The Jefferson Enigma

Again...

But I must ask this: in looking at history, how much are we allowed to put our own views on the past?

While I agree with your arguement regarding race in todays politics, I am not sure I can criticize those of the time in the same way we can today, and unfortunately, Jefferson cannot be held to task for his views on race.

I do think his views are a lot more distorted than most know. For example, he would abhor the prominence of cities today. He was a strange man, in many ways, I think.

And I agree about Hamilton, perhaps one of the most underrated founders... Many ways ahead of his time and usually dead on in his policies.

...would it have shown in the Constitution? Or other Founding Documents?

Maybe he understood "incrementalism" moreso than everyone else.

would it "not" have shown

VA:

I agree. We must judge Jefferson's views in historical context. It has been well noted that even Lincoln held views which we would find abhorent today. I do not think that Lincoln would be a racist today. Likewise for Jefferson, but with a distinction: Jefferson used supremacist views to rationalize slavery. Lincoln viewed slavery as a threat to the Union though, by his own admission, he would have lived with slavery if he thought the Union could survive it.

Thank you for your comments. I will respond in more detail later.

JC:

Excellent question. I don't think Jefferson was an incrementalist, at least in the modern sense. He and the (small 'r') republicans venerated agricultural capitalism and loathed its Northern manifestation. I would like to respond to your question in more detail. I have a book somewhere that exhausts this issue. Right now I must go to work.

Thank you for your comments.

but he certainly was a "big picture" thinker and saw many centuries down the road. Maybe a Transcenentalist before the term was coined.

I would like to now the title of the book.

Thanks Rogue.

The book is titled, The Elusive Republic, by Drew McCoy.

Sorry for the delay. I would love to engage in a forum on the book should you be interested. It has been a while since I read it so I would benefit by a review. Here is a link.

http://uncpress.unc.edu/books/T-123.html