Thomas Jefferson's Castle; Monticello

Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, the drafter of the Declaration of Independence and the third President of the United States is a journey to tthe beginnings of the United States. We learn about what shaped the ideas of democracy, how important education was to the founders and that these were far from perfect men. the question of slavery would remain an issue for another generation to resolve.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Thomas Jefferson
• Monticello
• Charlotesville
• Declaration of Indpendence
• slavery
• travel
• road trips
• great drives

[curbsandwich]

He advanced freedom to white men. Not blacks or women.

[mrpitv]

@curbsandwich The foundation that was laid with the Declaration of Independence provided a framework on which the eventual freedoms and suffrage was attained by African Americans and women. Not to deny that there were contradictions between its lofty language and the reality of the actions of signers and there's still more to do.  It clearly wasn't perfect out of the gate. Nor was the Constitution. It's up to every generation to move forward toward a goal of equality for all.

[EBanonymous]

03:20

"even the greats have faults" yes well you could say the same about Albert Speer who used slaves to build weapons for the Germans in WW2. Slavery - just "a fault" & not a crime against humanity. Realy?

"But Jefferson did advance the cause of freedom for all" you just said he had slaves, so they weren't included. That's not "all". And in 1775 when 20 of his slaves ran & fought for the British, he wanted them back. You can't have slaves & be for freedom "for all". This is nonsense.

[mrpitv]

@EBanonymous I hear what you are saying and you're correct that it's impossible to condone Jefferson's views on slavery but at the same time we can recognize his contributions to creating a system that eventually abolished slavery. And sought to stake out principles of equality that are the fundamental building blocks for on which our concepts of justice rest. While he didn't go far enough and we haven't come far enough yet, I think we can learn a lot from both Jefferson and Madison.

[mrpitv]

@mrpitv Madison writing the Bill of Rights which protects the freedom of expression gives us the ability to have this conversation without fear of government reprisal. They weren't perfect but it's up to each generation to improve the current conditions and lay the foundation for a better future. I hope you can use your sense of outrage to make such a contribution. thanks for engaging in the discussion.

[mrpitv]

@EBanonymous While he wasn't perfect, I think Jefferson gave us a framework for making, reasoned moral choices which we can use to question his choices. I'm reminded of a column in the Chicago Daily News by Sydney J. Harris, who interviewed Albert Speer, after his release from Spandau prison. Speer told Harris “If we had been given a proper education as to the probable moral and social consequences of Nazism . . . many of us might have taken steps to abort the movement before it took power.”

[Jitpring]

@EBanonymous It's clear that you're not fully informed. Read a book called Vindicating the Founders.

[jodowdy]

Had the clause regarding the abolition of slavery been left in the Declaration of Independence as Jefferson had written, the Carolina's and Georgia would never have voted to declare Independence from the British Crown and there would be NO United States. Jefferson understood perfectly the delicacy of the matter.

[kenndogg51]

@curbsandwich keep your racism to yourself. ok

[masterchief56068]

i bet my history teachers watching this again in that case HI MRS BREMER

[NAEIRNBRUFORU]

@CloverExpress lol your speech made me laugh. I didn't realise you were that niave but sally only returned because jefferson promised the freedom of their family if they did or otherwise he wouldn't,

Even after he died thomas never freed his slaves and it was polly who freed sally in the end not thomas jefferson.

[jellytoast12]

The world had slaves. The entire world from the beginning of time has had slaves of every shape, size and color. America brought freedom to more people than any other nation or people ever has. Every single one of us could trace back through our ancestors and would find some of them had been slaves. Today, there are still entire nations in slavery. It is called communism. We were not created as a nation that embraced slavery. Our Declaration says "All men are created equal" not "All white men!"

[CloverExpress]

Then Lincoln gets credited with freeing the slaves when in reality he was NOT an abolitionist, he was a free-soiler, and was fine with slavery in the south and had no plans to end it, until the south seceded.

[CloverExpress]

Not to mention, when he was in France, Sally Hemmings and her brother whom accompanied TJ there, could have left/not returned to America with him, but they both did. In France they were free to go as they pleased, but they chose to return with Jefferson. People so often give Jefferson a bad rap when he really was against slavery but he was born into the wrong time.

[CloverExpress]

Thomas Jefferson couldn't free his slaves because he was in huge amounts of debt, largely inherited from his father-in-law, and in those days one could not just free slaves at will, one had to put up bonds and one was held accountable to any crimes committed by the freed slaves. So since he was in debt, TJ could not put up the bonds required to free his slaves. And since he was in debt when he died, his debtors claimed the slaves and sold them upon his death, except a few.