Thomas Jefferson’s legacy faces a new reckoning as America approaches its 250th birthday

Thomas Jefferson’s legacy faces a new reckoning as America approaches its 250th birthday America’s birth is rooted in his most profound contradiction — the man who proclaimed that “all men are created equal” while being a slaveholder to the end of his life - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Thomas Jefferson, the prize-winning presidential historian Jon Meacham notes, embodies both "the very best and the very worst" of the United States. Yet, even for Meacham, defining what it means to be "Jeffersonian" requires a moment of reflection. Initially, he suggests, it signified a leaning towards states' rights and limited government before the civil rights movement. But then, pausing, Meacham recalls President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s portrayal of Jefferson as an "apostle of liberty" who would have championed the fight against the Nazis in World War II. As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, historians widely agree that no other founder's life and work resonate quite like Jefferson's. His most profound contradiction lies at the root of America’s birth: the man who penned the declaration that "all men are created equal" remained a slaveholder throughout his life. Beyond this central paradox, Jefferson explored and advanced both sides of numerous issues that have shaped the country's trajectory, from agrarian self-sufficiency versus worldly innovation to pluralism versus separatism, and limited government versus dreams of an "empire of liberty." "There is no more malleable figure in early America than Jefferson," observes Andrew Burstein, a history professor at Louisiana State University, whose book "Democracy’s Muse: How Thomas Jefferson became an FDR Liberal, a Reagan Republican, and a Tea Party Fanatic, All the While Being Dead" encapsulates this adaptability. Historian Peter S. Onuf, author of several works on Jefferson, adds, "There have been times in American history when just about everyone would have considered themselves ‘Jeffersonian,’" noting that "even at those moments, he was a controversial figure." Jefferson's legacy continues to be debated even in the very institutions he established. At the University of Virginia, the college he founded and considered a signature achievement, a memorial now stands dedicated to the thousands of enslaved people who lived and worked there. Similarly, at Monticello, his mountaintop estate outside Charlottesville, a banner near the entrance proudly displays the Declaration of Independence with the caption, "After all, our guy wrote it." However, once inside the grounds, visitors are confronted with numerous reminders of his enslavement of hundreds, including a "Burial Ground for Enslaved People" and an exhibit dedicated to Sally Hemings, the enslaved woman with whom Jefferson is widely believed to have had six children. Brandon Dillard, Monticello's director of historic interpretation and audience engagement, states the staff's mission is "to tell unflinching stories of America’s complex origins and fitful progress toward the ideals Jefferson articulated in the Declaration of Independence." Monticello, which Jefferson viewed as a refuge, inevitably reflects contemporary issues. A garden tour guide points out that the "Mimosa Pudica," a plant Jefferson failed to cultivate, now thrives due to climate change. The visitors' center is LEED Gold-certified for its use of green energy, and geothermal systems are installed in other buildings for temperature control. The estate also raises ongoing questions about race. The predominantly white guide staff at Monticello mirrors a nationwide issue, with a recent survey by the American Association for State and Local History indicating that only about 10% of museum workers are nonwhite, and many Latino/a/x and multiracial respondents reported higher rates of discrimination. Dillard declined to elaborate on the experiences of guides of color at Monticello. Jefferson's contradictions have been invoked across American history. He was claimed by both sides of the Civil War and the civil rights movement. Nineteenth-century Confederates and 20th-century segregationists cited his defense of states' rights, while Abraham Lincoln and civil rights leaders emphasized his authorship of the Declaration of Independence. In 1963, he was invoked by Alabama Governor George Wallace in his inaugural speech defying federal integration efforts, and by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in his "I Have a Dream" speech. Roosevelt enlisted Jefferson as an ideological ally for the New Deal, and later, President Ronald Reagan, a former New Dealer turned conservative, presented Jefferson as an opponent of wasteful spending. Free-speech advocates frequently cite Jefferson's crucial support for the Bill of Rights, while President Donald Trump quoted Jefferson's 1807 lament that "Nothing can now be believed which is seen in a newspaper" as an implicit endorsement of his modern critique of "fake news." Jefferson is also positioned on both sides of today's immigration debate. Ibram X. Kendi, author of "How to Be an Anti-Racist," points to Jefferson's documented belief in colonization for Black people as inspiration for contemporary scapegoating and xenophobia. Conversely, even as the Trump administration aggressively sought to restrict immigration, Monticello continued its decades-old July 4 naturalization ceremonies, with Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger scheduled as this year's keynote speaker. "As new citizens share their personal stories every Fourth of July," Dillard says, "we are reminded that the values uplifted in that Declaration are values toward which people from all backgrounds aspire." Monticello attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, each with their own reasons for coming. Erin Porter, a Virginia native, recently visited to cross it off her bucket list, while Nathan Jaycox, a former nuclear engineer, sought historical insights for a class he plans to teach. Duane Cromwell, a 70-year-old resident of Vancouver, embarked on a deeply personal mission. Cromwell grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, where she was taught that slavery was "an economic necessity" and learned nothing of Jefferson's history of enslavement. Visiting Monticello for a family reunion, she was eager to move past the "whitewashed Southern version" and the myths of "evil 'yankees'" and victimized rebels. "Did you (ever) notice kudzu growing up over trees and buildings while in the South? It is an invasive plant brought to the region to control erosion. Well, it is like racism. It is pervasive, part of the horizon, always there but soon you don’t notice it," she reflects. "Having said that, I do think that people do go along better, there is more interactions, relationships than when I was growing up. Everyone needs each other and in the South, there is a great sense of humor and friendliness that help people navigate the awkward moments." For Cromwell, Monticello offered a chance for self-education and personal growth, using Thomas Jefferson as a prism for understanding. "Isn’t that what it’s all about?" she asks. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments