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When is this thread going to reveal the "shocking facts" about Jefferson?
So far, all I've seen is stuff that's well known.
Believe it or not, people who don't follow history might find some of the facts shocking. Some of my friends couldn't believe that a president -- let alone one as popular and revered as Jefferson -- could actually be introverted.
I will always look at his accomplishments and realize that he was a human being and wasn't perfect. NO ONE WAS (bar one). If you know of someone that was, please let me know.
Good point. And Jefferson's decision to flee Virginia when the British invaded -- he was governor at the time -- was certainly not one of his finest moments.
Good point. And Jefferson's decision to flee Virginia when the British invaded -- he was governor at the time -- was certainly not one of his finest moments.
When is this thread going to reveal the "shocking facts" about Jefferson?
So far, all I've seen is stuff that's well known.
They're well known to you, but others who need a crash course in history might benefit from these fun facts. And trust me -- there are a lot of people out there who can't even tell you who the third president was.
Believe it or not, people who don't follow history might find some of the facts shocking. Some of my friends couldn't believe that a president -- let alone one as popular and revered as Jefferson -- could actually be introverted.
It helps if you understand what an introvert is. I don't mean the popular notion, I mean the psychological makeup of an introvert.
The Myers-Briggs type indicator begins with either E or I - extrovert or introvert - and you would be surprised at how many truly successful people begin with I.
Good point. And Jefferson's decision to flee Virginia when the British invaded -- he was governor at the time -- was certainly not one of his finest moments.
Are you referring to Tarleton's raid on Charlottesville (and Monticello)? Charlottesville was serving as the capital of Virginia at that time, the British having taken sporadic control of much of the eastern part of the state. Fortunately, Virginian Jack Jouett overheard some British soldiers discussing their plans in Cuckoo Tavern, about 45 miles away. Jack sneaked out the back door, mounted his horse (Sally), and rode through briars and brambles and woods in the darkness, arriving at Monticello in time to give warning. It's said he bore the scars of that wild ride for the rest of his life. Jefferson hurriedly left, giving instructions to head butler Isaac, who hastily began storing silver and other family treasures in a secret cellar accessed through a trap door in the floor above.
Jefferson got away - but when Banastre Tarleton's Green Dragoons arrived, Isaac was in the storage cellar. Another slave (unidentified as far as I know, other than being a young man) hastily dropped the trap door, rearranged the rug over it, and answered the door, leaving Isaac trapped below for the long hours that Tarleton's raiders remained. