Notes on Video
Thomas Jefferson-3rd president of the United States of America
1742 to
· Mysterious character
· Violinist
· Writer
· surveyor
· scientist
· lover of fine wines
· restless architect *couldn’t finish own house*
· reluctant politician
· Champion of small government
· Lost a lot never his faith of the future
· “we hold these truths that all men are equal….”
· He owned over 200 slaves
· “conceding spirit of this country”
· Wrote Declaration of Independence
· “Found language to express greatest aspirations man has”
· Inconsistencies in vision of life or hypocrite? (200 slaves vs. everyone is equal)
Life
a. Born in edge of wilderness in 1742
b. Parents --
i. Mother- aristocrat
ii. Father - self made man *industriest and fine man*
c. By time Jefferson was 6 he had taught himself the violin and learned geek and Latin
d. At age 14 his father died suddenly
e. When he was sent to school*father’s wish*, he made his best friend Damicar
i. Best friend--If one boy died before other the other boy would burry him on the mountain they loved to ride their horses to
f. 15/24 hours he spent learning and studying after he spent much time playing
g. Governor George With was his mentor, professor, and “other father”
h. Most intoxicated by the idea that man can do indescribable good
i. Earned living at the morgue
i. But politics still drew him in
j. At 27 he moved to the hill he and his best friend named “Tom’s mountain” but renamed it Monticello Italian for little mountain
i. First built little brick cottage
ii. Then took on a new challenge, a house with Greek and Italian design
k. Love Life Family
i. He started to court a widow of an old lawyer
ii. he got married on her fathers land, he was 18 she was 23
iii. they lived in a cottage that was cold and dark
iv. her name was Martha he called her Patty
v. they started their life in his 18 by 18 cottage
vi. Their first child was named Martha but they called her Patsy
l. Death
i. His best friend died
1. he buried him in Monticello
2. To deal with grief he made lists and mapped out the time his slaves had to take to make the graveyard with his friend
ii. His father in law died
1. Left land
2. Left hundreds of slaves
3. Sold land and saved slaves
iii. ….
m. Was 16th to sign
n. Helped declare a day of prayer and fasting
o. Was part of house of burgesses
p. June 11, 1775 he set off to Monticello’
Liberty
a. 1775 kings still ruled
b. Adams was his friend à enemy à friend again
c. Was 33 and youngest in the committee ‘
d. He impressed everyone with his hard work
(a) but was privately suffering
(b) he got no letters from his friends or family
e. September 1775 his second daughter Jane died at 17 months
(a) Martha was so depressed and frail she couldn’t write to him
(b) She randomly went into states of depression
f. His mother died sending him into great depression
g. June 7th 1776 Richard Henry of Virginia brought up the idea of freedom
h. Established a committee( of all 13 colonies) to draft a Declaration of Independence
(a) Adams and Jefferson were assigned to write it after Franklin refused
(i) Adams was anecdotal and earthy
(ii) Jefferson was boring and legitimate
(b) Jefferson ended up writing it in a little house
(i) His servant was serving him tea
(ii) He would periodically play the violin
(iii) He would write without any notes
(iv) It took him only a few days to write
(v) It was only supposed to be an expression
(c) We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal with doubt they have to their creator that they have inalienable rights which are life liberty and the pursuit of happiness—or so
(i) All Americans or almost all believe in these words
(d) July 4th 1776,
(i) 12/14 states approved the Declaration of Independence Jefferson wrote
(ii) America started
i. Slavery
(a) 539,000 Americans were owned by other Americans
(b) Jefferson spoke about emancipation as a young man
(i) He was denounced for so
(c) Jefferson is right at the heart of the equal rights paradox
j. Back in Virginia
(a) He called for public schools
(b) Overturned the law
(c) He was most proud of his bill that established freedom of religion
(i) Government could not favor for any religion
(ii) Separation of church and state didn’t exist
(iii) Inside everyone there is this cornel or core of faith that should not be tampered with out essence
(iv) It was ten years before Virginia accepted bill
(d)
k. British invaded Monticello
(a) Jefferson escaped and was called a coward
l. 1772
(a) They had another daughter
(b) Patty was dying in September
(c) 7 children in 10 years
(d) They wrote out a quote on a 4x4” piece of paper
(i) Kept the paper in the secret compartment next to his bed
(ii) He read it many times
(iii) A lock of hair of his late wife and one of his late children in it
(e) She said she could not die happy with a step mother
(i) He promised to never marry again and he never did
(f) When she did finally die he fainted and was carried out of the room insensible
(g) Jefferson
(i) Didn’t leave his room for 3 weeks
(ii) He didn’t talk
(iii)
(h) A bond
(i) Was formed between him and his daughter Martha whom was called Patsy
m. After the country won their independence
(a) He wrote a book
(i) The only book he would ever write
(ii) He wrote about a lot but he struggled with the question of race
1. He says “blacks” are not as smart as “whites”
2. They can never accomplished what “whites” can
3. Roman slaves did better than American slaves did because roman slaves were “white”
n. Slaves
(a) Wouldn’t let them get whipped
(i) unless it was extreme
(b) He bought and sold them freely but privately
(i) Didn’t want his name in the paper
(c) He called the slaves his family his people
(i) tend to his baths
(ii) Made his tea
(iii) Did his chores
(d) He didn’t lose much sleep on the slavery issue
(e) We compare him to the great Virginian people
(i) Who freed their slaves
1. Like Washington
o. 1784
(a) Paris Journey
(i) Jefferson and Patsy sailed for Europe
(ii) Jefferson was named to represent the new US
(iii) At first Jefferson disliked Paris
1. Fashion mattered too much
2. Hated the way the poor lived
3. Etc.
(iv) He was overwhelmed by the higher life
1. He charmed the city
2. Held lavish dinners
3. Was in the court of Luis the IV
(b) Family
(i) 3 year old Lucy Elizabeth died
(ii) Only two of the sixth children survived
(iii) He couldn’t handle being apart from his daughter
(iv) She moved to Paris
(v) He promised her that she could visit
(vi) It took 2 years for her to arrive
(c) Maria Cosweigh
(i) He fell in love with her
(ii) She was a Blonde, Petite, Learned in languages British artist
(iii) Martha was gone 4 ½ years
(iv) She was married and devoted catholic
(v) They spent a month together a beautiful month...
(vi) But he promised Martha… so he wrote her a letter a goodbye letter
1. His letter was the debate between head and heart, which to follow? Which to believe? Where to go? What to know?
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