Quick response.  First, Morrison was a professor at Harvard, in history, for
about 50 years.  It Churchill that good a historian, or merely a good writer?

But, to the major point.  Certain TJ as an architect may not be a reflection of
his status as slaveowner, although his ability to build and rebuild his home was
a function of that.  But, for his public career, his actions, such as his early
embargo against Haiti, he annexation of Lousiana despite his constitutional
doubts, his refusal to endorse manumisison programs, are all a function of his
status as a slaveowner.  Indeed, in TJ's case more than many other leaders, the
personal did dicatate the policies quite often.

His science, such as it was, at least as set out in NOTES ON THE STATE OF
VIRGINIA was racist and designed in fact to support slavery, thus his
"scientific" judgments about the abilities of blacks.

On religious freedom, he certainly did not seem willing to extend that freedom to
slaves or even free blacks.  One might argue, in fact, that his desire for
religious freedom was a function of his need to have a united front for all
whites, and eliminate all disharmony among whites, to protect against blacks.

-
Paul Finkelman
Chapman Distinguished Professor
University of Tulsa College of Law
3120 East 4th Place
Tulsa, Oklahoma  74104-2499

918-631-3706 (office)
918-631-2194 (fax)

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Ned Heite wrote:

> At 2:04 PM -0500 4/12/01, Paul Finkelman wrote:
> >
> >In fact, Jefferson's status or that of any
> >other president may be harmed or enhanced by what we find out about
> >them.    Their
> >private lives may not affect how we view their public acts or even
> >their famous
> >words; but surely what we know about Jefferson as slaveowner does
> >affect our views
> >of him as person and even as a president.
>
> snips happen
>
> >
> >Serious historians, on the other hand, are not in the business of
> >defending the
> >honor or reputation of the Founders; we are in the business of understanding
> >people, their lives and the world they lived.
>
> I have problems reconciling these two statements from Professor
> Finkelman. Jefferson as slaveowner was merely a member of his class.
> To appreciate his works, of course, we must understand that they are
> from the pen of a slaveowner.  But he was a lot of other things, too.
> He was a serious student of the Bible. He was a scientist. He was an
> amateur architect. He was a farmer. He was an industrialist. He was a
> politician.
>
> To identify "slaveowner" as a dominant characteristic of Jefferson's
> persona is to seriously distort the man as a whole, in the context of
> the milieu where he lived. So do we interpret the advocate of
> religious freedom as a slaveowner, or as a friend of Baptists?  Do we
> interpret the architect of Monticello as a slaveowner, or as a
> student of classical architecture?  While you can't isolate any
> aspect of this incredibly complex person, all the aspects must be
> present in any interpretation.
>
> While I happen to be a professional historian, I have misgivings
> about some of the basic tenets of the profession. Professional
> historians supposedly keep a certain detachment, but the best
> historical writing is anything but detached. Read any of the great
> historical writers: Samuel Eliot Morisn, Winston Churchill, or Ivor
> Noel Hume.  I could name many more, but the curious fact is that none
> of the best historical writers are professors of history.  There is a
> possibility that detachment is a disability when we want to interpret
> people's lives and works.  Is it really possible for one human being
> to write about another without developing some kind of personal
> attachment?
> --
> Ned Heite  ([log in to unmask])
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