Thomas Jefferson and Liberty

A recent visit to Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, left me reeling with the inconsistencies of his life, his practice, and his worldview. As a mythical and historical creature, Thomas Jefferson represents all that is great about our country. His remarkable intelligence, work ethic, and constant devotion to the ideals set forth that shaped and expanded our country into what she is today--a powerful, compassionate, and highly productive society. From the Declaration of Independence to his remarkable acquisition of the Louisiana Purchase, Jefferson made his mark on history and will long be acknowledged as one of great leaders of the United States of America. The oft-quoted words, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" provide a guiding philosophy by which we built our country and continue to life our lives today.

We acknowledge the life and wisdom of Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, who is deserving of our respect and admiration, a man with undeniable intellectual gifts driven to make a significant impact on the world, and one whose influence continues to be felt in our magnificent country and throughout the modern world. But he was also a human being and filled with foibles, flaws, and mistakes that often accompany the human spirit. How often do we encounter people whose words do not mesh with their actions? We rationalize this in many ways from hypocrisy to sin to emotional instability or maybe even chemical imbalance. We avoid harsh judgment of others due to our own personal awareness of frailty and the propensity to make mistakes. As great preachers remind us when discussing sin, the law deals with mistakes one way while a forgiving and loving God deals with it in other ways.

Those truths aside, there are only two explanations for why Jefferson kept slaves and why he (some disagreement on this) fathered children with one of them. One is that his desire for land, power, and influence overrode his view of liberty, and two his sexual appetite, maybe love, was greater than his prejudice toward slaves as property. Does it really matter? Yes, history does matter and not just to avoid mistakes of the past but also to explore our civilization, our culture, and our foundation of our governmental system. Gross inconsistencies between the practices of our founding fathers and the very words they penned leave the words shaky and tenuous when seen through the historical lens of action over philosophy. How can we now believe and apply the text to our lives and our country when the words had such little meaning in application? Or maybe that is unfair. Ultimately the power of the Declaration of Independence as a binding document becomes the lifeblood of our country in spite of the flaws of the original authors.

We can justify some of Jefferson's actions and his ownership of slaves by the context of the times. After all, he did keep them in clothes, provided food and shelter. He grew his own territory and contributed positively to farming, science, and the economy. He was a remarkable man who lived a life of significance far beyond that of most people. But no matter how many ways we examine his life and his contributions, the ownership of slaves cannot be justified on any level, particularly when examined from the man who encouraged life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. How can the author of one of the most influential documents in history propose liberty while opposing it in so blatant a manner? Is it possible to advocate for liberty and slavery at the same time? Did Jefferson only believe in liberty for whites? What about his own children who were born into slavery? Did they have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?

In a way these are difficult questions and point to a past society not ready to accept blacks as "all men" and certainly not equal. But in a way they are not difficult questions. The answer is clear and leaves no room for debate. Jefferson was morally wrong and incomprehensibly hypocritical as a champion for liberty and an owner of slaves. He compounded his morally reprehensible practice by having a relationship with a slave and fathering children with her, children he denied. It is easy for us to point fingers, pass judgment, and denounce his actions, and too often we brand others as undeserving of our respect without having walked in their shoes. We do not fully understand the social, political, nor economic pressures of the times and the high expectations of being Thomas Jefferson the statesman, author, President, and Founding father of a nation must have been tremendous. Surely a day did not pass where he felt an overwhelming burden and responsibility to live the life set forth for him as a leader.

But the words are hollow and the justification empty. Thomas Jefferson did not practice liberty nor did he believe "all men are created equal." Knowing this truth is painful and serves as a reminder of the flaws of human beings.