Special many series of six lectures lectures entitled great president ial lives. This series is particularly attractive for two main reasons. The first being its timeliness. As we face a president ial Election Year and prepare for it, it will be an insight that all of us can benefit from. The second is the speaker himself. Our esteemed un w. Professor of americas of history, william crawley, who has just completed 50 years on the faculty of the university of mary washington. During that half century, doctor crawley has contributed in innumerable and significant ways. Certainly not least of all, the creation of our renowned Historic Preservation program and the creation of this amazing great lives series. But it is for his excellence in teaching that he is perhaps best known, and certainly to literally thousands of our students who have come through our halls. He has received our institutions highest honors in teaching, both from his colleagues and from his students. Many of whom, through the years, have voted him as the faculty member who has made the greatest impact upon their lives. Doctor crawley through these years has become a true icon of this community. And so, it is with great pleasure, that i introduce Professor William b crawley who, drawing upon his 50 years of teaching political history, has truly learned and shared so much of his knowledge and will be sharing it again with us today as he looks at the life of one of six highly interesting and sometimes controversial president s. And like many modernday president s, none are so straightforward as the story may recall or the history may have told us. Doctor crawley, would you please share with us now . Folks, today i want a truly iconic, if one of the more increasingly controversial president s, Thomas Jefferson. Let me begin with something of a disclaimer. Whenever i have spoken on jefferson, i am reminded of a prominent historian i once heard who said that he never fully trusted anyones views on jefferson, who had attended the university of virginia. Well, i have to plead guilty on that score, having spent four years in graduate school at mr. Jeffersons academical village as he called it in charlottesville. Certainly, jefferson himself was quite proud of that institution, specifically directing with the words, father of the university, one of only three accomplishments that should constitute his epitaph. The other two being the author of the declaration of the declaration of independence in the virginia statute of religious freedom. Treating his memory with such reverence that president William Howard taft once said, after delivering a lecture that, quote, people still talk of mr. Jefferson as though he was in the next room and might overhear them. Well, i trust my association with uva does not render me incompetent to assess jeffersons career. For one thing, im personally not much given to hear a warship. And professionally, ive always believed that michael should not be to indoctrinate but to enlighten and thus not either to defy or demonize a subject. With that said, the truth is that Thomas Jefferson has long held a place, and it too many, the highest place within the pantheon of american political heroes. Among the nations founders, he possesses the widest range of talents and produced the most diverse accomplishments. He is generally been regarded as the most intellectual of them, recalling that oft quoted comment by president john f. Kennedy, who went offered a dinner toast to a group of Nobel Laureates assembled at the white house, said that they constituted, quote, the most extraordinary collection of talent and Human Knowledge that has ever been gathered together at the white house. With the possible exception of when jefferson dined. It was of course the eloquent voice that jefferson gave to american democracy which made him so revered, including most notably his proposition in the declaration of independence that, we consider these truths to be self evident, that all men are equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights including the pursuit of life, liberty unhappiness. The core of the american creed. Accordingly, one historian has claimed that, quote, no figure in our past has embodied so much of our heritage in so many of our hopes, and it is for that reason that some years ago, near the end of the 20th century, and of course the end of the millennium, that columnist george will went so far as to suggest that Thomas Jefferson was indeed the most significant person on the planet for the last 1000 years. Well, it sounds pretty driving it, but he makes a possible case. This is how he explains it. Im quoting, the argument for jefferson is that history is essentially the history of the human mind, of ideas. Jefferson was predominantly a mind of the revolution. It resulted in the birth of the first modern nation that had a 20th century save the world from that helped save the world from journey. He expressed it eloquent phrases, but also in the way he lived. A statesman, scientist, architect, educator. Regarding his own legacy, jefferson himself once employed his friend and president ial successor james mattis and to quote take care of anyone