Thomas Jefferson: Architect of Democracy - Hardcover

Severance, John B.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0395845130 ISBN 13: 9780395845134

Publisher: Clarion Books, 1998

Synopsis

The words of the Declaration of Independence, so familiar to us and so important to our country, were those of Thomas Jefferson. He was a primary force behind United States independence. Without his influence, our country would be vastly different from the nation we know today. Jefferson initiated public education, established a national library, and paved the way for the abolishment of slavery. Although he was not a power-hungry or even ambitious politician, Jefferson served in many different offices, including president, in order to help his fledgling country remain on its feet. His faith and dedication to the idea of self-government never wavered, even in the face of many personal hardships. John B. Severance traces Jefferson's life from his plantation boyhood to his two terms as president and his last days preparing for the opening of the University of Virginia, weaving details of both Jefferson's political career and his rich personal life together to create a thoughtful and well-researched biography. Jefferson quotes, bibliography, index.

About this title

About the Author

Formerly a school teacher, John B. Severance now writes full time. He lives in Savannah, Georgia.

From Publishers Weekly

Severance's (Gandhi: Great Soul) ambitious portrait of America's third president chronicles Jefferson's life and career from his early education through his positions as author of the Declaration of Independence, governor of Virginia, ambassador to France, U.S. vice president and president, and finally as founder of the University of Virginia. Severance makes his gripping subject immediately relevant to modern readers by asserting that the soft-spoken Jefferson (who could barely make himself heard beyond the third row of Congress) would never have been elected in our present era of microphones and television sound bites. Severance is largely successful placing Jefferson in the context of the ideas and personalities of his time, but he sometimes assumes a prior familiarity with American history (e.g., after describing the protest against the 1773 Tea Act, he then uses the term Boston Tea Party without explicitly making a connection between the two). The most powerful passages rely on Jefferson's own words to strengthen this characterization of one of America's valiant proponents of democracy. However, when Jefferson's words and deeds conflict?as in his vehement statements against slavery juxtaposed with his lifelong dependence on slave labor?Severance points out the contradictions but does not analyze the issues. Still, the text encompasses the spectrum of both professional and private life, highlighting Jefferson's less famous roles as a devoted father and grandfather, enterprising architect and methodical scientist. Black-and-white archival prints effectively support the impressive span of events and people. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0395845130
• ISBN 13: 9780395845134
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 192