Response 1
The first discussion post clearly describes Jefferson, from his days as a child to his days as the president. It opens by presenting a young Jefferson who roamed the woods in Virginia and read books. Of importance to note is that Jefferson was an educated man. According to Bernstein (16), Thomas Jefferson was a respected lawyer who graduated from the College of William and Mary. The post also outlines Jefferson’s role in American history by noting that his writings shaped America’s political philosophy. Jefferson believed in the separation between the church and the state, freedom of speech, abolition of slavery and a minimal influence of the central government. These are clearly articulated in the post. Also pointed out is the Louisiana Purchase which was another of Jefferson’s many accomplishments. However, the post does not mention Jefferson’s opposition to the formation of the Central Bank. Jefferson is quoted as saying “the Central Bank is an institution of the most deadly hostility existing against the Principles and form of our constitution” (Goodreads 1). A weakness of Jefferson that is pointed out is that he owned slaves and did not free all of his slaves despite being opposed to slavery.
Response 2
This post mentions something very important about Jefferson. That he was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America. It also points out that Jefferson was responsible for writing the Declaration of Independence at the young age of 34 years. According to Miller (5), Thomas Jefferson was an author of the Declaration of Independence. While noting many of Jefferson’s accolades such as being a scientist, lawyer, philosopher, inventor, author, statesman and an architect, this post dwells much on controversies surrounding Jefferson, mainly his attitude toward slavery. While he believed that slavery was a threat to America (Reck 2), he did not free his slaves, and it is alleged that he had an affair with one of them, Sally Hemings. It is claimed that Jefferson fathered Sally’s children. However, the post clearly concludes that despite these controversies, Jefferson remains a key figure in US history.
Works Cited
Bernstein, RB. Thomas Jefferson. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003.
Goodreads. Thomas Jefferson Quotes. Goodreads, 2013. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.
Miller, Bernie. Important Facts About Thomas Jefferson. Pennsylvania State Education Association, 2010, pp. 1-14.
Reck, Dave. Where did Thomas Jefferson Stand on the Issue of Slavery. Center for History at the University of Maryland, 2011, pp. 1-12.