dead. He need not have worried because for the most part, certainly after the first five or six decades of the 20th century, historians share the popular view of jefferson with jefferson being virtually beyond reproach. And clearly, his extraordinary career would seem to have justified that reputation. So lets take a very quick look at jeffersons career, very briefly. He was born april 13th, 1743 near charlottesville. His father, peter jefferson, was a young farmer who became a successful planter. He joined the upper class by marrying jane rand off. Through his parents, Thomas Jefferson accrued wealth, status and a traditional public service. He was educated and studied law. He was imposing in appearance, standing over six feet tall, unusual for that day, and with red hair. , all before a public figure, he was shy and avoided public appearances whenever possible. He was elected to the state legislature, which was the house of purchases in 1769, by which time he owned more than 2500 acres of land and a substantial number of slaves. In 1772, he married a young widow through whom he doubled his property and increased his number of slaves. He was cast into a deep depression by the death of his wife in 1782. He never remarried. You became known as a supporter of independence from britain and the coauthor of the declaration of independence along with Benjamin Franklin and john adams. He served in congress during the Confederation Period in the mid 17 eighties and in 1785 he replaced the aging Benjamin Franklin as minister to france and spent five years in europe. That was significant because during that time, he became Close Friends with lafayette and wrote the notes on the state of virginia about which we will talk more later. He will he returned to america at the end of 1789 and was appointed secretary of state by george washington. In 1797, he became Vice President , having finished a close second behind his rival john adams in contest for the presidency. He was elected president in 1800. The greatest accomplishment of his administration was perhaps the acquisition of louisiana from france in 1803 1803. He was reelected to a second term in 1800 for, but that proved to be trouble particularly with developments in europe as napoleon rose to power. After leaving the presidency, he retired to want to cello and concern himself mainly with establishing the university of virginia, which was founded in 1819. And finally, by a strange quirk of fate, and i think this must be the most extraordinary coincidence, well certainly the most extraordinary coincidence that i could ever recall reading about, both jefferson and john adams died on july 4th, 1826 during the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the declaration of independence. Youve probably heard this, allegedly adams last words were, jefferson lives. But he did not, he had died earlier that day. As this brief biological sketch indicates, these were great accomplishments, no doubt. But, as i alluded to earlier, they have been recently overshadowed by a very different interpretation, a negative interpretation that has risen among the latest generation of jefferson scholars. The reason for this decline in his reputation is not hard to find. That is these riders had focused major tension on that area of jeffersons life, by any standards is certainly the least attractive and most vulnerable, that is his views on slavery and race. Perhaps it was predictable that this would happen in in america that, in the wake of the civil rights movement, became much more keenly aware of racial injustice. And, when that happened, it damaged jeffersons hitherto unblemished to rock stature was notable. Largely ignoring his positive accomplishments, they strike at his achilles heel, which the metaphorically, was the heel of oppression that he grounded to the backs of his slaves. And so, weve reached the point of the debate where one of his most prime prominent biographers has declared that, quote, in the multiracial american future, jefferson will not be revered. His flaws are beyond redemption. The sound you hear, he says, is the crashing of a reputation. Well, how about it in such a position . Thats the basic question i want to address here in the remainder of my comments today. I want to do it in the following way. First, to examine briefly jeffersons theories on race and slavery. Second, to look at his actions both public and private regarding slavery. And finally, in light of recent criticism, to suggest a summary evaluation of jefferson and his proper place in history with particular regard to slavery and race. Lets look first than out jeffersons fault concerning slavery and look at what he actually had to say on those subjects. Its somewhat surprising to how little jefferson actually wrote on anything. Given his highly intellectual nature. Much of what we know of his thought comes mainly from his lettuce and, for the longest of his published works, the f or mentioned notes on the state of virginia which was published in france in 1785. Even the notes are far from a polished systematic statement of his years. In fact, it is clear that he did not actually intended to be published at all. You wrote in