that his need for more power, it was his hypocrisy that was his greatest flaw. One example is in the Samuel Howell v. Wade Netherland case where he claimed "everyone comes Into the world with a right to his own person and using it as his own will.” He claims that slavery is unjust and that all people have a right to be free when he owns hundreds of slaves at Monticello. His hypocrisy is shown again when he claimed that passing down wealth and land to the eldest son which is known as “entail and primogeniture” is unjust. This however is the very system that allowed Jefferson to be as successful as he was in life. Had he not been born into a rich family and received a good education it is safe to assume that he would not have become the man he was. I believe these severe acts of hypocrisy to be his greatest flaw as a man and as a ruler.
ReplyDeleteOne of Jefferson’s most serious and obvious flaws is his lack of self-control when it came to women. Even with women who were obviously not an option, he would continually try to be with them. An example of this is Betsy Walker, the wife of one of Jefferson’s old friends, whom he tried to seduce on many occasions. While he was married, many issues arose from the amount of times Jefferson’s wife gave birth during their years together. All of her pregnancies led to her becoming seriously ill, and eventually she died from this. Thomas Jefferson had already suffered through the sadness of multiple children not surviving through infancy, and when his wife died it left him in a serious depression for a long time. Had Jefferson not impregnated him wife so many times in so few years, he would not have suffered so much loss. After he promised his wife he wouldn’t marry again, he began to have relations Sally Hemmings, a slave who was many years younger than him. Though he kept his promise to his wife, it seems quite disrespectful to the memory of his wife to have children with a slave, especially one who was related to her.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMeacham’s book covers the entirety of the life of Thomas Jefferson. It highlights his accomplishments that have been achieved through hard work and the wielding of his power, and it also includes the questionable aspects of his life. The life Jefferson led and the ideals he preached could be used to call him a hypocrite.
ReplyDeleteAt the heart of the hypocrisy argument is the topic of slaves. It is no secret that Jefferson owned slaves in his life. During that time period in Virginia it was common to own slaves, so he was not alone. The surprising and somewhat confusing fact that contradicts his actions was what he vocalized publicly on the subject of freedom. In Jefferson’s first draft of the Declaration, he talks about equality for all men and the rights of liberty and happiness. He is known for writing a document thats entity is based on freedom and equality for mankind, yet owned slaves throughout his lifetime. Although Jefferson claimed that there was “nothing I would not sacrifice to a practicable plan of abolishing every vestige of this moral and political depravity” (pg. 476), he held his own needs ahead of his moral beliefs because he owned slaves for his entire life.
Going back a little in response to Marika's, I disagree in saying that Jefferson was hypocritical about slaves because he stated in the constitution that all men are created equal. At the time the term men was used to describe white land owners, who all had equal rights. Jeffersons biggest flaw that most likely hampered his way to power the most was his inability to give eloquent speeches. He managed to get around this by writing, but speeches were and still area very important and major way to gain support. And yes Jefferson was a very popular guy but the ability to give great speeches can sometimes win elections. And finally his strange obsession with married women, and women whom are not culturally okay for him. The first being Sally Hemmings, this type of slave/master affair was not uncommon at the time, and neither were most of Jeffersons actions regarding it. His denial about fathering the children was a big mistake for him, when his guests recognized the family resemblance his character became questionable. Another women he tried to seduce on many occasions was the wife of one of his old friends. This shows that his lust is almost as great as his need for power.
