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Thomas Jefferson: One Of The Best Founding Fathers

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Thomas Jefferson was a man of contradictions whose biggest one was his attitude towards slavery. He was one of the loudest abolitionists yet he never freed his own slaves. The reasoning behind this was that he was deeply in debt and could never seem to get ahead of his payments. Originally, he had plans to have his slaves freed after his death, but his debts made that financial infeasible for his heir (Johnson, 248). However, this does not change my opinion of him as one of the best founding fathers. A majority of the founding fathers had slaves and did not free them. The fact is he wrote some of the most important papers in history, namely the Declaration of Independence. Furthermore, he secured alliances, brokered peace treaties,
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Romero 1 Yahaira Yoceline Romero Mr.Gorman History 1301 November 2, 2014 Summary of Hope and Heritage:Myth and Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson was born in 1743 he was the son of wealthy parents from western Virginia. He was the first to attended College, the College of William and Mary. He later went on to study law at Williamsburg.

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Personally, I would choose Thomas Jefferson as he seemed to be a master of several trades. Other than being well known as the third U.S. president and as the author of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson mastered many disciplines, which ranged from surveying and mathematics to horticulture and mechanics. Jefferson had a keen interest in religion and philosophy which earned him the presidency of the American Philosophical Society, was well versed in linguistics and spoke several languages, founded the University of Virginia, and was a prolific letter writer. As an architect, Jefferson departed from the Georgian style of the day.

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Thomas Jefferson was America's strongest president. Jefferson has earned this title through his various achievements as an average citizen, and as our president. Jefferson also had a lot of experience in politics before becoming the president, which gave him a large advantage over other presidents on this list. From writing the declaration of independance, to starting Lewis and Clark's expedition, Jefferson was an all around influential, and strong president. Jefferson served the United States for over 50 years!

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When in reality, during the early-mid part of their lifetime, their beliefs and actions-such as owning slaves-were not looked down upon, but merely an accepted practice during that time. While it has been widely recognized that President Jefferson owned slaves, Ambrose's attention to President Jefferson's personal life was fascinating. For example, while most Americans know that President Jefferson bore a child with one of his slaves, what they did not know is that he spent most of his life in debt, despite being well educated (Ambrose 2). Also, despite knowing/believing that owning slaves and profiting from

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After the American Revolution, the formation of a new government was precedent. Federalists were afraid of disorder, anarchy, and chaos; the unchecked power of the masses, and sought for the constitution to create a government distant from popular passions. On the other hand, antifederalists were more concerned about the dangers of concentrated power. Equally, the antifederalists opposed the constitution because of the obstacles between the people and the exercised power, which is why federalists supported it. Hamilton was the Leader of the federalist party while Jefferson was the leader of the Republican party.

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Thomas Jefferson is widely idealized as a great American hero. The truth is that Thomas Jefferson was both revered and reviled with equal measure. This progressive man is commonly remembered as the man who wrote the Declaration of Independence. Although he called slavery an abomination, Jefferson was a slave owner. He also fathered children through an affair with one of his slaves.

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Harrison Rayner Mrs. Bergeron-Kloc Thomas Jefferson: Hero or Hypocrite Essay 3/6/23 Thomas Jefferson claimed that all colored men had natural rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; however in reality, Jefferson was a renowned hypocrite and owner of more than six hundred slaves in his lifetime. Throughout his life, Jefferson was a semi-typical slave owner who took advantage of colored men for their labor. Furthermore, when Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, he attempted to use the British as a scapegoat for their transgressions. In addition, Jefferson may have opposed the notion of slavery, however, ultimately, he was a hypocrite for his beliefs as he owned hundreds of slaves in his lifetime.

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Thomas Jefferson was a man of contradictions whose biggest one was his attitude towards slavery. He was one of the loudest abolitionists yet he never freed his own slaves. The reasoning behind this was that he was deeply in debt and could never seem to get ahead of his payments. He had plans to have his slaves freed after his death but his debts made that financial feasible for his heir (Johnson, 248).

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Finkelman explains how Jefferson owned and abused slaves even though he declared that all men are created equal. In “The Monster of Monticello,” Paul Finkelman states, “He sometimes punished slaves by selling them away from their families and friends, a relation that was incomprehensibly cruel even at the time” (Finkelman 8). In other words, Jefferson treated his slaves extremely cruelly, even for the environment and the time. Jefferson had the power to have slaves and mistreat them, and he took that opportunity. Finkelman wants the readers to learn about Jefferson, who he truly was, and his behavior towards his slaves.

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Thomas Jefferson is commonly known to be a contradiction. Whether it is on the idea of slavery or on the idea of Indians, Jefferson seems not to just pick one view. This contradiction may be due to the different identities of Southerners, Virginians, and Americans. Southern identities can be part of where Jefferson describes the nature. The same goes for Virginia.

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Unlike many other Founding Fathers Alexander Hamilton was a fierce abolitionist who fought for the freeing of slaves. Growing up on the Sugar Island of St Croix made a lasting impression on Hamilton. He had early-exposure to the humanity of slaves and witnessed first-hand the atrocities that slaves endured. The import-export company which a juvenile Hamilton worked at sometimes dealt with slave ships. When this happened, it was part of Hamilton’s responsibility to inspect, groom and house the slaves.

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Where did he live? What was his early life like Like most of the founding fathers of the United states James Madison grew up in Virginia he was born 1751 he grew up in the town named Montpelier. He was sick and frail he Was tireless in his studies, he studied so much he almost risked his health. What did he do?

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Despite owning nearly 200 slaves, Thomas Jefferson believed slavery should

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Benjamin Franklin is known to many as one of the most prominent founding fathers who was essential in building our new nation. To the average American, Franklin is a strong-hearted patriot who felt passionate about dispatching from the Royal Crown. However, few actually know that before his outward hatred towards Great Britain, Benjamin Franklin was actually a firm loyalist. The fact that Franklin actually worked for the good of Great Britain along with the colonies is one that is often overlooked.

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In multiple letters and notes he wrote he expressed his guilt for the slaves and once the slaves paid off their debt and Jefferson’s he hoped to free them. Jefferson and his slaves remained in debt until the day he died. Jefferson believed that slavery not only deprived blacks of their liberty but had an “unhappy” influence on the masters and their children (Takaki 63). If a master is constantly punishing a slave and cannot restrain, the child’s master will imitate and master it, resulting in a nonstop cycle of slavery.

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