Ms. Wills:
I do not believe TJ was a saint any more than I belive you are not. I idolize no person. My only contention is that what people are and what people do are very often different and opposing things. I could cite many examples; however, this particular thread is concerned with the alleged Jefferson/Hemings connection.
RBJ
----- Original Message -----
From: Anita Wills<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, May 04, 2008 6:50 PM
Subject: Re: Jefferson's Overseer
Anne,
Isn't it ironic how people what to turn this man into some sort of saint. He was just a man, and for me and my ancestors, there is little to revere about him. This is supposedly a Christian Nation yet, we spend a lot of time Idolizing mere humans (ummm). There is a lot of historical information out there on what happened during the Jefferson period, which is generally ignored. I found well documented cases of how Natives lands were taken. In my own case my Native ancestors were told that those who continued to marry, Free Blacks, would have their status changed to Negro. There are many who want to romanticize Jefferson in order to continue the legacy he started. They are the ones who are most offended when all of Jefferson's exploits are chronicled.
Anita
-- Anne Pemberton <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
RBJ,
I know Anita well enough to know she is not a racist. Nor did I see in her
post anything that approached a "racist" statement. She made statements of
generally accepted truths.
One point that Anita made that is not always well explained, was her comment
about his behavior in regard to the Native Americans. In a historical source
regarding other colonies, it was noted that both George Washington, Thomas
Jefferson, Ben Franklin, and other founding fathers invested in land
development schemes that were intended to deprive the Native Americans of
their lands before they chose to sell them and move. By buying shares in
companies that held the "rights" to the land that was still in use by the
Natives, these Founding Fathers intended to make money after squatters moved
onto those lands and destroyed them for use by the Native Americans, which
then led to the land being purchases because there were already settlers on
the land.
I think when we put historical figures on a pedestal and try to use our
estimations of their morality or lack of it, we do them a disservice. The
Founding Fathers were human beings. They did some great things in their
lives, but all that they did was not great!
Anne
Anne Pemberton
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http://www.erols.com/apembert<http://www.erols.com/apembert>
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