Knowingo
The Jefferson image in the American mind
How has the image of Thomas Jefferson been made, claimed and fought over in the American mind since his death?
At a glance
- Author
- Merrill D. Peterson
Why read it
- You will see how opposing camps compete to claim one political symbol and quote the same man
- You will notice how private letters get quoted as if they carried the weight of a formal public address
- You will treat a founder's reputation as something each generation remakes for its own needs, not a fixed verdict of history
Who it is for
- A history student studying how nations remember their founders
- A reader following how politicians borrow famous names for their cause
- A teacher explaining why the Declaration is still argued over
More books like this
1177 B.C.Eric H. Cline
1812: Napoleon’s Fatal March on MoscowAdam Zamoyski
1929Andrew Ross Sorkin
A History of the Arab PeoplesAlbert Hourani
A History of WarfareJohn Keegan
A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785–1812Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
A Patriot's History of the United States: From Columbus's Great Discovery to the War on TerrorLarry Schweikart, Michael Patrick Allen
A People's Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891–1924Orlando Figes
A Problem From Hell: America and the Age of GenocideSamantha Power
A River Running West: The Life of John Wesley PowellDonald Worster
A Rumor of WarPhilip Caputo
A Savage War of Peace: Algeria 1954–1962Alistair Horne