Thomas Jefferson - How do people feel about him today?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s to know?

He’s a dead, white, male, cisgender, slave-owner. Full stop.

+1

So tired of people elevating these historical figures and not speaking the truth of who they were outloud.

You mean the truth that he was the most influential and important of our Founding Fathers?

Yeah, why elevate some loser like that? Back to TikTok and influencers we go.

I am stunned at the lack of erudition and nuance in modern public discourse. Mostly I am sad at any lack of pride at our history and heritage here in America. I understand that we should evolve with the times and assess our past so that we can work for a better more enlightened future. But I remain steadfast in my belief that history is the greatest teacher and not only do we owe a lot to our ancestors in terms of their achievements but that we still have a lot to learn from them.

When will we learn that we cannot extract these people from the time and place in which they lived their lifespans during their tenure on earth? Thomas Jefferson was without dispute the most influential man of the revolutionary generation. He was a bright and eager student who was one of the first to adapt enlightenment ideas in the colonies and include them in his work as a young lawyer. One of his earliest cases that he volunteered for required him arguing for the freedom of a mixed race enslaved man who wanted freedom from his owners. The argument he made for this man's freedom was based on the idea of freedom and personal liberty being a natural right. An idea that was revolutionary and unheard of at the time. Jefferson did not win the case and afterwards he paid the enslaved man enough money so that he could run away.

He articulated these enlightenment principles in a beautiful way in the Declaration of Independence and created a document that became the very inspiration for the emancipation movement that followed.

America in 1776 was a very different place than 2024. The Salem witch trials had taken place about 50 years before. Darwin would write his Origin of Species many decades later. At this time and place Jefferson's ideas of human rights and individual liberty were revolutionary and incredible. He abhorred the institution of slavery, this much is certain. But to cancel him because he single handedly did not fight to end a 100 year old institution all by himself is a bit unreasonable. He was a smart man and an idealist but he was also a deep pragmatist and a political animal. He sowed the seeds of the ideas and the movement for equality of man that would then be used by Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglas and Martin Luther King.

So in this view not only did he influence our independence from Great Britain, gave the words to the ideals that would shape our character as a nation, but also set in motion the revolutionary idea of equality of all men that would eventually lead to the abolition of slavery.

Not bad for an old white guy.

You sound like a white supremacist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s to know?

He’s a dead, white, male, cisgender, slave-owner. Full stop.

+1

So tired of people elevating these historical figures and not speaking the truth of who they were outloud.

You mean the truth that he was the most influential and important of our Founding Fathers?

Yeah, why elevate some loser like that? Back to TikTok and influencers we go.

I am stunned at the lack of erudition and nuance in modern public discourse. Mostly I am sad at any lack of pride at our history and heritage here in America. I understand that we should evolve with the times and assess our past so that we can work for a better more enlightened future. But I remain steadfast in my belief that history is the greatest teacher and not only do we owe a lot to our ancestors in terms of their achievements but that we still have a lot to learn from them.

When will we learn that we cannot extract these people from the time and place in which they lived their lifespans during their tenure on earth? Thomas Jefferson was without dispute the most influential man of the revolutionary generation. He was a bright and eager student who was one of the first to adapt enlightenment ideas in the colonies and include them in his work as a young lawyer. One of his earliest cases that he volunteered for required him arguing for the freedom of a mixed race enslaved man who wanted freedom from his owners. The argument he made for this man's freedom was based on the idea of freedom and personal liberty being a natural right. An idea that was revolutionary and unheard of at the time. Jefferson did not win the case and afterwards he paid the enslaved man enough money so that he could run away.

He articulated these enlightenment principles in a beautiful way in the Declaration of Independence and created a document that became the very inspiration for the emancipation movement that followed.

America in 1776 was a very different place than 2024. The Salem witch trials had taken place about 50 years before. Darwin would write his Origin of Species many decades later. At this time and place Jefferson's ideas of human rights and individual liberty were revolutionary and incredible. He abhorred the institution of slavery, this much is certain. But to cancel him because he single handedly did not fight to end a 100 year old institution all by himself is a bit unreasonable. He was a smart man and an idealist but he was also a deep pragmatist and a political animal. He sowed the seeds of the ideas and the movement for equality of man that would then be used by Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglas and Martin Luther King.

So in this view not only did he influence our independence from Great Britain, gave the words to the ideals that would shape our character as a nation, but also set in motion the revolutionary idea of equality of all men that would eventually lead to the abolition of slavery.

Not bad for an old white guy.

You sound like a white supremacist.

You sound like a troll. Or an idiot. Not sure which, maybe both...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s to know?

He’s a dead, white, male, cisgender, slave-owner. Full stop.

+1

So tired of people elevating these historical figures and not speaking the truth of who they were outloud.

You mean the truth that he was the most influential and important of our Founding Fathers?

Yeah, why elevate some loser like that? Back to TikTok and influencers we go.

