Autobiography of Thomas Jefferson by Thomas Jefferson

Autobiography of Thomas Jefferson Reviews

• 
  Ilyn Ross

  I just finished reading the Autobiography of Thomas Jefferson. I dearly worship Mr. Jefferson. It is exceptionally wonderful to read his own words about his life. As I expected, he treasured his privacy - he said very little about his private life. He lovingly spoke of his wife in one sentence - he said he lived with her in "unchequered happiness".
  
  Mr. Jefferson clearly admired Mr. George Washington and Dr. Benjamin Franklin. I love these:
  
  "I served with General Washington in the legislature of Virginia, before the revolution, and, during it, with Dr. Franklin in Congress. I never heard either of them speak ten minutes at a time, nor to any but the main point, which was to decide the question. They laid their shoulders to the great points, knowing that the little ones would follow of themselves."
  
  "Were we directed from Washington when to sow, and when to reap, we should soon want bread."
  
  In 1769, chosen for the first time to be a member of a legislature, he "made one effort in that body for the permission of the emancipation of slaves, which was rejected..."
• 
  John Martindale

  In light of what were taught about about Thomas Jefferson, how he was a racist and a slave holder, I think the following quotes from his autobiography are interesting.
  
  “In 1769, I became a member of the legislature by the choice of the county in which I live, & continued in that until it was closed by the revolution. I made one effort in that body for the permission of the emancipation of slaves, which was rejected: and indeed, during the regal government, nothing liberal could expect success. Our minds were circumscribed within narrow limits by an habitual belief that it was our duty to be subordinate to the mother country in all matters of government, to direct all our labors in subservience to her interests, and even to observe a bigoted intolerance for all religions but hers."
  Notice who inherited his slaves, wanted their emancipation, but his request was rejected.
  
  In the original draft of the declaration of independence, Jefferson wrote:
  "This piratical warfare, the opprobium of INFIDEL powers, is the warfare of the CHRISTIAN king of Great Britain. Determined to keep open a market where MEN should be bought & sold, he has prostituted his negative for suppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or to restrain this execrable commerce. And that this assemblage of horrors might want no fact of distinguished die, he is now exciting those very people to rise in arms among us,"
  
  But sadly,
  "The clause too, reprobating the enslaving the inhabitants of Africa, was struck out in complaisance to South Carolina and Georgia, who had never attempted to restrain the importation of slaves, and who on the contrary still wished to continue it. Our northern brethren also I believe felt a little tender under those censures; for tho' their people have very few slaves themselves yet they had been pretty considerable carriers of them to others."
  
  "I have found no mention of negroes in the colony until about 1650. The first brought here as slaves were by a Dutch ship; after which the English commenced the trade and continued it until the revolutionary war. That suspended, ipso facto, their further importation for the present, and the business of the war pressing constantly on the legislature, this subject was not acted on finally until the year 78. when I brought in a bill to prevent their further importation. This passed without opposition, and stopped the increase of the evil by importation, leaving to future efforts its final eradication."
  
  "Nothing is more certainly written in the book of fate than that these people are to be free. Nor is it less certain that the two races, equally free, cannot live in the same government. Nature, habit, opinion has drawn indelible lines of distinction between them. It is still in our power to direct the process of emancipation and deportation peaceably and in such slow degree as that the evil will wear off insensibly, and their place be pari passu filled up by free white laborers. If on the contrary it is left to force itself on, human nature must shudder at the prospect held up."
  
  
• 
  Lonnieandmelanie Wibberding

  Not much personal information. It is more about decisions and processes of building a nation. Of course this is invaluable historically, but one does wish for more self-revealing information.
• 
  Shane

  I read the "Memoir" portion of the "Memoir, Correspondence, and Miscellanies, From the Papers of Thomas Jefferson" available on project gutenburg.
  
  It is clear that Jefferson was for the emancipation of slaves, he even attempted to put through emancipation prior to the independence as a member of the county legislature where we lived.
  
  "In 1769, I became a member of the legislature by the choice of the county in which I live, and so continued until it was closed by the Revolution. I made one effort in that body for the permission of the emancipation of slaves, which was rejected: and indeed, during the regal government, nothing liberal could expect success. Our minds were circumscribed within narrow limits, by an habitual belief that it was our duty to be subordinate to the mother country (England) in all matters of government, to direct all our labors in subservience to her interests, and even to observe a bigoted intolerance for all religions but hers."
  
  However, I was surprised to find that while he was clearly for the emancipation of slaves, he didn't believe that they could live together, and suggested that after emancipation they be deported.
  