response to a request of a french official while he was in paris as the american minister. He did so with the intention of it being read by only a select group. Basically, french intellectuals, for whom he was trying to explain the government, the economy and the social structure of his native virginia. The book, however, was pirated and became public. So eventually, jefferson owned up to it, albeit without enthusiasm and evidently with some embarrassment. As one of his biography fired first put it, if jefferson had his way, the only bookie everett would not have been published and his opinions on slavery would not have become Public Knowledge during his time time. Lifetime. The point is jefferson did not write extensively on many subjects. But for the purposes of our top today, maybe unfortunately for his place in history, jefferson did leave a fairly large amount of information regarding his views on African Americans in general and on slavery in particular. So what did these writings reveal about his thinking . It might be well to begin with a wet one historian has called his central dilemma. That was that he, quote, hated slavery, but thought, im quoting, thought need grows inferior to whites, and quote. This was a very serious dichotomy interference thought. Its one that crossed him all great deal of intellectual suffering, just as it has caused modern scholars to puzzle over the to jefferson. His central dilemma, he hated slavery, but that blacks inferior to whites. This was a difficult intellectual position. On the one hand, it can certainly be said that there is no indication in any of his work that jefferson felt slavery to be right. And yet, at the same time, on the other hand, there is every reason to believe that jefferson did not indeed believe blacks to be equal to whites, notwithstanding his famous words about all men are created equal. What is the evidence in jeffersons writings to indicate that he did not approve of slavery . Several things may be noted. For one thing, its evident that he took no pride in owning slaves. In fact, he tended to regard them as a burden rather than a blessing. He seems to not even have liked the word slave itself and often used the word servants in lieu of slaves. And he acknowledge, on various occasions, that he felt that the slaves must have been, in his words, miserable and he referred to slavery as, quote, a hideous evil. And yet, even though its clear that jefferson does not believe the condition of the slave to be in any way desirable, it was not the primary reason why he doesnt like slavery. Instead, the main reason, which he expressed to opposing slavery, was the harmful effect that it had on white society. In other words, his main attack was not against the cruelty of the system to blacks, but against what he believed to be the injustice of the system to whites. How can i be . This is the way he explained it in his nose on virginia. This is a quote now. There must doubtless be an unhappy influence on our people produced by the existence of slavery among us. The whole commerce between master and slave is a perpetual exercise of the most boisterous passions, the most unremitting despotism on the one part, and the degrading submissions on the other. Our children see this and learn to imitate it. Four man is in imitative animal. With the morals of the people, their industry also is destroyed, for in our warm climate, no man labour for himself who can make another labor for him. And quote. In other words, slavery was bad training for democracy. Now, opponents of slavery had traditionally been concerned with the effect of institution upon the slaveowners. Jefferson was not the first nor the last to express such a view. But with jefferson, it seemed to be almost his only concern, as one of his biographers puts it, quote, jefferson went to his grave convinced that slavery was detrimental to the white community. Slaverys effect on blacks, he simply was not overly concerned. And so, jefferson was concerned with what we might call the corrosive internal effect on society. At the same time, however, as i noted earlier, its clear that jefferson believe the black race to beat inferior. From his notes on virginia, there can be little doubt from this point. It is precisely on this point that most scholars today and criticized him. In his notes, jefferson addresses him self to what he called quote, the real distinction nature is made, unquote, between the races. In doing so, he considers not only physical but the mental and even moral differences as well. As to the physical, its clear the jefferson was predisposed against blacks. Even there very color seem to offend him. He wrote at one point, for example, disparaging quote that eternal monotony which rains in the countless is that immovable veil of black which covers all of their emotions. As to the mental abilities of African Americans, he is quite clear, he unquestionably believe them to be inferior to whites. Comparing them by their faculties a memory, reason and imagination, it appears to me that in memory, they are equal to the whites, but in reason, much inferior. Nor did he believed they had any talent. Whenever he was confronted with