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Thomas “the Masher” Jefferson
A brilliant but flawed figure in American History
I just finished reading two exhaustive biographies about Thomas Jefferson, both of which peeled back the layers on a brilliant, complicated and yes, flawed man.
The history buffs among us are well aware that while TJ espoused “all men are created equal,” he himself owned 200 slaves…and sired 4 out-of-wedlock children with one of them. It’s easy to talk the talk. But as a southern aristocrat who lived way beyond his means, Jefferson wasn’t ready to free his slaves at the cost of his lofty lifestyle. More talking than walking in that realm!
But here’s some little-known backstory on Jefferson, the seeker of feminine companionship: Thomas was blinded by feminine beauty to the extent that he was not above pursuing women who were married — even if she was his best friend’s wife!
In early adulthood, Jefferson’s bestie asked Thomas to look after his wife while he traveled to the frontier to negotiate a treaty with a band of native Americans. So what did TJ do? The obvious!
Asked about the indiscretion years later, he commented “it was the incorrect thing to do.” Ya think? Just goes to show that all these saints who are held up as paragons of virtue aren’t always all that virtuous.
