Thomas Jefferson had long been seen as one of America’s most important Founders and the very author of American independence. He wrote the “mission statement” for America when he declared that “all men are created equal.” Cities, counties, schools, universities… have all been named “Jefferson” to honor his contributions to our nation.
In recent years, however, his legacy has been seriously questioned in large part because he participated in the foul institution of American slavery, owning over 600 people during his lifetime, including several of his own children. Those concerns need to be taken seriously. We might well ask: What does a wealthy, white, slave-owning aristocrat have to teach us about the nature of American leadership, especially political leadership?
John Ragosta is a fellow at Virginia Humanities and previously was the Acting Director of the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello. He is also the Faculty Director of the Summer Jefferson Symposium at the University of Virginia. He has taught law and history at the University of Virginia, George Washington University, and Hamilton, Oberlin, and Randolph Colleges.
