ThomasJefferson
I chose to research Thomas Jefferson. The minute I saw that we would be reading about Thomas Jefferson, I was excited. I really didn't know much about him other than he was our third president that that he helped draft The Declaration of Independence.
Everything I've read about Jefferson, describes him as being very contradictory. For example, he fought for equality but he owned over 600 slaves. It is even believed that he fathered children with his slave, Sally Hemmings. If Jefferson was truly a believer in equality, why did he keep his slaves instead of freeing them? There was definitely opportunities to free them. In the book, Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate History, by Fawn McKay Brodie, She writes about an opportunity where Jefferson could have freed Thenia, Sally Hemmings 27 year-old sister but he chose not to.
The beginning of Jefferson's political career came at a time of big changes in the American colonies. In 1763, at the conclusion of the French and Indian War, Great Britain was in financial ruins. They had to raise revenue so they taxed the American colonies. Eventually this led to the American colonies wanting to be free from Great Britain. Thomas Jefferson was one of the earliest supporters for the cause of American Independence. He was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1768. In June 1776, the Continental Congress appointed Jefferson alone with four others to draft a Declaration of Independence. The committee chose Jeffeson to author the declaration's first draft because he was known for His "happy talent for omposition and singular felicity of expression," according to John Adams. ( wwwbiography.com/people/thomas-jefferson-9353715#poitical-beginnings).
The Declaration of Independence reads "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights;that among these are Life, Librty, and the pursuit of Happiness." Beautiful words
Everything I've read about Jefferson, describes him as being very contradictory. For example, he fought for equality but he owned over 600 slaves. It is even believed that he fathered children with his slave, Sally Hemmings. If Jefferson was truly a believer in equality, why did he keep his slaves instead of freeing them? There was definitely opportunities to free them. In the book, Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate History, by Fawn McKay Brodie, She writes about an opportunity where Jefferson could have freed Thenia, Sally Hemmings 27 year-old sister but he chose not to.
The beginning of Jefferson's political career came at a time of big changes in the American colonies. In 1763, at the conclusion of the French and Indian War, Great Britain was in financial ruins. They had to raise revenue so they taxed the American colonies. Eventually this led to the American colonies wanting to be free from Great Britain. Thomas Jefferson was one of the earliest supporters for the cause of American Independence. He was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1768. In June 1776, the Continental Congress appointed Jefferson alone with four others to draft a Declaration of Independence. The committee chose Jeffeson to author the declaration's first draft because he was known for His "happy talent for omposition and singular felicity of expression," according to John Adams. ( wwwbiography.com/people/thomas-jefferson-9353715#poitical-beginnings).
The Declaration of Independence reads "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights;that among these are Life, Librty, and the pursuit of Happiness." Beautiful words