Image of Jefferson

Eli Pardue
10/29/07
AP Lang Lit
LaMags

Melting Pot Entry One

The image of Thomas Jefferson I get from my American history textbook is one that portrays him as a founding father, author of the Declaration of Independence, and President of the United States. On a deeper level, it talks about him as a Virginian plantation runner and slave owner. Thomas Jefferson certainly had prejudice against African-Americans. Based on the text, he thought that they were all-in-all less intelligent than whites. According to his writing, they are not as insightful or comprehensive as whites, and give only basic narrations rather than thoughtful insights. The only thing that he rated African Americans as being more proficient in was basic musical skills, but doubted that they had comprehension for more intensive melodies and harmonies. He was absolutely one of the more prejudiced Fathers, with good reason, coming from a tobacco plantation.
The photograph of his family has a group of whites to the right of his grave, and the the left, an African American family. This immediately gives the idea that Jefferson may have been one of the more Open minded Fathers, one who truly believed in the equality for all Americans that he wrote of. However, based on the historical context of his view on slaves, this assumption would not be valid. However, it is true that Jefferson had an affair with one of his slaves, and had a child with her. The descendants of this child are still alive today, and I believe that it is those descendants who stand to the left of the grave. It is rather fitting, in a sad way, given his stance on African Americans, that these descendants stand to the left rather than the position of power, to the right.