  "It is still in our power to direct the process of emancipation and *deportation*, peacebly, and in such slow degree, as that the evil will wear off insensibly, and their place be, pari passu, filled up by free white laborers."
  
  He was clearly for religious freedom for all religions:
  
  "The bill for establishing religious freedom, [...] I had drawn in all the latitude of reason and right. It still met with opposition; but, with some mutilations in the preamble, it was finally passed; and a singular proposition proved, that its protection of opinion was meant to be universal.
  
  Where the preamble declares that coercion is a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion, an amendment was proposed, by inserting the words 'Jesus Christ', so that it should read, 'a departure from the plan of Jesus Christ, the hold author of our religion;' the insertion was rejected by a great majority, in proof that they meant to comprehend, within the mantle of is protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mahometan, the Hindoo, and Infidel of every denomination."
  
  I would need to investigate, but I believe that Jefferson has provided some evidence for global warming, on an attempt to travel to France, he attempts to get passage from a ship a few miles from Baltimore, but for over a month the port where he was to board the ship was frozen for over two months?:
  
  "[...] but she (the ship) was then lying a few miles below Baltimore, blocked up in the ice. I remained, therefore, a month in Philadelphia, looking over the papers in the office of State, in order to possess myself of the general state of our foreign relations, and then went to Baltimore, to await the liberation of the frigate from the ice. After waiting there nearly a month [...]".
  
  
• 
  Lora

  Once I got used to paragraphs that ran on and on, and no chapters, I got used to Thomas Jefferson, maybe. It may have been nothing more than a Dover edition trying to save money! The book is slim and doesn't talk about Jefferson so much as about the huge events in his life. He discusses his experience drawing together the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and events from the French Revolution. He warns of future problems with out of control judges, or a populace that has abandoned morality for convenience. The man was visionary!
  The book ended suddenly, which may be because I simply missed the point of that long paragraph and it actually explained itself better than i give it credit for. Once my eyes have adjusted, I will try and re read the last bit again. I was a bit teary eyed and concerned as he discussed Ben Franklin's last days. Right at the end of the book, jefferson mentions something confusing that happened relating to Franklin, but the answers never come, not in this book, and maybe not in any history since. The man left me with a mystery on my hands! Does he not care for my sleep?! Now I have to go all american history to see if I can pull any shades up on this lingering doubt of his. To the internet, Batman!
• 
  Lee

  It is a very good book. Lots of detail into who and how from his years in politics. While it is informative and helpful in understanding the decisions made during that time, it is not what I would call an autobiography. You don't really learn much about the man except that he kept really good notes of everything going on. I would recommend this book but will see if I can't find a better biography to fill in what this one lacks.
• 
  Matthew Stanfill

  Very short, He grew bored quickly writing about himself. If you want to learn more about Jefferson read all of his correspondence, which you can find in public domain.
• 
  Jeremy Perron

  Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, is one of the most important men in the history of the world and one of the most hard to study. James Madison, Jefferson's secretary of state and successor as president, warned future scholars who would try to study the author of the Declaration of Independence that he was a man of many contradictions and is extremely hard to nail down*. No one who can be in public life as long as Thomas Jefferson was and do so without some sort of inconsistency, since no one stops learning and changing, but Jefferson jumps around more issues then most. Some of his contradictions are extremely famous. Jefferson was a champion of small federal government and more local state power. Nevertheless, he would become one of the presidents most responsible for the increase in federal power with the Louisiana Purchase. Jefferson was also a man who detested slavery to the point, as president, abolishing the overseas slave trade in America, and yet he was a man who owned slaves all his life. In this work, Jefferson tells his own story. Unfortunately, like dear Dr. Franklin before him, he does not get to complete his tale.
  
  Jefferson grew up in a world that was changing all around him, born in the middle of the Enlightenment; the old ways were constantly being challenged by new ideas and ways of thinking. Jefferson himself would play a major role in the ever-changing world that he was a part of. As a young man, the American colonies' crisis with their mother country grew larger and Jefferson was a passionate advocate for the American cause. In this work, he lays out the argument of the colonies against mother country.
  
  "In this I took the ground that, from the beginning, I had thought the only one orthodox or tenable, which was, that relation between Great Britain and these colonies was exactly the same as that of England and Scotland, after the accession of James, and until the union, and the same as her present relations with Hanover, having the same executive chief, but no other necessary political connection; and that our emigration from England to this country gave her no more rights over us, than the emigrations of the Danes and the Saxons gave to the present authorities of the mother country over England." p. 7
  
  Basically, what Jefferson brilliantly explains was that the only thing the colonies had in common with Great Britain is that we shared the same king. Other then the shared monarch, we had no other legal connection. This is why the Declaration of Independence targets King George III personally, because from the American position he was the only link we had to break.
  
