Thomas Jefferson

Overview I watched the film Thomas Jefferson (Ken Burns), which is a film that tells the story of the life and times of Thomas Jefferson told by multiple historians and narrated by Ossie Davis (actor). From the beginning of part I our country’s third president is introduced as an intensely educated man; a man who was passionate about religion, agriculture and engineering. He is talked about as an enigma; he enjoyed many things from wine to architecture. He was talked about as a gentle man, so much so that he even as president couldn’t muster enough militia to guard his own estate. He was humble, humble enough to not even think his presidency was important enough to place that achievement on his own headstone. At thirty-three years old he was assigned to write the Declaration of independence for what we now enjoy as the United States of America. John Hope Franklin, a historian spoke of Jefferson in a reverent yet also disapproval, Franklin seemed to point out the fact that Jefferson was articulate and understanding enough to write the words that embodied the natural human desires of Freedom and Liberty, but at the same time never could free his own slaves. He was born into prominence on his mother’s side, and was introduced into what it meant to be self made by his father. At six Jefferson was reading and a master of Greek and Latin and also learned the violin at self taught. His father passed away when he was only 14, but it appeared that his father instilled in him the values to transcend those who might be would be mentors to take the place of his father. At sixteen he went to William and Mary College in Virginia. He became involved in a lot of things at school, but realized that he wasted a lot of time, and soon dedicated himself to his studies and read almost constantly. He was taken under the wing of a local attorney and was