'A Deeply Flawed Man': The Life And Legacy Of Thomas Jefferson | Morning Joe | MSNBC

Author Thomas Ricks and professor Annette Gordon-Reed join Morning Joe to discuss the life and legacy of America's third president, Thomas Jefferson. Aired on 11/12/2020.

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'A Deeply Flawed Man': The Life And Legacy Of Thomas Jefferson | Morning Joe | MSNBC

[mayito]

If America could see what America is doing, America would send the troops to America to save America from America. Sadly, some Americans suffer from Stockholm syndrome. Obama once said. Reality has a particular way of hitting you in the nose if you are not paying attention.

[LDrees]

👍 Ask yourself how do you feel about putting a nuclear trigger in the hands of a criminal, paranoid, narcissistic sociopath?

[sjsupa]

professor Annette Gordon-Reed said it so well. Have to look at a historic figure on how well he move the humanity forward.

[Columbiastargazer]

America to Cheeto-in-Chief: "you're fired!"

[youtubecommenter]

The name of trump’s book: “Trump: The Art of the Steal”

[kulhuk]

He was terrible with money as he lived lavishly beyond his means.
Died in debt.

[kevintrumbull]

"History is not about worshipping people. It's about seeing the practical things that people did to move us forward" - Annette Gordon-Reed

That sounds like wisdom to my ears. I do believe that if we, as a country, approached our history (and our present) in this way we'd have a healthier and more unified nation.

[ashleyeverett]

Trump : the orange head that tweeted throughout his whole presidency!

[russellberwick]

Pioneers maybe be far from perfect, but if they take us into the right direction, we should be grateful, and cut them some slack.

[loneranger]

Thomas Jefferson the 3rd President of the United States 1801-09 was no doubt one of the founding fathers of the American revolution and the author of the declaration of American independence. Along with Adams, Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Madison was a abiding pillar to that cause. But we all have to know and accept the fact that he like us was a human and no human can ever be perfect however great and infallible he or she may seem. That we came to know that he not only owned hundreds of slaves but also had illegitimate children through one of them speaks for itself. So we have to study and learn from these great political and historical figures and not just worship them blindly.
I'm not an American but an Indian and have for as long as I can remember have been fascinated by the history of this truly great nation and by its constitution as to how did the forefathers write such an incredible document which till this day stands relevant and testimony to our times and will continue to do so for a thousand years to come.
I also feel that the reason why many of these founding giants were flawed in some way or the other many including myself still find Abraham Lincoln to be the greatest of them all for so many reasons most of all for the abolition of slavery and keeping America united during this very perilous period in their history, truly a colossus of a man and the only President I feel who needs to be on Mount Rushmore, and finally take note that it took human giants like these men that made the United States by far truly the greatest nation on earth.

[lesmoore]

We need to question the flawlessness of anyone that questions the flaws of Thomas Jefferson. Yes, we are all flawed but given the context of history he stands up pretty well to how we would have fared in his place. Remember, 80% of us would have turned Ann Frank in. We aren't as noble as we would like to think we are.

[makueb]

“Our nation was born in genocide”

Martin Luther King Jr.

[richardtaylor]

This is a great thing ( this look) to do Joe. I would submit( many would disagree with me) that if you completely leave out James Monroe as a founding father from this discussion, you are doibg a disservice to American history. He was less vital than the first four, however, Just some examples where he matters: He was an officer under George Washingtons command. He served in all important Virginia legislature prior to the Constitutional convention. He was a close advisor to both Jefferson and Madison. Just to name a few. Thank you.

[OnlyLoveCan]

What? Dr Gordon Reid in this snippet you are completely back peddling. This must the worst editing or you are disowning years of research.

[vestspet]

Please don't criticize Jefferson so harshly when it has to do with slavery and his relationship with Sally and his slaves. He was a product of the times. He was probably smart enough to realize that as a wealthy Virginian, he knew if he was completely honest about race and slavery, he would've been chased out of Virginia. Like Hamilton, Madison and even Washington, Jefferson seemed to believe that society would change, progress.

I suspect that is why the constitution and its bill of rights are so vague -for a lack of better term- because the writers knew that what was socially acceptable in 1794 was not going to be socially acceptable in 1894 or 1994 and they were correct. The Dred Scott decision and Plessy V Ferguson are excellent examples of this understanding.

[sawahtb]

Jefferson traveled in Europe because there was civilization to see. He sent more skilled explorers into the wilderness.

[nkmahale]

He had flaws, and that is why I am with him 90% the time. For his time he was top 5%. His financial management was bad, and he couldn't free his slaves, as George Washington did, even if he wanted. His creditors would have claimed them. If we count his flaws they won't compete with current POTUS's virtues.

[garybalatennis]

A 32 year-old Thomas Jefferson wrote one of the seminal and enduring works of writing that moved the history of freedom, the Declaration of Independence.

(I rank only Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and MLK’s “I have a Dream” speech in the same club.)

Yes he was flawed and deeply so. But his flaws have to be seen in the context of the times. He was born as one of the landed gentry in the American colonies of Britain.

He was in particular a plantation owner who owed his occupation and business to the labor of slaves and sharecroppers, which in that age was simply accepted as part of society.

When he wrote “All men are created equal”, notice he didn’t say women or persons or anything else.

His entire mind-set and frame of existence was to argue for “freedom” of wealthy land owner men such as himself vs. the kingly powers of royalty which had been around since time immemorial and which subjugated and oppressed his kind and anyone else.

It was left to future generations of Americans to expand on the meaning of his idealistic words to incorporate other persons and Americans such as blacks, women and gays etc.

But Jefferson’s words and ideas are no less powerful and fiercely revolutionary in their pure intent simply because at the time they originally applied to a smaller group of people.

[dianapeters]

Has anyone read 'Thomas Jefferdon - An Intimate History' by Fawn M. Brodie

[petalsjones]

A deeply flawed man...Trump immediately came to mind.