  My favorite part of the autobiography is when Jefferson gets distracted and starts complaining on how infective legislatures can at times be. What starts out as a topic on the Articles of Confederation's treaty ratification methods, becomes a rant on his poor colleagues.
  
  "Our body was a little numerous, but very contentious. Day after day was wasted on the most unimportant questions. A member, one of those afflicted with the morbid and copious flow of words, who heard with impatience any logic which was not his own, sitting near me on some occasion of a trifling but wordy debate, asked me how I could sit in silence, hearing so much false reasoning, which a word should refute? I observed to him, that to refute was easy, but to silence was impossible; that in measures brought forward by myself, I took the laboring oar, as was incumbent on me; but that in general, I was willing to listen; that if every sound argument or objection was used by some one or other of the numerous debaters, it was enough; if not, I thought it sufficient to suggest the omission, without going into a repetition of what had been already said by others: that this was a waster and abuse of the time and patience of the House, which could not be justified. And I believe that if members of deliberate bodies were to observe this course generally, they would do in a day, what takes them a week; than may at first be thought, whether Bonaparte's dumb legislature, which said nothing, and did much, may not be preferable to one which talks much, and does nothing. I severed with General Washington in the legislature of Virginia, before the revolution, and, during it, with Dr. Franklin in Congress. I never heard either of them speak ten minutes at a time, nor to any but the main point, which decides the question. They laid their shoulders to the great points knowing that the little ones would follow themselves. If the present Congress errs in too much talking, how can it be otherwise, in a body to which the people send one hundred and fifty lawyers, whose trade is to question everything, yield nothing, and talk by the hour? That one hundred and fifty lawyers should do business together, ought not to be expected. But to return again to our subject." p.52-3
  
  In addition to being a leader in the American Revolution, Jefferson was also on hand in France to witness the emerging French Revolution. Jefferson would be a defender and cheerleader for the French Revolution long after he actually should have been. One of the most interesting parts is he blames the entire event of Queen Marie Antoinette.
  
  "The King was now become a passive machine in the hands of the National Assembly, and had he been left to himself, he would have willingly acquiesced in whatever they should devise as best for the nation. A wise constitution would have been formed, hereditary in his line, himself placed at its head, with powers so large as to enable him to do all the good of his station, and so limited, as to restrain him from its abuse. This he would have administered, and more than this, I do not believe, he ever wished. But he had a Queen of absolute sway over his weak mind and timid virtue, and of a character the reverse of his in all points." p.92
  
  Jefferson telling his own tale is a fascinating read, it is so sad they did not live long enough to finish the whole thing. It would have been nice hearing him describe his time as the first secretary of state, second vice president, and third president. Nevertheless, it is an enjoyable work.
  
  * I am not quoting Madison directly, but paraphrasing. However I think you can get the main idea.
  
• 
  Ariel Paiement

  Highly recommend that every American school aged child be required to read this. Jefferson is one of our most lied about presidents, but this, along with other primary sources from reputable sources, sets the record straight. Along the way, you get to learn what Jefferson experienced during his time in France during the opening of the French Revolution, legislation he was a part of pushing through in defense of abolitionist measures, and the original contents of his first draft of the Declaration of Independence. This is both a surprise to those who haven't read any primary sources from his lifetime as it fails to paint anything like the modern American school's picture of Jefferson and a delight because of Jefferson's engaging, conversational tone. I learned things I didn't know even after reading fairly extensively through the primary source record, and I was thrilled to learn more about a man who has long been a personal hero of mine.
• 
  Elizabeth Reid

  This was very good, but I was disappointed that he didn't include his years as president.
  
  I had known Jefferson wasn't comfortable with the idea of slavery, but I'd had no idea how many times he tried to outlaw or curtail slavery. I counted five specific times that he mentioned in this short autobiography, including in his draft of the Declaration of Independence. That portion was the largest bit the other delegates took out, unfortunately.
  
  I appreciated, also, how he would refer to earlier letters written, and then quote from them. He must've been very organized to have been able to do that.
  
  He also came across as humble. He said he didn't consider himself as having contributed anything unique to his country; he believed that if he hadn't been around any one of the other men in his time would have done the things he had.
  
  While there are bits of this book that are dry and detailed, I learned a lot from this founding father by reading and learning from his own words.
• 
  Richard

  Thomas Jefferson's autobiography reminded me of Einstein's
  Autobiographical Notes in many respects. Neither book is a conventional autobiography, but rather a concise summary of the respective authors' life's work, with personal facts and figures given only secondary importance (particularly in the case of Einstein's book.) It's also worth noting that both books are written with great humility, despite the considerable achievements and influence of the two writers.
  