I am stunned at the lack of erudition and nuance in modern public discourse. Mostly I am sad at any lack of pride at our history and heritage here in America. I understand that we should evolve with the times and assess our past so that we can work for a better more enlightened future. But I remain steadfast in my belief that history is the greatest teacher and not only do we owe a lot to our ancestors in terms of their achievements but that we still have a lot to learn from them.

When will we learn that we cannot extract these people from the time and place in which they lived their lifespans during their tenure on earth? Thomas Jefferson was without dispute the most influential man of the revolutionary generation. He was a bright and eager student who was one of the first to adapt enlightenment ideas in the colonies and include them in his work as a young lawyer. One of his earliest cases that he volunteered for required him arguing for the freedom of a mixed race enslaved man who wanted freedom from his owners. The argument he made for this man's freedom was based on the idea of freedom and personal liberty being a natural right. An idea that was revolutionary and unheard of at the time. Jefferson did not win the case and afterwards he paid the enslaved man enough money so that he could run away.

He articulated these enlightenment principles in a beautiful way in the Declaration of Independence and created a document that became the very inspiration for the emancipation movement that followed.

America in 1776 was a very different place than 2024. The Salem witch trials had taken place about 50 years before. Darwin would write his Origin of Species many decades later. At this time and place Jefferson's ideas of human rights and individual liberty were revolutionary and incredible. He abhorred the institution of slavery, this much is certain. But to cancel him because he single handedly did not fight to end a 100 year old institution all by himself is a bit unreasonable. He was a smart man and an idealist but he was also a deep pragmatist and a political animal. He sowed the seeds of the ideas and the movement for equality of man that would then be used by Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglas and Martin Luther King.

So in this view not only did he influence our independence from Great Britain, gave the words to the ideals that would shape our character as a nation, but also set in motion the revolutionary idea of equality of all men that would eventually lead to the abolition of slavery.

Not bad for an old white guy.

You sound like a white supremacist.

You sound like a troll. Or an idiot. Not sure which, maybe both...

Half of the words were over eight letters long. I only have a public school edjumacation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a millennial who went to UVA so we obviously grew up admiring him. Right now I am reading a biography of him, Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power.

I am obsessed. He was so smart and well educated and ahead of his time in so many ways but I know he is considered controversial today since he was a rich plantation owner who also had a "relationship" with one of his slaves.

I am curious what people think of him these days.

How we think of many people of his era -- whether geniuses like Jefferson or farmers who used slave labor. They lived by the standards and mores of their times. The United States and a large part of the world have evolved since then. We should not judge those people by today's standards.

It’s wild how people don’t understand how our descendants will someday judge all of us for our destruction of the environment and off-shoring of slave labor under the guise of global capitalism. We get cheap crap we don’t need and we also get to pretend we’re not abusing the human beings who make it! Then to bring it full circle we can ship our trash to them and accuse them of being the ones destroying environment.

China and India aren’t really destroying the environment? Lol

Exhibit A ladies and gentlemen…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s to know?

He’s a dead, white, male, cisgender, slave-owner. Full stop.

+1

So tired of people elevating these historical figures and not speaking the truth of who they were outloud.

You mean the truth that he was the most influential and important of our Founding Fathers?

Yeah, why elevate some loser like that? Back to TikTok and influencers we go.

Found the UVA cult member

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s to know?

He’s a dead, white, male, cisgender, slave-owner. Full stop.

+1

So tired of people elevating these historical figures and not speaking the truth of who they were outloud.

You mean the truth that he was the most influential and important of our Founding Fathers?

Yeah, why elevate some loser like that? Back to TikTok and influencers we go.

Found the UVA cult member

DP. If that's what they teach at UVA, I will revise my opinion of the school upwards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s to know?

He’s a dead, white, male, cisgender, slave-owner. Full stop.

+1

So tired of people elevating these historical figures and not speaking the truth of who they were outloud.

The only bad thing I’m seeing there is slave-owner. Nothing wrong with being white, male, or cisgender. You, PPs, have outed yourselves as engaging in misandry, being sexist, and being racist. And while he may have been a slave-owner, he was instrumental in the abolishment of the practice. More than I’m sure you’ve ever done for social good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s to know?

He’s a dead, white, male, cisgender, slave-owner. Full stop.

+1

So tired of people elevating these historical figures and not speaking the truth of who they were outloud.

You mean the truth that he was the most influential and important of our Founding Fathers?

Yeah, why elevate some loser like that? Back to TikTok and influencers we go.

I am stunned at the lack of erudition and nuance in modern public discourse. Mostly I am sad at any lack of pride at our history and heritage here in America. I understand that we should evolve with the times and assess our past so that we can work for a better more enlightened future. But I remain steadfast in my belief that history is the greatest teacher and not only do we owe a lot to our ancestors in terms of their achievements but that we still have a lot to learn from them.