claims of superior work by a black authors and poets such as the African American mathematician is donnamarie, the engine ban occur regiment panic or, or fullest weekly, jefferson remained highly skeptical to put it mildly. It might be assumed that he would have attributed some of these perceived shortcomings to lack of opportunity. That is to the environment in which African Americans were forced to live. But that was not apparent the case. Said he, quote, it is not their condition, but nature which has produced this distinction. Between the two races. And short, jeffersons fundamental attitude on the issue of race seems to be summed up in the frequently quoted passage and his notes on virginia in which he said, quote, i advance it as a suspicion only that the blacks, whether originally a distinct race or made buy time and circumstance, are inferior to the whites in body and mind. As i noted earlier, jefferson also addressed himself, took not only to the physical and mental attributes, but also to what he called moral sense. The moral sense of the African Americans. Interestingly in this respect, he argued that blacks were equal to whites. Moreover, he argued that if there were any shortcomings on the part of blacks in this regard, such a deficiency should be attributed to environment. He put it this way. He gave an example. He said, if a slave stole chickens from the barnyard, such an act must be ascribed to their situation. If such theory occurred, he claimed it was fully understandable. Quote, the man, he said, in whose favor no laws of property exist, probably feels himself less bound to respect those laws made in favor of others, and quote. Therefore he asked rhetorically, might not the slave, quote, justifiably take a little from one who has taken everything from him. So much for jefferson theories. What were his actions regarding slavery . Lets look first at his public actions, then we will get to his private behavior. Such as we know it. At the risk of oversimplification it might be said the jeffersons public when that of outspoken opposition to that of quite opposition to that of despair, acquiescence, resignation, near the end of his life. Earlier in his career, for example, there were indications that he certainly had qualms about slavery, in particular the slave trade. As early as 1774, he blamed the british government, george the third in particular, for refusing to accept a virginia colonial law designed to prohibit the slave trade. Two years later, in 1776, we drafted a virginia constitution which stated flatly, quote, no person hereafter coming to virginia will be held in slavery under any pretext whatsoever. Unfortunately, that draft of the state constitution was not adopted. In regard to outright abolition, jefferson is much more cautious. He moved to whats potentially would be the most important anti slavery action of his career. It was in that year that he sponsored a bill before the Virginia Legislature which would have granted it freedom to all slaves born after passing of that act. Obviously, it could have made a dramatic difference. But, when the bill went before the legislature for action the following year in 1785, jefferson withdrew his support for it because, he claimed, he had quote found that the puppet mind would not yet bury the proposition, and quote. In other words, he found out it was unpopular with voters. This action shows us two highly significant aspects of jeffersons attitude toward emancipation. First, it was significant that he drew withdrew his proposal for the reason that he did. That is the public mind would not yet barrett. Another words, jefferson was a politician and head to be concerned with public opinion. The second significant revelation of this episode is that jeffersons proposal for gradual emancipation include a provision which would have required the removal of all three free slaves. In his words, they should be colonized to such places and circumstances of the time. This demand for deportation, recolonization, was one of the real constants in jeffersons actions with regards to slavery. He simply wanted all three blacks to be sent to the west indies or to africa or really to anywhere outside the united states. Why was this . The answer is that he simply seemed not to believe that the races could live together side by side in harmonious equality. And it is and in his notes and virginia he explains why he felt this way as follows. Deep rooted prejudices by the whites, 10,000 recollections by the blacks at the injuries they have sustained, the real distinction which nature has made and many other circumstances will divide us and produce convulsions which will probably never end, but in the extermination of the one race or the other. Pretty strong words. Again, near the end of his life and 77, in his unfinished autobiography, he reiterated this view. He noted that he had concluded that it was, in his words, certain that the two races, equally free, could not live under the same government. In view of steps such statements, one recent historian has stated flatly that the entire body of jeffersons writings shows that he never seriously considered the possibility of any form of racial