I'm no Jefferson specialist, but from the view from an everyday Joe like me would think he's a little bit of a hypocrite, wishy-washy, or two-faced.
1. Believed in zero national debts, but when he died he was so heavily in debt, by his excessive rebuilding of Monticello.
2. He hated the banking institutions, but used them extensively.
3. He inferred that violent revolution against a government is needed sometimes, but abhorred war. They go hand in hand.
4. He was in favor of social welfare and government provided education, but wanted a weak government. Who runs these institutions?
5. He believed in strong States Laws and weak Federal Laws, that’s like the pot calling kettle black. There isn’t any difference between to two, from the everyday man.
6. He believed in “certain inalienable rights”, but continued to use slaves and opposed women’s rights, but I believe the stories as to why he kept slaves.
I think as the third President of the United States, he just didn’t have the history to pull from. I think he didn’t understand the complexities of how the U.S. and the world would develop. It’s like being a new parent and not knowing how to change diapers. Today we just ask our parents how to do it, but as the third President, who do you ask for advice? I don’t think that he could ever get elected as President in any other era. These new leaders of the free world (Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison) loved being President and all the “perks” that come with the office. Washington spent a million dollars as “expenses” during his first term, Adams stacked the courts for his own political gain, and Madison got land greedy and was not prepared to go to war for it in1812. I think after any revolutionary figure dies out, government gets the “ok” to make fundamental cultural changes. You see this in China, Cuba, and the former Soviet Union in recent history. My final conclusion? Was Jefferson a Liberal or a Conservative in today’s definition? You could sell a million books either way trying to convince me.
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I respectfully submit...
Jefferson was also a slave owner, and among the group of first "developers." A typical plantation owning, slave owning tobacco grower used the land to grow tobacco--until it was spent--then found ways to "annex" more land to their holdings. The Plantation owning developer did nothing to rehabilitate the land after it was used. While the "family owned farm" was careful to use its resources, then rehabilitate it, and usually owned no slaves. The land had intrinsic value because the "family owned farm" would be passed down to future generations.
Additionally, Jefferson was known to hate negroes, (see Undaunted Courage, Stephen Ambrose) considered them no different than animals, however, considered the 1st American, (native american) to be a superior human being. This did not stop him or others from usurping land and rights from the 1st occupiers of this great nation America.
The day-to-day business of the plantation owner was to have a drink, survey his property, (on horseback usually), a bit of "wenching" and a noon drink, time at the racecourse, then a trip to the courts to discuss law.
As life related to Christianity, most of them--not all--followed this general mindset, "I know I should be doing right, but I will try to do that later."
I ask this question--how many desperate negroe women, rather than have a child who might be murdered, be enslaved and worse, decided they would rather end the child's life before it was born...
How does history affect us today...and what can compassionate, rational, informed members of this country do now to see a better future for our children and our friends?