Life of leaders can be marred by a lot of controversies especially when they lead a different life from what they claim to stand for. Generally, leaders are judged by their accomplishments which are mostly visible achievements. Thomas Jefferson, the third President of America, led a life of controversy while claiming to be the true savior of slaves. Most writings describe him as a creep and brutal hypocrite.
Thomas Jefferson was born on 2 April 1743 to Peter Jefferson, a Welsh citizen in America who had great influence in Albemarle County, and his mother Jane Randolph. He was the third born in a family of ten children. He lost his father in 1757 but continued his education to excelling at College of William and Mary in Williamsburg in 1760. In addition, he had great talent in playing violin; performing at weekly parties hosted by the lieutenant governor Francis Fauquier.
His relationship with lieutenant gave him the opportunity to learn a lot about the parliamentary, social and political aspects of Europe which influenced America in a mighty way then. In his life; Jefferson cherished agriculture, and believed it was the backbone of American society. However, he at the same time continued studying law which prompted him to read the writings of Lord Coke, inspiring him to go against Nathan Hale's views on Christianity being a system of European governance. Jefferson married Mrs. Skelton on 1 Jan 1772; he was nominated representative to Paris 1776, but turned down the offer to continue life in Virginia legislature system. However, he was elected to the new national congress in 1783.
[...] Everyone has a right to liberty, and through slavery, Jefferson believed such rights were being violated. However, such views were contrary to the norms at that time when free labor was the order of the day. Slaves were used all over the world and it was strange listening to American president claiming he does not support slavery. However, Jefferson was always deeply committed to slavery (Finkelman p.1). He was a hypocrite who hid behind political powers to protect self-interests while claiming slavery was a “hideous blot.” After the revolution, many people freed their slaves except Jefferson; he remained the master of Monticello, buying and selling human beings like any other commodity in the market. [...]
[...] He was the third born in a family of ten children. He lost his father in 1757 but continued his education to excelling at College of William and Mary in Williamsburg in 1760. In addition, he had great talent in playing violin; performing at weekly parties hosted by the lieutenant governor Francis Fauquier. His relationship with lieutenant gave him the opportunity to learn a lot about the parliamentary, social and political aspects of Europe which influenced America in a mighty way then. [...]
[...] During this time, he succeeded in doubling the size of the country through Louisiana Purchase in 1803. His contribution to scientific community development was also great where he merited the Lewis and Clark expedition. Moreover, he did away with the whiskey task, managed national deficit, and defeated pirates of the Mediterranean. In 1804, he was re-elected and spent much time guarding the rights of American people against negative influence by the French and British. Moreover, he was against America's involvement in Napoleonic wars, even though his attempts failed. [...]
[...] However, the life he led and words he went about preaching are real contradictions of expectations of reality in human freedom. References 1. Finkelman, P. (2012, Nov, 30). The Monster of Monticello. The New York Times. 160(13), 12-14. [...]
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