coexistence on the basis of equality and that, until his death, he saw colonization colonization is the only alternative to slavery. Otherwise, a more critical historian put it, quote, nothing is more certain then that Thomas Jefferson did not intend to black people to be free in america. Freedom and black miss were incompatible in america. Three blacks were to be banished. Well. Most of what i had talked about so far, it deals with his attempts regarding slavery. Of course, jefferson was a National Prayer as well, and this slavery issue is it at that level as well. Most important in his National Actions come the confirmation before the constitution before it went into effect. , at this time, jefferson devised a bill known in 1784. This piece of legislation, if passed, wouldve had potentially greater impact because it would have prohibited the extension of slavery into any of the western territories of the united states, after 1800. Again it wouldve made a serious difference. But the ordinance of 1784 failed to pass by a margin of one vote. But in any case that proposal was significant for two reasons. First, he raised a principle upon which many future attacks on slavery would rest. And that is, that the spread of slavery could and should be limited by the federal government, which was the basis of the free sought doctrine of the antebellum years. And secondly, in the short run, certainly inspired and the north worst ordinance of 1787, which ban slavery in what was known as a northwest. This was the old northwest, and so the enactment prohibited slavery from being established in the old northwest, the states of, ohio indiana and illinois. And jefferson i think must be given credit for that legislation. On the other hand, the jefferson folks listen to this, theres no way on the other hand. This case, on the other hand as his critics pointed, out they have limited the spread it in that regard and he may be blamed for its expansion, where in particular in louisiana. Because, the purchase of louisiana from friends in 18 or three, did permit the spread of slavery, it wasnt forbidden in that huge area. How bad is that criticism . Well, the actual situation is the slavery already existed in the new easy louisiana territory, it had been under the spanish and later the french. And the purchase couldve been carried out if slavery had not been allowed to continue, and it would have been banned in any case. But it came in the package, unfortunately. The fact is after 1800, jefferson was able to do very little for slavery. For a while he remained reasonably optimistic, for example, writing to one of his friends in 1840 he said, the power of emancipation is advancing in the march of time, it will come. And yet, astrophysicist lives progressed, the likelihood appeared to that likelihood at the end of the slavery, and it decreased rather than increase, as we will see. And according to jefferson it appeared to be coming more pessimistic. Now, whatever im talking about how far, dealt with his public actions. We also would take some look at his personal interactions with slavery. It is something that he was acquainted with, he recalled that his first memories was that he was, he knew slavery literally from the cradle to the great. He said he was being carried on the pillow by a slave, and it was a slave carpenter who made the coffin in which he was buried. And in between he was the owner of the 100 and 200 slaves, and it was a he was a very substantial slave owner. Now, we dont know much about his day today behaviors as a slave owner. The assumption in the past in general has been that he was benevolent, and that assumption has been questioned. One of whom for example points out that in the one seven slave of his runaway. Jefferson recalls that he sometimes had his slaves wept. He was for lack of a better term, and average slave owner. How passing is that term is, i suppose to define. There is one reason historians put it, he was at heart in just a typical slave owner, he may have been a bit down president but heres a desperate nevertheless. The fact is that in the historical record, and which ification to believe, he was the more ruthless and benevolent flight winner of its time. Now, the motto of jefferson i was of course brings up the issue of sally hennings, his mistress. This is subject about which an enormous amount has been written, and not surprising, because after all as all the ingredients that fastening the public, a historical figure of importance in interracial sex, white exploitation of blacks kind of thing where if they existed could have kept over winfrey in the tabloids going for months. The charge, im sure you know, was that he fathered at least, for maybe, five or six children by his slaves. That was the subject of at least one novel, one movie, tv, special miniseries and has been a focal point of several biographies in recent years, written by those most critical gestures. Now this, certainly by itself could take more time than we are allotted today, let me just outline that generally agreed upon facts, jeffersons wife died in 1782, which i mentioned that in jefferson every married. And remained await over the remaining of the 44 years