  Jefferson begins by briefly recalling his family's history, and giving thanks to the mentors and friends who helped to guide his intellectual and political lives. He only speaks of his immediate family in passing later on, when he mentions losing his youngest daughter, and later his wife of many years, and finally the marriage of his oldest daughter.
  
  Most of the book is spent discussing the American Revolution and the history of the new Republic. Jefferson recalls a number of conversations and arguments on various points of law, explaining his own reasoning in many cases, and often praising particular legislators for their logic or their debating skills. Every issue he discusses, every point he makes, is still relevant today.
  
  Interestingly, Jefferson had sought to abolish slavery throughout his career, but found that the southern states -- and some northern interests -- were so resistant to that change that it would have been impossible to eradicate slavery and form a union at the same time. He foresaw the eventual end of slavery, and the strife that would follow.
  
  Jefferson spends a disproportionate amount of time discussing the French revolution (disproportionate, by his own admission, because of the general interest in the event at the time Jefferson was writing), the early stages of which he had witnessed firsthand. The harshest criticism in the book, Jefferson reserves for the Queen of France. Jefferson observes that if it weren't for her refusal to give ground, there would have been no bloody revolution at all (and no subsequent power vacuum to be filled by a petty conquerer), but rather a peaceful diminishment of the monarchy's power, as happened in England.
  
  Near the end, Jefferson tells of his last visit to the deathbed of the "venerable and beloved" Franklin. The autobiography ends shortly after that with odd abruptness; I would guess that Jefferson had intended to write a more harmonious conclusion, but never got around to it. Nevertheless, Jefferson's prose is lovely throughout, as one would expect.
• 
  Jim

  Thomas Jefferson was a remarkable man...intelligent and articulate. His attempt at autobiogrphy, however, falls a bit short. So why 4 stars? It's because this book is more like reading a bit of someone's diary, with a brief personal introduction. The topics covered, the birth of our nation and the unraveling of France in 1789 contain his thoughts and impressions about the difficulties of gaining consensus and agreements in the fledgling 13 states as well as the role he played in trying to find middle-ground for saving the people of France from the chaos that ultimately occurred. The accounts of these 'happenings', while eloquently expressed, do not constitute an autobiography. The man was president, dealt with the exploration of the western portion of North America, authorized the defeat of the Tripoli pirates, conducted some nasty political campaigns...notably with John Adams who shared no kind words between each other...and described a specie of giant ground sloth from fossils he found, and much, much more. There is so much more that I would have loved to hear from his own his account. So this is a snippet...a teaser of the real thing. Highly recommended, however, because what's there is really good...possibly deserving a reread.
• 
  Jackson Cyril

  "Nothing is more certainly written in the book of fate than that these people are to be free. Nor is it less certain that the two races, equally free, cannot live in the same government. Nature, habit, opinion has drawn indelible lines of distinction between them. It is still in our power to direct the process of emancipation and deportation peaceably and in such slow degree as that the evil will wear off insensibly, and their place be pari passu filled up by free white laborers. If on the contrary it is left to force itself on, human nature must shudder at the prospect held up" Jefferson remains the greatest mind to sit in the oval office-- in light of recent incumbents this may not be high praise, but let us remember that men like Madison, and the Adams's were intellectuals of the first rank--, but the preceding paragraph shows that this great intellect, the man who wrote that "all men are created equal" was and remained to the last, an 18th century Virginia plantation owner, with all the prejudices and bigotry of that class.
• 
  Quinn

  How do I write a review about the autobiography one of the most influential politicians of the American Revolution when I was mostly bored and only understood about 50% of it? Jefferson's autobiography is nothing compared to Ben Franklin's. There are no chapters so the pacing is just one continuous stream of "I was here and we talked about this, but so-in-so didn't like that idea, so we tried to ratify anyway..." There are two really cool parts that I think everyone should read and they were the saving grace of this 160 page insomniacs friend. The first is he includes a full copy of the Declaration of Independence including the original version that he wrote in full. He marks off the lines the Continental Congress removed and the words they added from his original. The second part that was really cool was the end where he's in Paris during the beginning of the French Revolution. If you're not a huge history buff just read those two parts.
• 
  Steve

