I cannot tell you how many people think history is easy. I mean yes memorizing facts may not seem all that difficult. The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776, it declared independence from England and it was primarily written by Thomas Jefferson. That is straight forward but why they wrote it, how they wrote it and most specifically, WHO wrote it complicate the matter greatly. No one is more confusing than Thomas Jefferson, as this article explains. Jefferson was so great he died impoverished. He was so enlightened he owned 600 humans. He was so visionary that he helped build a government but punted on issues like racial and gender equality. He railed against the usurpations of England and the Federalist Party and yet his most famous action as President is nowhere to be found in the Constitution. Is Jefferson a racist jerk? Is he an idiot? Is he a tyrant in the guise of the common man? Well, Jefferson was certainly racist. He promoted thoughts of scientific racism and yet he found slaves so inferior he had relations with one, Sally Hemings.
Were these consensual? We will probably never know for certain but is it even possible in the master/slave relationship to have consent? Jefferson understood the problems with slavery and openly criticized it. Yet he had no solution or alternatives. His original Declaration lambasted the institution of slavery, putting the blame on King George III as opposed to men like himself. Was this ignorance? No, more likely it is misplaced guilt. Jefferson was one of the smartest men in American history, he was well read and had an imaginative mind. An idiot could not construct the Declaration or the Democratic-Republican Party. Yet he is a schizophrenic soul, one who often does not know what he wants or how to achieve it. While I do not believe in whitewashing history and ignoring Jefferson's imperfections, I also do not agree with ignoring or belittling him. Paul Robeson, an African American actor and Socialist, sang a lefty anthem in "The Ballad for Americans" in 1939, written to help unify the nation in anticipation of the 1940 Presidential Election.. While it celebrated diversity and acceptance, Robeson opined this about Jefferson: "Mister Tom Jefferson, a mighty fine man. He wrote it down in a mighty fine plan." There is no way Robeson would not sing these words if he did not believe them. As flawed as Jefferson was his words and legacy live on for good reason. His importance is unquestioned, his impact difficult to measure and his mind a Pandora's Box. That's Thomas Jefferson
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorFollow me @MrG_Unit Archives
August 2016
Categories
All
|