Mike;

It is easy to criticize anyone especially those that lived several hundred years ago. I doubt there would be a United States today without Jefferson. If you wish to impose your value system or the value system of the present era upon an individual such as Jefferson, you will always be disappointed or you may in fact feel superior. No one who lived in the past will live up to the expectations of all individuals who are alive today. Forty years ago in the South segregation was the law. That has changed and along with it so have the attitudes and sensitivities of many people.

To evaluate Jefferson who was a complex person with many talents cannot be done with the thermometer of today. Yes, Jefferson had slaves (he freed them in his will when he died) which was not uncommon for the rich in the South. Jefferson also understood the serious problems that slavery held in attempting to join the 13 colonies into a United States. He thought the question of slavery would split the possibility of the Southern Colonies from joining the North and without the support of the South there would be no United States. He also rationalized that this question would have to be settled but felt it was more important to gain freedom from England first.

Yes, without Jefferson I am sure we would still be Brit’s and the world would be a very different place. Would we be speaking English, German or Russian?

If I remember correctly the area you live in was a part of France at the time of Jefferson. Remember Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory from France, which doubled the size of the United States. Today, you might be speaking French had things remained as they were in the early 1800's.

Tom