  Dry and impersonal. But after reading Hitchens' short book on Jefferson, felt the need to go read some of his own writing. As Henry Adams points out, this is a man who lived through *2* revolutions. And most of the last part of this short autobio (a bit over 100 pp) is given over to his involvement (or lack thereof) with the early days of the French Revolution. Written late in life, and supposedly as a guide for his family to his life's achievements, it ends with Washington naming him Sect of State. Often pages are just filled with lists of reasons given by both sides in a controversy. Little insight into the backroom machinations of the making of our country. OTOH, it includes the original draft of the Declaration of Independence (and the final version as well), with a long paragraph on the abolition of slavery in the new country. This is worth a read just for that!
• 
  Al Lock

  An interesting autobiography, which only covers until Jefferson heads back from France as the French Revolution is about to erupt, but which doesn't cover his own service as Vice-President or President, only briefly notes his reaction to the US Constitution - and yet was clearly written after 1825 (he mentions 4 Presidents having established a limit of 8 years on the Presidency). There are a number of factual mistakes which are pointed out by the editor, and there are some corrections that Jefferson himself makes, pointing out that he realized his memory was playing false with him on review of correspondence. Very interesting.
• 
  Ido

  Excellent book. I enjoyed reading it although the grammer constructs were a little difficult to understand and required me to reread passages and sections of the book several times before I fully understood what Jefferson specifically meant. Still, it provided me a good insight into some of Jefferson's positions on many things. I highly recommend this book as a starting point to learn more and more about Jefferson and some of his public and private opinions.
• 
  Susan

  It would be hard to overestimate the importance of Thomas Jefferson in American history. As I have always been a great admirer - though more a federalist by philosophy - and enjoyed every word of this book,
  although not a true autobiography. I have also read several good biographies over the years, but this was the first time I have read Jefferson's own words about his life. He was, as is often noted, a man of many and great contradictions but of towering intellect and achievement.
• 
  Judy

  It is fascinating to see the late 18th century through the eyes of one of the most intelligent men of the day, a man who was in on the "invention" of America. Endless discussion of political topics was sometimes a yawner, but politics were a vital part of the story, and Jefferson's astute and fascinating insights into people and events kept me going. While the book covers his life from childhood through 1790, he focuses on the years from about 1774 on.
• 
  Nicholas Maulucci

  tough read. tough to follow the events, the people, his thinking. had high points in book. Jefferson had strong ties with France and would have stayed there except for being asked personally by Washington to come back to Monticello. also he met with Franklin a couple weeks before his death - an interesting story. recommended for a history class for seniors in high school or college age youngsters. I love America.
• 
  Miles Smith

  One of the two consequential autobiographies of the revolutionary generation, Jefferson's tome reaffirms the mysteries surrounding the third president. The book also displays every quirk now associated with Jefferson. His hatred of Great Britain and the Netherlands, and his love of revolutionary France, ore obvious. So too is his abiding belief in an innately moral human ontology. Jefferson is wordy, and sometimes dwells on minutiae.
• 
  Tracey

  This book contains quotes, passages and statements by Thomas Jefferson that he wrote in letters, books and journals during his lifetime. These statements provide more insight into the mind of Thomas Jefferson. He was a man before his time, well-rounded, well-versed and often contradictory. This book would be great for a writer to have on hand should he/she want to use quotes by Jefferson. An American History teacher would appreciate this book, as well.
• 
  Nathan Beck

  I came to read this book knowing very little of his life, and I leave it knowing only slightly more. It seems he spends a lot of time talking about the French Revolution and only some of the time speaking of the American one. I had hoped that he would talk more of himself, but I am still happy that I read it.
• 
  Jeremy Egerer

  Absolutely essential overview of Jefferson's career in the US, the founding of America, and a good (and brief) overview of the French Revolution. This short work made me very aware that the Thomas Jefferson claimed today by many people is not the Thomas Jefferson of history, but a figment of political imagination. A must-read.
• 
  Robert

  Not comprehensive, by any means, but also a very readable length. Does not get into some of the later work in administrations that some blurbs allege. OTOH, hard to beat Thomas Jefferson for the occasional inside-baseball nugget on the formation of this or that document. Also, some particularly interesting observations about the French Revolution since he was there at the start.
• 
  Matt Pitts

  It was quite interesting to read Jefferson's take on elements of the revolutions in America and France in his own words. This work was never intended for publication (or if it was it was never completed), but if it had never been written we would be much the poorer.
  
  *I read this in the Library of America edition of Jefferson's writings.
• 
  Kirsten Keefe

  All Presidents are flawed because they are human. But to compare the kind and impact of the flaws of Thomas Jefferson to this current president is a painful exercise. I loved reading about the debate to determine how the vote would be apportioned among these new Americans, and the recounting of events leading up to and during the French Revolution to which Mr Jefferson was privy.