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Overview
"Jefferson is the central figure in American history, and...he may yet prove to be the central figure in modern history." So stated noted historian Henry Steele Commager.
The Real Thomas Jefferson lets you meet the man as he really was-rather than as interpreted by historians. The book tells much of his exciting story in his own words.
You will meet a man who-
lost his wife when she was only 33, and lost four children before the age of three.
created the masterpiece of his life, the Declaration of Independence, at the young age of 33.
served as governor of war-torn Virginia and once escaped British capture by only minutes.
was one of the geniuses behind the American Constitution, even though he was serving in France during the Constitutional Convention.
was a true Renaissance man, skilled in farming, scientific experimentation, practical invention, economics, political philosophy, and statesmanship.
nearly lost his first presidential election to Aaron Burr, a scoundrel who later may have committed treason.
The second part of this book brings together the most important and insightful passages from Jefferson's writings, conveniently arranged by subject.
Synopsis
The Real Thomas Jefferson: The True Story of America's Philosopher of Freedom
Jefferson is the central figure in American history, and he may yet prove to be the central figure in modern history. So stated noted historian Henry Steele Commager. And as the English novelist Samuel Butler once wrote, Though God cannot alter the past, historians can. His observation is especially applicable to our changing perceptions of great historical personalities, most of whom are relentlessly reinterpreted by each new generation of biographers. It is doubtful whether many of these renowned characters of yesteryear would even recognize themselves in some of the publications devoted to them today.
There is no better example of this kind of metamorphosis than Thomas Jefferson, author of the American Declaration of Independence and third President of the United States. Since his death in 1826 he has been alternately vilified and deified in numerous forms by writers of varying motivations. In The Real Thomas Jefferson, by allowing Jefferson to explain his life and ideas in his own words, we have tried to ensure that his spirit, not ours, will breathe in these pages- -so that all who read them will become acquainted with Jefferson himself, not another second-hand interpretation of him. His biography appears in Part I, and Part II brings together the most insightful passages from his writings, arranged by subject.