Being Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate History

He was 33 years old when he authored the document that invoked autonomy for the 13 colonies from Great Britain. Thomas Jefferson’s reputation was cemented on July 4, 1776, and continued to grow as he went from revolutionary leader to statesman to the third President of the United States (1801-1809). The man, born and raised in Albemarle County, Virginia, was a complex man of both deep thought and occasional reckless action. Despite espousing independence, he retained slaves on his plantation. He believed in abolition, yet never became a full advocate for ending Slavery. Jefferson’s impact on American politics resulted from a rift with Alexander Hamilton, which led to a two-party system. Jefferson administered the United States through its continued growth(Louisiana Purchase) and kept the country out of foreign entanglements (Napoleonic Wars). However, recent history has forced a re-evaluation of the man.

Thomas Jefferson was a unique study in contrasts, as brilliantly highlighted by Andrew Burstein in Being Thomas Jefferson. The meticulous record keeper who got swamped with crushing debt, a public figure with thin skin who firmly held onto grudges, a rogue who seduced his friend’s girlfriends/wives, Burstein adeptly shows Jefferson to be a flawed, yet historically impactful figure. Burstein’s work is objective and fascinating.