Emerson's Belief of Individualism

                Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, once wrote that, “To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, that is genius.”  In his essay, Self Reliance, Emerson suggests that mankind often shares common desires and beliefs.  He felt that those who opened their common beliefs to benefit and involve society as a whole were true geniuses.  Emerson valued individualism and stressed the importance of each person’s God-given task to benefit all of mankind, rather than only one man selfishly serving himself.  No society can function without stability provided thorough defined roles and tasks among the people.  Emerson’s accredited career supported his legitimacy in relation to social interaction, which helped spread his ideas of serving others.  Although he was not the only person who desired to serve the society as a whole, Emerson’s support of the idea contributed to its acceptance and success.

Jefferson’s False Ideal of Freedom

Many influential leaders throughout history are remembered for both their positive and negative contributions to society; however, Thomas Jefferson seems to be the exception.  A new exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History has been built to exhibit Thomas Jefferson’s life-long contradiction of freedom ideals and slavery, as opposed to his many achievements.  As the author of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson stated that, “all men are created equal,” yet he owned hundreds of slaves himself, and was even rumored to have enslaved his own children.  Jefferson’s hypocritical, inconsistent actions toward the principles of freedom and slavery prove that in reality, he was a racist.

How could the author of, “all men are created equal” continue to enslave hundreds of innocent people?  Jefferson saw slaves as no more than dependent children.  He believed that slaves needed to be cared for, and could not rely on themselves to live independently.  Jefferson’s degrading beliefs kept him from questioning whether slavery was immoral and instead, led him to justify himself that slaves were not entitled to the freedom given to white Americans.  Though he is considered immoral, Jefferson was fortunately never known to be abusive toward his slaves.  In fact, Jefferson’s slaves did not want to leave Monticello, Jefferson’s home, because they knew that no one would treat them as well as he did.  As an iconic figure in American history, Jefferson should have encouraged equality by practicing it himself.  If Jefferson would have freed his slaves, those who admired him would have been more inspired to spread equality as well.  Jefferson’s choice to focus less on ending slavery is disappointing to many that admire Jefferson’s work.

As Jefferson spoke out against slavery, many were unaware of the relationships he held with his slaves.  Jefferson was even believed to have had children with one of his slaves, Sally Hemmings.  Although it would be expected for Jefferson to free Sally and start a family after his wife’s death, he chose to enslave the children instead.  Despite the fact that they were his own children, Jefferson saw them as nothing but slaves and chose to never acknowledge them as his own.  How could Jefferson truly believe in equality if he was not even willing to free his own children because of their race?  Jefferson’s inability to break racial barriers held the United States from progressing out of the horrible concept of enslavement.  As a leader, Jefferson should have been the first to follow his word of eliminating the cruel practice of owning innocent human beings.  Sally and their children lived as slaves until the day Jefferson died.  She and the children were the only slaves he freed; the others were sold off to pay his debts.  Families were torn and many children were sold to abusive households across the country.  The families had little hope of ever seeing each other again.

                Jefferson was a master of inconsistency and hypocrisy.  Jefferson stressed the importance of equality, yet he chose to ignore the importance of a large portion of the population.  Jefferson said himself that, “the policy of the American government is to leave their citizens free, neither restraining nor aiding them in their pursuits,” while at the same time taking the basic human rights from his slaves and restraining them from entering or progressing into society. Jefferson is glorified for his accomplishments while his choices regarding slavery are always overlooked.  He is most commonly known as founder of the University of Virginia and author of the Declaration of Independence, yet he spent a substantial amount of his lifetime acting against his words.  Jefferson’s brilliance took the United States one step forward; however, his prejudices led the country several steps back.   If Jefferson had used his respectable position in society to inspire people to change, perhaps the issues of segregation and racism would have been less traumatic and more of a welcoming change in American history.

