Jefferson went into debt because he kept buying books! (I can relate). But they were pretty much all books that he read and were all clearly of use to him...
The chapter I write about him and Madison in my new book was one of the most fun to write. I got to read in their letters and papers how their books helped them do their work—and the role books played in their friendship.
Thanks for the Jefferson bio recommendation. Pre-ordered your book, but will I read it? I hope so. Is there anything better than a good book?
I visited Monticello this past spring. Had read Willard Sterne Randall's bio of Jefferson in my twenties, but the Monticello slavery tour exposed me to a new facet of Jefferson.
Questions about Jefferson's slave property taken from the Monticello website:
How many people did Thomas Jefferson own?
How could Jefferson write “all men are created equal” and still own human beings?
Jefferson is an enigma to me. He was so very talented and wise in many areas of life, yet also so flawed, hypocritical, and deconstructionist (like his Jefferson Bible). I want to like him as a Founding Father, but I have a hard time reconciling his contradictions. In that way, I guess, he was like all of us. I understand John Adams' on-again, off-again relationship with him.
Jefferson went into debt because he kept buying books! (I can relate). But they were pretty much all books that he read and were all clearly of use to him...
The chapter I write about him and Madison in my new book was one of the most fun to write. I got to read in their letters and papers how their books helped them do their work—and the role books played in their friendship.
Thanks for the Jefferson bio recommendation. Pre-ordered your book, but will I read it? I hope so. Is there anything better than a good book?
I visited Monticello this past spring. Had read Willard Sterne Randall's bio of Jefferson in my twenties, but the Monticello slavery tour exposed me to a new facet of Jefferson.
Questions about Jefferson's slave property taken from the Monticello website:
How many people did Thomas Jefferson own?
How could Jefferson write “all men are created equal” and still own human beings?
Did Jefferson free anyone he owned?
https://www.monticello.org/slavery/slavery-faqs/
In addition to the "Behind the Scenes Tour" I recommend the "From Slavery to Freedom Tour" at Monticello.
https://www.monticello.org/visit/tickets-tours/?utm_source=pnav&utm_medium=website
https://www.monticello.org/visit/tickets-tours/from-slavery-to-freedom/
Jefferson Tinder: books and black booty 🌝
https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/jefferson/jefflib.html
Jefferson the bookworm was so relatable. Great post!
Thank you!
Jefferson is an enigma to me. He was so very talented and wise in many areas of life, yet also so flawed, hypocritical, and deconstructionist (like his Jefferson Bible). I want to like him as a Founding Father, but I have a hard time reconciling his contradictions. In that way, I guess, he was like all of us. I understand John Adams' on-again, off-again relationship with him.
This was such a pleasure to read.
I have always loved Jefferson’s commitment to reading and writing (and coffee, which is a great accompaniment to both).
I enjoy reading the letters he wrote to his daughter, Martha, who he called Patsy.
I can also relate to his note taking, although his ivory notebooks were a little fancier than my Rite in the Rain notebooks.