R. B. Bernstein

"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. - That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, - That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new show more Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

-from: The (US) Declaration of Independence, penned by Thomas Jefferson, and adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4th, 1776


"I advance it therefore as a suspicion only, that blacks, whether originally a distinct race, or made distinct by time and circumstances, are inferior to the whites in the endowments both of body and mind. It is not against experience to suppose, that different species of the same genus, or varieties of the same species, may possess different qualifications. Will not a lover of natural history then, one who views the gradations in all the races of animals with the eye of philosophy, excuse an effort to keep those in the department of man as distinct as nature has formed them? This unfortunate difference of color, and perhaps of faculty, is a powerful obstacle to the emancipation of these people."

-from: Notes on the State of Virginia, penned by Thomas Jefferson, and first published in 1787

As these two quotations make plain, Thomas Jefferson – an aristocratic Virginia planter and an ardent republican populist, a believer in universal freedom and an entrenched slaveholder who considered people of African descent (and women) inherently inferior – was a man of contradictions. The attempts, over the years, to reconcile those contradictions, and to come to terms with the meaning of Jefferson’s life and work, and the legacy it has left us, here in America, and around the world, has produced an incredibly prolific body of work, with volume upon volume dedicated to analysis of his actions, his philosophy, and his character. In our own times, Jefferson’s role as a slaveholder, and the ethics of his relationship with his slave, Sally Hemmings, seems to have become a particular focus. Given that this is so, it can sometimes feel rather daunting, to the more casual reader (ie: the reader not intending to pursue graduate studies in history), to attempt to find a balanced presentation of his story. Certainly, when we went looking for a good work on Jefferson, to use as the third title in our newly formed 'Presidential Book Club' - a group set up to correct deficiencies in member's knowledge of American history, by reading, chronologically, a biography for each of the presidents - we struggled to find one that was suitable. There is no equivalent volume, in Jeffersonian studies, it would appear, to Ron Chernow's Washington: A Life, or David McCullough's John Adams.

This brief introduction to Jefferson, with 198 pages of actual text, was the title we eventually settled upon, having read that it served as a good introductory work on this important man, providing all the basic facts of his story, with the minimum of polemical asides. That has proved to be the case, so I suppose I must account myself satisfied with the results. Bernstein succeeds, I think, in his object (given in his introduction) of presenting Jefferson in the context of his time and place, and steering a course between those who would "praise Jefferson for his aspirations," and those who would "damn him for his failures." Setting out the broad strokes of his subject's life, he adheres to his central thesis: that Jefferson was (and wished to be seen as) a man of ideas, and it is in that arena that we must focus our attention. The result is a narrative that gives a good outline-view of Jefferson's life, and devotes as much time to his public persona and writings - notably, the US Declaration of Independence, and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom - as to his personal affairs.

Despite being convinced that Bernstein's Thomas Jefferson succeeds at what it sets out to do - indeed, what we were looking for as readers, in the first place - I can't say that I found it outstanding, especially when compared to our forgoing tiles (Washington: A Life, John Adams). In many ways, I felt that I was reading the same material over again, given the extensive treatment of Jefferson that is offered in the McCullough book, and came away wondering whether a more polemical work - something like American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson - might not have been more informative. Still, hindsight is 20/20, and I can't really fault the book for not being something it never claimed to be. If nothing else, I came away from it with a clearer view of its subjects simultaneously glorious and shameful legacy. As Bernstein puts it: "The clash between his professed ideals and life's realities is as bitter as the clash that it exemplifies, between the nation's creed - which he did so much to shape - and its history." show less

It's hard to write a biography about someone that's so extensively covered already, hard to find a niche that's unexplored. Bernstein does it by framing it as "The Education of", beginning with Adams as a schoolboy and leading to some frankly embarrassing forcing of the theme later in the book where he tries to cram "John Adams failed to educate [the people]" type sentences in to stick with the theme. The reality is that it's just yet another biography of Adams, with slightly more focus on show more his intellectual life, but still hitting every point you'd expect in a general biography, leaning pretty heavily on his letters to ground statements about his thinking and feeling.
It's a decent effort, but not as good as his book on Thomas Jefferson By Bernstein, R B ( Author ) Paperback 2005 . show less

This is an extremely basic and simple 192 page summary of the life and accomplishments of Thomas Jefferson. In that context, it is perfectly acceptable. For the life of me, however, I don't see how this could be rated a five (or even four) star effort.

