Statesman, scientist, philosopher,
farmer, aesthete, lover: Thomas Jefferson is endlessly fascinating.
In this biography, Meacham concentrates on the political Jefferson
and how Jefferson developed his vision of what the United States
should become. We learn about his early life, but it fairly cursory.
The majority of the book is about his political achievements with
some slight divergence into this romantic life.
I was disappointed that we were given
so few glimpses of Jefferson the scientist and farmer. His inventions
are fascinating and shed a more complete light on the man who was
also an eminent statesman.
The Sally Hemings controversy seems to
always intrigue biographers. Meacham votes for the current
explanation endorsed by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation. He quotes
their report in the notes and gives references for dissenting
opinions. He relies heavily on Madison Hemings account of events,
particularly on what happened in France between Jefferson and
Hemings. Although interesting, Madison's account seems to have some
discrepancies which is unsurprising in a primarily oral history. I
suggest that interested readers follow the notes and other sources to
reach their own conclusions.
I enjoyed the book, but had
reservations about the use of one line quotes. I read many of the
notes, and I encourage anyone interested in scholarship to do the
same. Jefferson was a brilliant multifaceted individual. Although the
biography does a good job of presenting the statesman, it doesn't
really to justice to the other facets of this complex individual.
I reviewed this book for the Amazon Vine Program.
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