The Man, The Myth, The Jefferson

We have all heard and used the term "the founding fathers" but who are these founding fathers? And why are they so important? the fact of the matter is that the term founding father can be used to describe almost any person who aided the American cause in some way. From fighting in the battlefields to sending food to the front lines, the founding fathers fought for a nation. Yet, where would this notion leave the Washington's of the world? that question is simple. Washington, Jefferson, and all of the other famous American heroes, are what we call "founding framers."

 Why is this important? I mention this idea here because it is important to remember the little people. The names that we have left long behind. The ones that were never written in any history books. These are the peoples that made the actions of Washington and Jefferson possible. They were heroes among men, all of them.

 Nevertheless, history books do remember many of the bigger figures of the American Revolution, the most important of which is none other than Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson was the only true renaissance man to ever reside on American soil. He was a great thinker, and a man of many talents. 


Besides being the author of the Declaration of Independence and the third President of the United States, Jefferson held many other roles. He was the second Governor of Virginia, the first Secretary of State, the second Vice President, the second US Minister to France, the only Minister Plenipotentiary for Negotiating Treaties of Amity and Commerce. He was also a caring husband, father, and friend. Jefferson was a man of many talents.

Jefferson has inspired the likes of many, and his memory is still alive today. Unfortunately, one could argue that his memory is not remembered well. Today, the name of Jefferson is mostly highly related to the term slavery. Jefferson was a slave owner all of his life, he most likely sired children with his slave, Sally Hemings. And yes, slavery is not something to be taken lightly, or to be forgotten. Yet, that does not make Jefferson's significance null and void. 

 Society remembers Washington as the hero that freed his slaves while Jefferson is the monster that did not. The fact of the matter is that Jefferson was further in debt than Washington was, and Washington was not the great hero we believe him to be. Most of the slaves owned by the Washington couple were owned by Martha, not George, these slaves were never freed. General George Washington is also the man that rotated his slaves in and out of Philadelphia so that none of them would be freed by Pennsylvania law. Truth and justice is all in the eye of the beholder. While you may choose to honor George Washington, I prefer to see Thomas Jefferson as the better man. 

Fun Facts About Thomas Jefferson:

  • As President, Jefferson greeted the Ambassador from Great Britain in his slippers and tattered robe.
  • He is the only two term President to have never used his veto power.
  • He was subject to the first (and one of the worst ever) smear campaigns in Presidential history. All thanks to Aaron Burr, who became his Vice-President.
  • His tombstone reads as follows: "Here was buried Thomas Jefferson. Author of the Declaration of Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, and father of the University of Virginia." The fact that he was President of the United States did not make the list.
  • Jefferson enjoyed archaeology and collected ancient artifacts.
  • When the Library of Congress burnt down Jefferson donated his library to help them rebuild. Of course, this means that he donated more than 10,000 books.
  • He wrote about 19,000 letters during his lifetime.
  • Jefferson brought both tomatoes and ice cream to the United States. The ice cream recipe he brought still sits in the Library of Congress. Of course, it was Dolley Madison that would make ice cream famous.
  • He was an avid astronomer.
  • Jefferson was in France when the Bastille was captured and the French Revolution began. He also helped the Marquis de Lafayette draft the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizens.
By The Northern Rose










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