Comments on: Thomas Jefferson by Joyce Appleby

By: Bob Timmermann

Bob Timmermann — Tue, 12 May 2009 20:51:37 +0000

I think Jefferson kept his slaves after he left office because he needed them to make money. He didn’t have the wherewithal to know how to make money any other way. Well, he knew two ways to make money: 1) slave labor and 2) inheriting a lot of money.

By: Bob Hendley

Bob Hendley — Tue, 12 May 2009 20:49:36 +0000

Isn’t trying to judge an historical figure like Jefferson through the lense of our times (heavens, do we even live up to the “values” of our times?) akin to asking what would have been the results at Waterloo if Napolean had been equipped with B-52s? One might imagine that if Jefferson had held different views on slavery, he never would have become president. Your question about why he stuck with those views later in life seems more relevant.

By: Bob Timmermann

Bob Timmermann — Tue, 12 May 2009 02:01:48 +0000

1. Dueling was not legal in New York. It was supposed to be legal in New Jersey, but Burr was indicted for murder there anyway. But he was never tried.

2. It’s a matter of interpretation.

By: Phil

Phil — Tue, 12 May 2009 01:57:32 +0000

1. Was dueling illegal at the time? Even if it was, can a dueling death really be called “murder”?

2. Weren’t there peaceful changes of power in England before 1801? They had elections and stuff, didn’t they?

By: Craig P

Craig P — Sat, 09 May 2009 18:42:09 +0000

Terrific piece, Bob. Though maybe to the book’s detriment as now I feel like I’ve gotten so much out of reading your take on it I don’t need to read the book. Sorry Professor Appleby!

More importantly though, why does he not look more like Nick Nolte? Or Stephen Dillane.

By: Bob Timmermann

Bob Timmermann — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:05:26 +0000

These aren’t the dorids you’re looking for ….

By: Will

Will — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:03:00 +0000

Emarbgo, Bob?

By: D4P

D4P — Fri, 08 May 2009 11:54:54 +0000

On a more somber note, the stone foundations of the slave quarters are still visible on the property, and the structures were apparently very small.

By: D4P

D4P — Fri, 08 May 2009 01:41:37 +0000

I’ve been to Monticello!

My favorite part was the copy machine contraption thingie. You’d write with your pen, which was connected to an arm-like thing with two more pens attached to it. The arm would follow your arm movements, such that whatever you wrote would be traced by the other pens as well. Thus, you could (for example) produce two extra copies of whatever it was you were writing, more or less written in your own handwriting.