Thomas Jefferson
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Thomas Jefferson
In Jeffersons noteworthy autobiography, he wanted his audience to learn three things around him: his beliefs about religious freedom and rights, the Declaration of Independence (the most important part of his autobiography), and that he was the founder of the University of Virginia. Jefferson wanted the people to know that the words written in the Declaration of Independence were his own, and not someone elses. Throughout the section on Jefferson, an important implied value was the importance of speaking ones mind, even in the face of adversity. If you strongly believe in something, you should fight for it, even if you are the only one. Jefferson says, at one point, “The road to happiness and to glory is open to us, too” (341). By saying this, Jefferson sets an optimistic mood for the reader. He is saying that, although no one knows how long the road to happiness may be, there will still glory at the end of it.
Like many Americans, Jefferson had very strong views on war and also issues of slavery. Jeffersons views were so controversial, Congress actually decided to cut certain
parts of his autobiography out. Jefferson stated some of his opinions by saying, “He has
waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of life and liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating and carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere, or to incur miserable death in their
transportation thither” (340). In this specific quote, Jefferson uses the word “war” to
address the horrific nature of making innocent people slaves, (not only from the United States) but also around the world.
As someone who knows multiple people in war, I believe with Jefferson that war should be the last resort, and that war is a very tragic, horrific, and life-altering experience for those involved. However, I do believe that when fighting for ones independence from another country, sometimes war is inevitable. Also, as someone who has read numerous books involving the battles associated with slavery,