Thomas Jefferson: Leader, Intellectual, Hypocrite

Thomas Jefferson, Third President of the United States of America, was an intellectual giant. Today he is an iconic figure in American history; even elementary school students know him as the author of the Declaration of Independence. In addition to writing, Jefferson was also skilled in science, architecture, law, and politics.[1] For a man to be remembered and celebrated so far beyond the extent of his life, he must have been a remarkable individual. While that is true in many positive respects, it seems that Jefferson was also remarkably flawed. Despite his famous rhetoric of liberty, equality, freedom, and self-rule as the principles upon which our nation was founded, Thomas Jefferson was a slave holder-and thus, a hypocrite- until his death in 1826.

Taken out of context, portions of Jefferson's A View on the Rights of British America could be mistaken for excerpts of abolitionist literature. Jefferson writes, "The abolition of domestic slavery is the great object of desire in those colonies where it was unhappily introduced in their infant state."[2] He also writes, "History has informed us that the bodies of men as well as individuals are susceptible to the spirit of tyranny."[3] Throughout the text, Jefferson repeatedly equates Britain's treatment of the colonies to a master's arbitrary oppression of slaves. Based on these strong statements, it seems that Jefferson would be staunch advocate of the physical and intellectual freedom of every person, regardless of creed, race, or religion.

In practice, however, Jefferson fails to adhere to his own principles. According to their best estimates derived from Jefferson's own meticulous record-keeping, historians estimate that Jefferson owned at least 200 slaves at any one time and around 700 slaves in his lifetime.[4] While this may not seem like such an egregious offense for a wealthy man living in the 18^th century, Jefferson was a respected public figure who regularly made statements regarding the impropriety of the practice of slavery.[5]