of his life. During that time, the slave lady who was have sister of his late wife or some children are survived adulthood. The record show that he was present at the time where those conceptions would have occurred. By many accounts, the hamming offspring for strong resemblance to jefferson, and were so light skin that they were often passed for white. And perhaps, the most northward piece of evidence, many is that the hennings charge were essentially the only slaves that jefferson ever freed. Or allowed to go free. The question is was it up to his paternity. Scholars say up to the 19 sixties and seventies, to them walk they sort of dismissed it on the rather theory that if i might put it this way, jefferson was the one that sought them out. Was . They also put heavy emphasis on the fact that the story had an affair with sally hemmings, it was first disseminated in 18 or two by one james who was an embedded political opponent, and a notorious scan under the questionably, the calendar was disreputable person in the words of one historian he quoted, despicable individual moved by venom and racism. Yet, as it in this writer coincides, this is not always untruthful one. This would perhaps be a dubious character of its miserable pervaded. In any case, recent scholars have tend to give greed to the story by giving much noting right to his fallen brother, in his biography. And even more by phone and reads, 1997 book. And if were going to defer the details myself today, i commit these books to you if you wish to pursue the subject. A significant step in the controversy occurred of years ago, a dna test which if interpreted correctly apparently they do not prove that jefferson fathered sullies children. But they do give significant support for the possibility. One thing they conclusively realized lets the paternity of jefferson was in the assistant of children, who they usually disregard the prime suspects of the jeffersons. Well as it stands, it seems safe to say that historians very rarely believe that its interpreted to that fashion by historians who essentially can see the validity. Now, having looked at jeffersons public and private actions regarding the institution, lets turn to an overall evaluation of the man, both as viewed by historians as well as very importantly as some dance within the context of his own time. Well, it is certainly true that assessments of jefferson have been divergent over the years. As you would expect giving his complex nature, those of public career. In his own time his admirers on again gave him such titles as the sage of martha cello, and dubbed him as the most learned men in the world. His opponents were not so charitable, including one who referred to him as, quote, head after decades of almost uniform veneration, earlier the recent trend seems to not expressed that clearly perhaps, but in some cases live just as much hostility. This explanation, the explanation for this i suppose lies partly to the apparent inevitability of historical revisionism. One of jeffersons own bars, was noted, quote, american political heroes in past and present are in trouble. Assaulted openly, and from ambush, for the right in the left. And even from seemingly inaccurate professors of history. And so it is that we have witnessed in recent years serious as persians from notable figures from lincoln to john f. Kennedy. They have been started in cases like jefferson. So including part of the elections, to examine some of the chief criticism if not, exactly rebuttal, at least a measure of explanation. Fundamental to the revisionist pros is the conflict president throughout jeffersons life, between word indeed. The contradiction inherent, and the expression of human equality was on matched eloquence, with the owner of other human beings. That incongruities was noted in its own times by no less figure who once etched with evidence and disdain how is it that we hear the lavish yelps were liberty from the arms of slaves. And picking up a proud historian pointed out that vote, in the shirt may past the writings of own human liberty, or supported by the laborers of three generations of slaves. And the list could go on. But the basic point being that far from being an icon of democracy, jefferson was in fact a racist hypocrite. Now in that overall critique, by several charges, defer to. Jefferson really accomplish very little with regards to eradicating slavery, and indeed in some ways, we had louisiana for example facilitate spread. In several points need to be made here. The first i think the most fundamental one is that any death the jefferson we have taken with slavery faced an enormous and increasing economic obstacle. And here is why. Earlier in jeffersons career, and up through the writing of the constitution, slavery was widely believed to be an underlying institution. In fact, and it was launched in disbelief in the eligible economic must slavery that all of the founders to reach the compromises about the institution that prevents official agreement to degrade the constitution. They almost universally believed it was gonna die out. Unfortunately, just the opposite happened. Instead of dying out, slavery took on you live in