ReplyDeleteOne could argue that throughout the novel Thomas Jefferson was portrayed by Meacham as being unperturbed, overly sensitive to criticism, high-strung, and showed apathy towards others. Towards the introduction of the book he mentioned how Jefferson romantically pursued Elizabeth Moore, the wife of his life long friend John Walker. The fact that he attempted to cuckold a life long friend, showed his apathy towards even his close friends. In our era, such behavior would be considered a major transgression against the “Bro-Code”. Meacham went on to say that “It would have been adultery, but Jefferson was too much in love to care”(40), this was only the beginning. Seducing the wives of married men, was a certain flaw the unperturbed Jefferson perpetuated over the years. The pattern repeated again with Maria Hadfield, wife of Richard Cosway. When Thomas Jefferson contributed to the writing of the Declaration of Independence he was fully aware that for it to be considered flawless, it would have to undergo severe revisions. Naturally when the declaration was brought in for reexamination, it was put under harsh editing. Though Jefferson was high strung and expected this to happen, he was appalled when parts were removed. Meacham described the situation as “He fairly writhed as he sat in the Pennsylvania State House listening to member after member offering his thoughts, wanting to change this and cut that” (106), the perfect embodiment of his sensitivity to criticism. It progressed to the point where Benjamin Franklin pitied him, and even attempted to comfort him. Although Thomas Jefferson was hindered by his many faults, he was still able to attain many great accomplishments and become the famous man we all know him as today.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteJon Meacham wrote his book with the intention to not only expose the good in Tomas Jefferson but also the bad and to also show that Jefferson did have flaws, like all humans do. Some of Jefferson’s more obvious flaws includes his inability to speak in public, his impulsive lust for women, and his hippocratic views. Jefferson was a man of politics yet he lacked what all others of his profession had, strong public speaking. This certainly was unfortunate, although he did compensate by improving his writing skills. Jefferson’s flirtatious manor was controversial in both his time and ours. An example of Jefferson’s reckless romancing is in his pursuit of the beautiful Elizabeth Moore, she was married to his good friend John Walker. Jefferson was obviously not too concerned about Walker discovering his intentions or the potential destruction of their friendship. Another example is after Jefferson promised his dying wife that he would not marry another woman, he began a relationship with Sally Hemings, a significantly younger slave of his. With Sally, he had six mixed-race children, all of which remained slaves to him. He did, however, free each child when they turned 21. Jefferson did have other slaves, which does not align with his political beliefs on slavery. In drafting the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson writes about how “all men are created equal” even though he himself was a slave owner at the time. This is an arguable topic, so in his defense, slaves were considered property, not people back then. This is why people of his time were not as completely confused as we are today about how he got away with this.
ReplyDeleteFor all of his admirable traits, Thomas Jefferson is portrayed by Meacham with his many flaws apparent, including his sensitivity to criticism and his hypocritical position on slavery. Due to the nature of political life, Jefferson was constantly criticized by his peers. From the drafting of the Declaration of Independence to his time in office, Jefferson was always pained to see his ideas opposed. In drafting the Declaration, Jefferson took on the responsibility of carving out the stone from which the final document would be sculpted, but still disliked seeing his work torn apart and rearranged by his fellow committee members; “Jefferson hated being edited by such a large group.” (106). Although Jefferson was well-liked during his presidency, he still faced criticism from his political opponents. To soften some of the opposition Jefferson commonly invited politicians from both parties to dine with him at the President’s House. The hosting of his political opponents shows both his cunning and his desire to avoid criticism. Meacham also draws attention to the contradictions between Jefferson’s philosophical views and his actions, particularly in the case of slavery. Jefferson always viewed slavery as “a hideous blot”(476) on humanity, and early in his political career he went so far as to add a clause to the Declaration of Independence “reprobating the enslaving [of] the inhabitants of Africa”(105). However, due to his political and social position as a Virginian plantation owner Jefferson was unable to pursue abolition. The greatest instance of this conflict between philosophy and reality occurred when Jefferson returned home from his time in France. In convincing Sally Hemings to return with him to America and abandon freedom in Revolutionary France, Jefferson places his own desires over Sally’s for freedom. Jefferson was also torn on the point of slavery by his economic position. Being heavily indebted and suffering, as Meacham puts it, like many other Virginia plantation owners from being “land rich and cash poor”(478), Jefferson could not afford to free his own slaves. For all his determination and energy, Jefferson was never able to overcome these inherent faults.
ReplyDelete