Individualism at Its Finest

            Ralph Waldo Emerson was an exceptional poet, essayist, and lecturer during the 1800’s. He strongly believed in individualism and wasn’t fearful of society’s judgments. In his famous essay, “Self-Reliance”, Emerson emphasizes the importance of personal thoughts and beliefs. He believed that everyone in the world is born with their own individualistic abilities and talents, and that people shouldn’t limit themselves until they have truly tried to accomplish something. Emerson says, “The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried.” Emerson wanted people to reach their full potential and be all they can be. So many times people are afraid to try new things or express their own thoughts because they are terrified of judgment, however, Emerson didn’t want people to be this way. Ralph Waldo Emerson believed that everyone could be great if they would just allow themselves to be.

Thomas Jefferson: Loving Family Man or Hypocritical Slave Holder?

        

                In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Jefferson, however, lived at Monticello, a huge plantation, where hundreds of slaves were under his control. How could someone who believes that, “all men are created equal”, own an abundance of slaves who are treated as inferiors? Thomas Jefferson, who appeared to be an advocate of individual freedom, was in fact a hypocrite and racist slave holder, who felt that he was the only one worthy of owning slaves.

                In 1770, Thomas Jefferson preached his views on personal liberties by saying, “Under the laws of nature, all men are born free.” What exactly is Jefferson’s definition of free? We know he saw whites as free but he believed colored people were “pests to the society by their idleness” and there is much evidence that leads us to assuming he didn’t actually see them as equals. Monticello, Jefferson’s beloved heaven on earth, was the home to many enslaved people who worked from sunrise till sunset. In the scorching summers, through the penetrating winters, his slaves worked endless hours of intense labor. Whether they were working on the land, making tools, or building, these workers were far from freedom. Thomas Jefferson, however, was certainly a manipulative man. He didn’t call his workers slaves, rather he referred to them as his “children in need of protection” and he was the father. Jefferson felt obligated to protect them because they were “incapable as children trying to care for themselves.” He probably wanted the slaves to feel like they were important and appreciated so they would be more successful in their work, making Monticello a better place for Jefferson.

                Thomas Jefferson, we know, was a greatly intelligent, determined man with a wide variety of talents and interests. He was a scientist, architect, politician, musician, cook, husband, and a father. Having been all these titles, he was a very busy man. It is suspected that he owned slaves because he was so busy all the time, but I think he believed he was an exception to the rule against slavery. Jefferson could have easily hired workers to do all the things he made his slaves do, and pay them accordingly. However, he did not pay his slaves and they didn’t get to choose what field of work they participated in. It hasn’t been recorded that he ever abused his slaves, but also he didn’t give them the freedom that people were supposedly born in to. Jefferson believed that the issue of slavery was too large to abolish in his generation, so he did nothing to even attempt to end it. This might have been out of his selfish desires. Being a famous, well respected figure in society, abolishing slavery may have been accomplishable in his era. However, Jefferson probably didn’t go through with this huge political change because he still wanted to own slaves for his Monticello plantation.

                Thomas Jefferson did suggest little steps in trying to help the obstacle of slavery. He absolutely did not like African Americans and he didn’t want them in Virginia unless they were working for him in Monticello. To get rid of the colored people, Jefferson thought that it would be a good idea to send them all away and let them have their own community however they would still be required to work when needed. This option still limits African Americans of their freedoms even though they are getting to live away from their slave holder. Thomas Jefferson wasn’t horribly mean to all his slaves and African Americans, but he was a racist and kept them from making personal decisions that white people would have the privilege to make.

                Thomas Jefferson accomplished many great things in his lifetime which people still learn about today. He impacted American in more ways than one by his scientific discoveries and political achievements. He was a true family man who truly believed in family values and morals however, he was indeed a slave holder. He spoke of human rights and personal liberties but went against his words and owned hundreds of slave at Monticello. He supposedly was against the issue of slavery, but didn’t have what it took to give up the slaves of his own. He couldn’t practice what he preached making him a racist and a hypocrite.

http://www.monticello.org/site/plantation-and-slavery/thomas-jefferson-and-slavery

http://www.reformed-theology.org/html/issue07/jefferson.htm

Thomas Jefferson's Tattoo

If Thomas Jefferson were to have a tattoo it would look like the design above. The triangular shape of the tattoo symbolizes Jefferson’s love for architecture. Many of the buildings Thomas Jefferson designed included a large triangle strategically located above the columns. These triangular structures are called pediments. Jefferson’s beloved Monticello incorporates a pediment in the architectural design. The UVA abbreviation stands for the University of Virginia, which was founded by Jefferson himself. This was one of his favorite accomplishments along with co-writing the Declaration of Independence and writing the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom. Thomas Jefferson strongly believed in being educated and he especially liked the idea of public education. The tree in the tattoo represents Jefferson’s interest in nature and gardening. His beautiful home, Monticello, is surrounded by tons of gorgeous gardens. He also kept many records of plants and studied about plants from all over the world. Lastly, the music notes symbolize Jefferson’s passion for music. He was a big time violinist and it has been rumored that he practiced for at least three hours a day! His absolute favorite composer was Arcangelo Corelli, but he also had a great love for French and Italian opera. Jefferson’s famous violin is now housed at the University of Virginia. As you can see, Thomas Jefferson had many passions and a wide variety of interests. This tattoo strongly depicts the intelligent man Jefferson was and signifies his role in history.

Onuf's Review of Thomas Jefferson

                Thomas Jefferson was a studious, intellectual man with a powerful mind. Throughout history, uncovering Jefferson’s exact religious beliefs have been a challenge. In the book, The Mind of Thomas Jefferson, by Peter S. Onuf, some of the mysteries as to when he truly believed are revealed. Within this book, Onuf quotes and shares his knowledge of the great Thomas Jefferson.