the 17 nineties, and specifically after 1783, with an invasion. To make a very long story short. This was the cotton profitably ground, not just along the side, but throughout the south all the way to texas. And the resulting spread for cotton was dramatic. And beneath for extensive amounts of manual labor met the south simultaneous as well, assume the institution now seem destined for the mice was now increasing intrench, with a production of common in the ownership of slaves constituting a very pinnacle sudden society. Sure certification and status and prestige. That was not all. Vastly increased number of slays, to almost 4 million by the time of the civil war. Raised in the minds of mary whites, the primes of social control that they feel able to rise in the event of emancipation. Jefferson himself spoke directly to this point, when he wrote on one occasion regarding a possibility, i think this is one of his most telling observations. Something up as he did, the essence of Justin Jeffersons concerns, he said we have the wolf by the ears. We can either safely hold him or safely let him go. Justice, emancipation, someone jail cell preservation on the other. His own solution as we have seen is colonization. All of this is to instill trade he may have had in the direction of emancipation when headlong into both economic hard realities of the times and a pervasive social figures. Which of course created a Formidable Political problem, when you think of jeffersons a statesman, which he was, but before he became a statesman he became a politician. A practical politician, one concerned about what the with the public mind would bear. This is the way one historian describes jefferson s he said vital as the abolition of slavery was to him, he rebuffed that he has suffered when he had proposed plans for freeing the slaves had demonstrated to have the depressed too hard on this issue. A risk to premature antisemitic alert career in other words he was unwilling to sacrifice his whole career or as John Quincy Adams put its most succinctly and athlete, mr. Jefferson did not have the spirit of martyrdom. Interestingly, jefferson himself addressed sensing, the subsequent critics had charges for apocryphal, the reason for his restraint was that he explain in so many words was to paraphrase, the time was right. Of course he put it more eloquently than that, writing on one occasion, has not yet arrived. And then unaccessible, often happens with only rivets the. Closer to change the much later in his life, in fact two weeks before is that the returns that subject, explaining his position this way. Again, very good quote. I could cause, he said is off thin andrew but the arguments of its enemies. Persuasion, perseverance, and patients, are the best advocates in questions depending on the will of this the revolution of public opinion, which this cause requires, is not to be expected in the day, or perhaps in an age time which outlives all things. Concerning another moderate criticism of jackson, some have thought it would be too much for him to given his might not have at least freed a zone. Two explanations often certainly all the one, is the staunchest defend is particularly, to say he kept him because he felt that he would be better off that if they were freed and had to fend for themselves. Ive always thought this was a bit flimsy, because i suspect that given a choice, there theres a seat of plausibility. Because the plight of most free blacks was difficult there i think is a fundamental reason, more likely reason for his position. And that is, he could not afford the freedom because they were essential to his very livelihood. We tend to think of jefferson is a wealthy man. But the fact is he lived beyond his means. To such extent that he nearly lost mandala, and his descendants did lose it. And such financial strait, he could hardly have afforded to divest himself major portion of his assets even if he wanted to. He does much better businessman. And he did provide for the freedom of the slaves after his death. It should be noted that this explanation of jeffersons actions does not modify his most drive critics. When one included that to judge from his lifelong behavior, jeffersons grand style was more important to him than and natural rights of the slaves. Now the last point of criticism, mainly that jefferson was racist, there can be no exhale patient of this. Nothing can discuss the fact upon manner day standards, he was racist. As is made abundant a clear i told my students over the years, it would be good to read the notes to see jeffersons views in some detail. But dont do it if you have a weak stomach. Or a week constitution, because it is pretty rough stuff. I quoted a little bit of it, but it is pretty graphic. Not appealing to us today to read those words, in any case, that is what he wrote. And thats where we are left with his views on race. But we can do though, is considered two things. The fuss very simply is, as such as you should be proudly be considered in the context of his own times. This was a period, ladies and gentlemen, when virtually no one thought differently. Indeed, in jeffersons own times, the auto concept was not that he