Writings: Autobiography / Notes on the State of Virginia / Public and Private Papers / Addresses / Letters by Thomas Jefferson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, third President of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia, is one of the more elusive Founding Father’s to pin down. Like Benjamin Franklin, he was a polymath with a deep interest in the many scientific undertakings of his age and was a consummate, though reluctant (at least according to himself), politician. At times he could be seemingly all over the place. What this book of Jefferson’s public papers and letters does is let readers peer more deeply into his mind and soul than the many biographies written of him since his death, but at the cost of creating one extremely long volume.
This book is divided into several parts including: an autobiography he wrote for his children and grandchildren; his “Summary View of the Rights of British America”, which was a prototype of the Declaration of Independence; his famous “Notes on the State of Virginia”; his public papers, letters, addresses and replies; and finally the private letters he wrote throughout his life. By examining all of these together, one can really get the sense of Jefferson was as a person and where he stood on the key issues of the day. Though some historians have painted Jefferson as a bit of a political opportunist and an enigma, by allowing Jefferson’s writings to speak for themselves one can see that he was a man of principle and resolve with a keen interest in advancing the sciences. Not everything Jefferson wrote down or said will jive well with a modern audience, particularly his views on African-Americans and African colonization. Still, for better or worse, much of America’s identity as a democratic nation comes from Jefferson’s writings and politics.
Though this volume does a great job of letting Jefferson speak for himself, it is WAY too long. At 1600 pages, this is one of the longest books in the Library of America’s collection and is equal in size to a standard copy of the Bible. Though I had planned on finishing this in a month, it took me over six weeks to read this book from cover to cover. There is an opportunity though for Library of America to rectify this by splitting Jefferson’s writings into two volumes, as they have done with other presidents such as John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and Theodore Roosevelt. About half of the book is made up of Jefferson’s autobiography and public addresses and papers. The other half are Jefferson’s private letters. Library of America could split this into two volumes between his public and private papers and may even make more room for more of Jefferson’s private letters, which were some of the most interesting and accessible reads. As it stands right now though, this volume is better used as a reference for lay readers rather than something to be read from cover to cover.
Like other Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson left behind a legacy of liberty, but also of contradictions. As America continues to strive to live up to its founding ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, looking back on how the founding generation both succeeded and failed at the same endeavor will be immensely educational and hopeful. Though some may struggle to make it through this volume, there is real value in reading and understanding the thoughts and actions of Thomas Jefferson and the other Founding Fathers. I recommend this book to people interested in learning about Jefferson first hand and are willing to devote time and effort to do so.
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