When will we learn that we cannot extract these people from the time and place in which they lived their lifespans during their tenure on earth? Thomas Jefferson was without dispute the most influential man of the revolutionary generation. He was a bright and eager student who was one of the first to adapt enlightenment ideas in the colonies and include them in his work as a young lawyer. One of his earliest cases that he volunteered for required him arguing for the freedom of a mixed race enslaved man who wanted freedom from his owners. The argument he made for this man's freedom was based on the idea of freedom and personal liberty being a natural right. An idea that was revolutionary and unheard of at the time. Jefferson did not win the case and afterwards he paid the enslaved man enough money so that he could run away.

He articulated these enlightenment principles in a beautiful way in the Declaration of Independence and created a document that became the very inspiration for the emancipation movement that followed.

America in 1776 was a very different place than 2024. The Salem witch trials had taken place about 50 years before. Darwin would write his Origin of Species many decades later. At this time and place Jefferson's ideas of human rights and individual liberty were revolutionary and incredible. He abhorred the institution of slavery, this much is certain. But to cancel him because he single handedly did not fight to end a 100 year old institution all by himself is a bit unreasonable. He was a smart man and an idealist but he was also a deep pragmatist and a political animal. He sowed the seeds of the ideas and the movement for equality of man that would then be used by Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglas and Martin Luther King.

So in this view not only did he influence our independence from Great Britain, gave the words to the ideals that would shape our character as a nation, but also set in motion the revolutionary idea of equality of all men that would eventually lead to the abolition of slavery.

Not bad for an old white guy.

You sound like a white supremacist.

No, they write like a person that’s educated. You clearly are not.

[Anonymous]

I agree you have to judge someone by the standards of their time. But plenty of Jefferson’s contemporaries condemned the institution of slavery. He knew in his heart it was wrong. But he supported it by his actions. That makes him a hypocrite and immoral.

[Anonymous]

When I first visited Monticello, you were not allowed to speak of him and Sally Hemings or their six children.

I first went around 1990. There was no visitor center. You waited in line outside on a grassy hill.

If you mentioned TJ had sex with his enslaved people, you’d be escorted away. You also could not ask where his black descendants were buried.

[Anonymous]

Oh and Sally Hemmings was the half sister of Thomas Jefferson’s wife…

[Anonymous]

We recently visited Monticello with our kids. Sally Hemmings was not just one of his slaves, she was his wife’s half sister. His father in law raped a slave and that child was Sally Hemmings. When he took her to Paris, she wanted to stay, but agreed to come back with him on the promise TJ would free her children. She was 15 when he took her to Paris. 15!

WTF is up with powerful men and 14-16yr old girls. That’s disgusting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s to know?

He’s a dead, white, male, cisgender, slave-owner. Full stop.

+1

So tired of people elevating these historical figures and not speaking the truth of who they were outloud.

You mean the truth that he was the most influential and important of our Founding Fathers?

Yeah, why elevate some loser like that? Back to TikTok and influencers we go.

I am stunned at the lack of erudition and nuance in modern public discourse. Mostly I am sad at any lack of pride at our history and heritage here in America. I understand that we should evolve with the times and assess our past so that we can work for a better more enlightened future. But I remain steadfast in my belief that history is the greatest teacher and not only do we owe a lot to our ancestors in terms of their achievements but that we still have a lot to learn from them.

When will we learn that we cannot extract these people from the time and place in which they lived their lifespans during their tenure on earth? Thomas Jefferson was without dispute the most influential man of the revolutionary generation. He was a bright and eager student who was one of the first to adapt enlightenment ideas in the colonies and include them in his work as a young lawyer. One of his earliest cases that he volunteered for required him arguing for the freedom of a mixed race enslaved man who wanted freedom from his owners. The argument he made for this man's freedom was based on the idea of freedom and personal liberty being a natural right. An idea that was revolutionary and unheard of at the time. Jefferson did not win the case and afterwards he paid the enslaved man enough money so that he could run away.

He articulated these enlightenment principles in a beautiful way in the Declaration of Independence and created a document that became the very inspiration for the emancipation movement that followed.

America in 1776 was a very different place than 2024. The Salem witch trials had taken place about 50 years before. Darwin would write his Origin of Species many decades later. At this time and place Jefferson's ideas of human rights and individual liberty were revolutionary and incredible. He abhorred the institution of slavery, this much is certain. But to cancel him because he single handedly did not fight to end a 100 year old institution all by himself is a bit unreasonable. He was a smart man and an idealist but he was also a deep pragmatist and a political animal. He sowed the seeds of the ideas and the movement for equality of man that would then be used by Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglas and Martin Luther King.

So in this view not only did he influence our independence from Great Britain, gave the words to the ideals that would shape our character as a nation, but also set in motion the revolutionary idea of equality of all men that would eventually lead to the abolition of slavery.

Not bad for an old white guy.

You sound like a white supremacist.

No, they write like a person that’s educated. You clearly are not.

+1. I think these people are trolling

[Anonymous]

The same way I've always thought about him.
Seems like he was a pretty cool dude.