If you give this 5 stars, what do you give Truman, or John Adams or War and Peace? When you go to your average Holiday Inn, do you give it five stars? If so, what is a Four Seasons or Ritz Carlton? Do you award the gold medal to a diver who show more does a perfectly executed swan dive? Degree of difficulty must come into play.

Having said that, if you're looking for a beginner biography for your junior high student, this would be an excellent selection. If you're interested in the American Presidents series and want to skim the surface of many of our Presidents without going in depth on any of them, this would be the way to go. If you're looking for depth, analysis and context, however, I'd certainly look for more than a 192 page summation.

Why then did I purchase this work? I knew what it was when I bought it. I had just finished Ron Chernow's "Hamilton" and had previously read David McCollough's "John Adams". Both of these subjects were rivals and at times bitter enemies of Jefferson. Having been brought up to view Jefferson as a Founding Father of great intellect and importance, it was a little disconcerting to view him through the writing of McCollough and Chernow as a dishonest, venal, calculating opportunist. Chernow, especially, falls into hero worship mode when comparing and contrasting his subject, Hamilton, with Jefferson.

In buying this work, I was looking for a more balanced effort without having to invest the time in an 800 page biography which largely recounted the historical events already covered in previously read biographies on Washington, Adams and Hamilton. For that purpose, it was just what the doctor ordered. Unlike Chernow, Bernstein examines his subject warts and all. He acknowledges and doesn't downplay his weaknesses, while at the same time revealing his unquestionable brilliance in many areas.

I highly recommend "Hamilton" as an outstanding history lesson and biography of a little appreciated and sometimes disregarded founding father. However, this little tome is a good antidote for the character assassination sustained by Jefferson in the aforementioned work. show less

R.B. Bernstein's The Founding Fathers Reconsidered (Oxford University Press, 2009) is an accessible and useful introduction to the historiography of the "founding fathers," that nebulous group. Bernstein lays out his goals in the preface:

"I propose to take the founding fathers down from their pedestals without knocking them down. At the same time, I set their achievements and their failures within the context of their own time and place, while making clear that those achivements were not show more great beyond the bounds of mortal men and that those failures were not blameworthy beyond human beings' normal capacity to err. If we rework our relationship with the founding fathers so that we meet them eye to eye instead of gazing reverently upward of sneering contemptuously downward, perhaps we can form a more pragmatic sense of who they were, what they did and failed to do, and why we care" (p. xi).

Bernstein succeeds admirably in this. He examines, first, the roots of the term "founding fathers" (betcha didn't know it was Warren G. Harding in 1916 who coined the term!), and tracks the reputations of the group and several of its individual members over the course of historical memory and scholarly debate. Bernstein offers his reader a glimpse into the cultural context in America at the time of the Revolution, and how that, combined with the wide variety of background experiences held by the founding generation, shaped their minds and lives.

In the two longest chapters of the book, Bernstein discusses the achievements and challenges, as well as the legacies of the founding generation. This is the meat of the book, and these two chapters are perhaps the single best succinct synopsis of the issues I've read. Bernstein is fair-minded and writes with a clear and concise style, providing an in-depth analysis without getting bogged down in details. His lengthy and excellent footnotes will provide any interested reader with much additional reading material.

A good introductory text to the cultural context and historical memory of the men we know as founding fathers. Recommended as such.

http://philobiblos.blogspot.com/2009/08/book-review-founding-fathers.html show less