                In the beginning of the book, Onuf describes Jefferson as very rational. Onuf says that according to Jefferson, “moral philosophers remain the best guides to the good life.”  This shows us that he believes strongly in the importance of philosophy and reason, rather than a spiritual figure leading a godly path for his life. Onuf also tells us early in the book that Jefferson doesn’t believe that Jesus was “begotten by God, born a virgin, suspended and reversed the laws of nature at will, and ascended bodily into heaven”, but that Jesus was “a man of illegitimate birth, of a benevolent heart, enthusiastic mind” who got many people to follow and trust him. This evidence informs us that Thomas Jefferson didn’t believe in miracles, or anything that couldn’t be supported by science.

                Later on in the book, Jefferson’s views of priests are acknowledged. In a letter to John Adams, Jefferson writes, “if we could live without an order of priests, we could then moralize for ourselves, follow the oracle of conscience, and say nothing about what no man can understand, nor therefore believe.” Jefferson strongly believed that priests were clouding the reasonable part of religion, causing America to believe anything they hear. He also vigorously thought that a person should hold the freedom to believe whatever they wish to believe, without the role of a priest preventing them to think for themselves. According to Jefferson, a priest’s job was to obscure religion, which turned him away.

                Jefferson however, had a fairly positive view of Jesus. He said that Jesus was, “the benevolent and sublime reformer”, and that Jesus spoke of God being “good and perfect”. He believed that Jesus “preached peace and love.” Jefferson saw Jesus as a real and great person who came and left this earth. According to Onuf, Jefferson could never believe in the trinity, which states that Jesus lives as three persons. This evidence reflects Jefferson’s views of science that I mentioned earlier. If science can’t explain it, then it must not be real. He once said, “Ignorance is preferable to error and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong”. Onuf tells us that Jefferson would rather be caught believing in nothing than believing in something that is incorrect and unreasonable.

                In this book, Onuf repeatedly emphasizes Jefferson’s belief that religion should kept private. In the famous Danbury Baptists letter, Jefferson states that, “religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God.” Jefferson tells Calvinist Ezra Stiles Ely, “I am of a sect by myself”. This reveals that Jefferson has his own personal, spiritual beliefs and he doesn’t want the people of this world to compromise to his beliefs because he is seen as an intelligent, respected man. He greatly feels that everyone should believe in what they want no matter what others say or do. People should have freedom to think for themselves and make decisions on their own without anyone telling them what is right and what is wrong. To Jefferson, freedom of conscience is key.

                Still today, no one knows for sure what Jefferson’s exact religious believes were. But Jefferson doesn’t want the world to know. He wants everyone to explore religion for themselves and question God’s existence. That’s the beauty of freedom. Onuf does a great job of portraying some of Jefferson’s views, however his true beliefs remain a mystery.

A Religious Mystery

                 Many people throughout history have sought to find the truth behind Thomas Jefferson’s religious beliefs. Nobody knows for sure exactly what his defined religion was, but I believe this was all a part of his mischievous plan. Jefferson once said, “I am of a sect by myself”, meaning he has his own personal believes and doesn’t care to share them because religion should only be shared between a man and his God.  Historians trying to figure out this mystery have argued that he might have been a Unitarian, a Deist, or a Christian. However, after reading bits of “The Mid of Thomas Jefferson” by Peter S. Onuf, I believe the Thomas Jefferson was neither of those. Jefferson strongly believed in the freedom to follow your own conscience and not be forced to believe something that doesn’t necessarily make sense to you. He especially didn’t like the idea of a priest. Jefferson believed the priests of our world were clouding the reasonable part of religion and leaving people without the strength to actually think for themselves. In a letter to John Adams, Jefferson wrote, “If we could live without an order of priests, we could then moralize for ourselves”.  I believe that Jefferson had his own spiritual beliefs that in some ways may have reflected multiple real religions, but at the same time had their major differences which he made up on his own. He was an extremely intelligent man who knew a lot about many things, however he was also a man who remained true to his spiritual beliefs and he didn’t want anyone to solve his religious mystery.

Dear Mr. Jefferson

Dear Mr. Jefferson,

                After recently seeing pictures of your beautiful Monticello home, I couldn’t help but notice the thousands of gorgeous flowers in your beloved gardens. All of the vivid colors and unique arrangements literally bring your home to life. You seem to be well educated about gardens and what it takes to successfully maintain them. There is a book in your library called “The Theory and Practice of Gardening” by Antoine Joseph Dezallier d’Argentville that I would absolutely love to borrow from you if you would so kindly let me.

                Growing up, I carefully watched my mother plant radiant flowers around the perimeter of our home. She methodically placed each and every flower in a specific spot. My mother was the artist, flowers were her paint, and our yard was her canvas. I never understood how spending hours out in the intense Texas summer heat, putting plants in the dirt, could be enjoyable at all. However, to her it was a passion. She would always tell me, “Just try it Court! You never know if you like something until you give it a chance!” After quite some time of contemplating whether or not I actually want to take up gardening, I decided to give it a shot. If something so simple can bring such joy and peace to a person, why shouldn’t I try it? So here I am, taking my mother’s advice.

I need your help with my new journey in the world of gardening. With your permission, I would use your book to learn of this commonly practiced hobby and put a smile on my mother’s face. You truly know the beauty of nature and it is my hope that I can someday have a magnificent garden of my own so my future children can experience its elegance.  I promise to return your book in tip-top shape.

Your friend,

Courtney