Thomas Jefferson

Through our Advanced Placement United States History Class we have learned that Thomas Jefferson was the ever-famous Founding Father who wrote our Declaration of Independence and aided in the creation of the Constitution of the United States. This has led to him being constantly known as a great and selfless man who promoted the rights of the common man, when in reality he held slaves and even professed to believe that African Americans were inferior to Caucasians. This is a great shock to many who always believed that the Founding Fathers were perfect men. Jefferson was also a proponent of the idea of not outright abolishment of slavery, but gradually getting rid of it and shipping the freed slaves out of the country. This is a very stark contrast to the picture we were shown which shows people of many different backgrounds all sitting together, seemingly happy gathered around this very mans grave. This is not necessarily the future Jefferson would have envisioned, but it is what his historic documents have led to, a diverse and rich America.