                The introduction of the exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum will provide a new insight to the life of Thomas Jefferson.   For many Americans, this will be an entirely new concept of the third president’s contradiction of freedom ideals and slavery, and for others, a reminder of how far the country has progressed over time.  The goal of the exhibit is not to overshadow Jefferson’s many achievements, but to provide insight to what he considered freedom and who he believed it was entitled to.  The exhibit will not highlight his achievements, but will instead focus on his controversial racial views and positions.

Works Cited:

http://www.thenewamerican.com/history/american/8612-new-smithsonian-qraceq-exhibit-smears-columbus-thomas-jefferson
http://jpetrie.myweb.uga.edu/TJ.html
http://www.virginia-beach-family-fun.com/sally-hemmings.html
http://sc94.ameslab.gov/tour/tjefferson.html

Thomas Jefferson's Tattoo

               Thomas Jefferson was a man that enjoyed simplicity and symmetry.  Jefferson valued time and space- cherishing every moment of the day that he could and putting as much space to use as possible.  Considering his conservative lifestyle, it is very unlikely that he would get a tattoo in his lifetime; however, if he were to get a tattoo, it would most likely be hidden or unnoticeable.  I assume that Jefferson would have preferred a symbolic, personal representation rather than a public statement.

                  I believe Jefferson would use a hexagon to enclose a message, representing his priority of using all available space.  In his home, Jefferson designed rooms to maximize their use by removing corners and using space between walls.  Jefferson made every room as efficient as possible.  Jefferson felt that corners wasted space and took away visual appeal from the room.

                  One of Jefferson’s quotes would fill the empty space inside the hexagon.  Jefferson cherished time.  The tattoo would read, “But whether I retire to bed early or late, I rise with the sun.”  Jefferson spent most of his time, from dawn until dusk, writing letters, taking records or studying books from is library.  Jefferson was believed to rise at five in the morning and would not return to bed until midnight.  Jefferson was never willing to put time to waste.

                  Jefferson loved classic, graceful designs.  I believe that Jefferson would have been discreet by avoiding colors and patterns and placing the tattoo in an unnoticeable area to avoid drawing attention to it.  I would expect that the tattoo would be intended as a personalized symbol of his values rather than a public display of art. 

Peter Onuf's "The Mind of Thomas Jefferson"

                Thomas Jefferson, a timeless, intellectual figure of American history is praised for his political contributions throughout his lifetime.  Although he influenced the idea of equality, many people tried to find flaws in his political career by questioning his religion, which he refused to reveal.  Throughout *The Mind of Thomas Jefferson*, Peter S. Onuf, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Professor of History at the University of Virginia, analyzes Jefferson’s mysterious religious beliefs by examining quotes and actions of Jefferson throughout his lifetime.  Onuf found that Jefferson, “reinforced his faith in reason and his hostility to the rule of ‘kings, nobles, or priests’ the ‘abandoned confederacy’ that waged perpetual war ‘against the happiness of the mass of the people.”  Jefferson felt that priests were not equipped to stand between man and his God.  He strongly believed that a person’s personal relation with God was the most important. 

Onuf explains Jefferson’s constant push for the right of religious freedom and the separation of church and state for the better of the country.  Jefferson’s disapproval of priesthood stemmed from his personal belief that priests wanted people to follow them only for the sake of profit.  As the priests acquired more power, their income rapidly increased.  Jefferson wished to restore Christianity, “to the original purity and simplicity of its benevolent institutor,” trusting that if the common man is free to think clearly and freely, he will make the right choices.  Jefferson was confident in the fact that people would feel better choosing their path rather than being forced through set rules.  Jefferson’s fear of religious power ruining the foundation of the country gradually increased as he observed the downfall of the Spanish Empire.  He realized that, “the power of the church was so deeply entrenched in the Spanish Empire…however much Revolutionaries there followed the North American lead, they would in the end ‘bow the neck to their priests, and persevere in intolerantism.”  Refusing to follow in the Spanish footsteps, Jefferson pushed to separate church and state. 

