Hypocrisy Thomas Jefferson Analysis

Hypocrisy by Influential People: Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson once said, “Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom (Monticello).” Though, former President Jefferson, was not the most truthful man out there. Surely, no one ever is completely honest, yet the amount of hypocrisy that Jefferson portrayed outside of his presidency and during is pretty acute. His main issue ranged from hypocrisy with American rights to slavery. Of course, he also did what most leaders did/do and spewed to the public, or at least a majority, what they wanted to hear, which became an issue, for Jefferson did not necessarily believe what he was preaching. People tend to view the founding fathers as saints, but they clearly are not. Thomas Jefferson

Since one of the main ideas of The Declaration of Independence was to remove the colonists from monarchy, using the term ‘subjects’ and presenting the statement of human rights to the public, would not have been ideal for the former president. Just this little mistake is enough to have the people question Jefferson’s true intentions. On top of that, how could someone who is a slaveowner write The Declaration of Independence? Albeit, this is nothing compared to the rest of his actions, but is a great way to show the type of man he truly

He acquired approximately 175 slaves through inheritance: about 40 from the estate of his father, Peter Jefferson, in 1764, and 135 from his father-in-law, John Wayles, in 1774. Jefferson purchased fewer than twenty slaves in his lifetime, in some cases to unite spouses and in others to satisfy labor needs at Monticello (Monticello: Property).” In order to see Jefferson clearly, one must look through the eyes of his enslaved population. All six—hundred of them. This is a very controversial topic, mostly due because there are moments where Jefferson is both pro and anti—slavery. To begin, in 1807, he signed a law, the Embargo Act, which prohibited “the importation of slaves within the jurisdiction of the United States” (Monticello: A Solution). Though, while no new slaves were allowed to be brought into the country, what did that mean for the ones already there? Nothing. Everything would remain the same for the slaves up until the Civil War, which took place in the