owned slaves, which was widespread and had had existence in time while. A strange thing was his concept of human equality. That struck people as a very odd idea. I believe universal non jefferson zone time. But throughout the 19th century, any front into the 20 century, perhaps it is unfortunate as it is unreasonable to expect he would have believed something drastically difference from that. The larger point seems to me involves another part in question, that is the what used did he put those views that were considered racist . He might well have proceeded from those views to develop a strong argument of slavery, and some of his contemporaries as many subsequent settlers did based on the president mission for example the John C Calhoun arguably the most important southern politician of the two decades following jeffersons death, was advocating slavery this way. Some are born with saddles on their backs, and others booted and spurred to ride them. And the writing does them good. Jefferson never took his approach. As far as i, now he never once suggested that the inferiority a black which he presumed, was a legitimate justification for the enslavement. This to be seen frequently throughout his writings, but is critically in a letter that he wrote in 18 oh not. Speaking of blacks, he wrote that quote, whatever their degree of talent, it is no measure of their rights. Just because sir isaac newton was superior to others of he was not there for the owner of the person of the property of others. In other words, even if blacks were inferior, that did not constitute grounds for the legitimate grounds for their enslavement. Finally, what can we say about the summary assessments about jeffersons dying . In light of the vicissitudes of his perhaps by the best to evaluate deficit consider how it was regarded by people who actually knew him. I actually worked from. Even that effort produces contradiction, one reason historians aptly put it this way, so listen closely. And the 19th century, abolitionists use jeffersons work slave holders used his example as a seal. On the whole however, it seems that in the minds of most of his contemporaries, jefferson was regarded as a man of humane ideals. Who though he cannot find a solution to the problem of slavery, who could, who did. Hes still now accepted and never advocated that institution. And to appreciate the significant must be placed eco trust of it positions southern leadership. My point is that so long to jeffersons ideas it was always a degree of skepticism, i was questioned an institution and a hopeful solution to it might be found. And short the existence of jeffersonian ideals made settlers uneasy about the paddock particular obviously conflict with the american creed, a creek which jefferson more than anyone else as helped to establish. But, it was not long before that liberals began to fade, soon to be replaced by oppressive conservatism, i antebellum years after jeffersons death. All of this had its effect on jefferson, diminishing the optimism that he had once exhibited. Andy jefferson a spoke more truth and he could have realized, when he wrote in 1826 quote, of a subject of emancipation. It is not to be a work monday. And a year he was dead, and with him the brightest light of liberalism in the el south was extinguished. We should but to his camper about quitting three of his contemporaries. The first was a white a lab and who has quote who taught me to hate slavery . And every other form of oppression . It was jefferson, the great. The good jefferson. The second contemporary, also a congressman said similarly, write a history to strain in all honesty history to say that mr. Jefferson was entitled anti he was the prime force of the anti slavery movement. Lastly, very contemporary was quite different. He was not a congressman, he was not white. And his feelings were expressed non public, but in a personal jefferson himself. The historian records the story tells us that the letter was written with a painful care of a hand on a custom that hand belong to a black man, a former slave, he wrote personally to jefferson. To tell jefferson about a very important event in his life, namely that his wife had now quoting from the letter, just presented to me a pair of twin boys. A pair of black twin boys, and serve as a testimony of my gratitude, for those principles of justice in humanity, that hes so boldly effort kidded, and not a very great respect, which i hold is the freedom and rights. The benefactor of mankind. And of people of color, in particular. I have named one of my twins thomas, and the other jefferson. Thank you. Charles toward coauthor of fighting for the speaker she had the house in the rise of Party Government discusses that relenting a speaker of the u. S. House in the new congress mr. Toward examines how this has changed since 1889. The National Archives center for National Archives hosted this event and provided the video. Well it seems that the rain didnt dampen any determination Todays Research or talk so thank you for braving the elements. The historian at the center for legislative archives sponsored this series. Todays program is a third Research Talk this year. Next month