As Jefferson pushed for freedom of religion, speculation about his own beliefs arose.  Onuf reveals that, “Jefferson believed that the theological differences that divided Americans in his lifetime ultimately would disappear;” however, he refused to reveal his religion until people began to think openly and logically.  Jefferson felt that the matter of his religious beliefs was not worth shedding blood over.  Most importantly, he wished for a ‘union of sentiments’ and to be remembered, unlike other politicians, for his accomplishments and actions, not his religion.  Onuf admires that Jefferson was not afraid to challenge the priests attempting to take power.  Onuf expresses that people should no longer judge a politician by their religion, but instead by what they have done for their country.  With this in mind, Jefferson upheld his decision and chose to never reveal his beliefs.  Onuf found his self-imposed silence on controversial issues “striking.”  Jefferson’s choice of keeping silent led to his later successes and redirected the focus of his career from religious judgment to the glorification of his great accomplishments. 

Onuf, Peter S.  “The Mind of Thomas Jefferson.”

Jefferson's Debated Religious Beliefs

               Although Thomas Jefferson was raised as an Anglican, his true religious beliefs were never exposed during his lifetime.  Perhaps he was unsure?  Studies of Jefferson suggest that he was a Unitarian.   Jefferson was known to contribute financially, in fair proportions, to every denomination in his town.   As a political and social leader, he felt it was best to keep his religious beliefs separate from his accomplishments.  He wished to only be known for, “authorship of the Declaration of Independence, the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom and the founding of the University of Virginia”.  Jefferson felt that if he were to reveal his beliefs, they would be people’s only concerns. 

Influenced by the Enlightenment and his interest in theology, Jefferson felt that Christianity was, "outlines of a system of the most sublime morality which has ever fallen from the lips of man”.  Though he was not officially Christian, Jefferson supported the idea of a creator; however, he seemed uncertain of what exactly he wanted to believe was true.  Jefferson valued morality and equality encouraged by religion.  He consistently supported everyone’s right to freedom of religion but felt it should be held separate from government.  Throughout his lifetime, “Jefferson left a considerable amount of writing on political and philosophical issues, as well as writing about religion, including the ‘Jefferson Bible’".  The ‘Jefferson Bible’, if anything, revealed most of what anyone knows about Jefferson’s beliefs.  Jefferson expressed clear interest in Unitarian theory.  Jefferson removed everything he considered a ‘miracle’ from the Bible, leaving only scripture for guidance.  Many historians debate Jefferson’s religious denomination; however, he was clearly closely associated with Unitarian beliefs. 

"The Religious Affiliation of Third U.S. President Thomas Jefferson". 30 Nov. 2005. <http://www.adherents.com/people/pj/Thomas_Jefferson.html>

Belote, Thom. "Thomas Jefferson." 11 Sept. 2011 http://www25.uua.org/uuhs/duub/articles/thomasjefferson.html

Dear Mr. Jefferson...

http://lcweb4.loc.gov/master/ipo/qcdata/qcdata5/jefferson%27s_library/tj_video/jpegs/tjv0028a.jpg

Dear Mr. Jefferson,

                I have always taken fascination in the culinary arts and I happen to adore French cuisine.  I have heard countless reviews of your astonishing collection of books; In fact, I was hoping to have the privilege of borrowing one.  I am interested in “Le Parfait Boulanger” or “The Perfect Baker” by Antoine Augustin Parmentier.  Although the book would require a large amount of translation, I have been told that it would teach me to cook breads and French pastries to perfection.

                As a little girl, I couldn’t help but smile when I was told I would get to visit my grandmother.  Although we rarely saw each other, we maintained our long distance relationship as well as we could.  On holidays, I would visit her home and bake with her for the entire family.  My grandmother was very talented, whether she admitted it or not, and was known for her recipes that were “to die for”.  As I have grown older, I have been searching for a new recipe that we could bake together.  We have both always wanted to try baking something of the French origin.  My grandmother always told me that, “nothing can ever be truly perfect...you can always make it better,” but I am determined to prove her wrong! 

It will be a challenge to surpass my grandmother’s cooking; however, I know that with this book, we could create something truly amazing together.  I would be ever so grateful if you would allow me to obtain this book to continue creating lasting memories with her.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Rebecca Cardwell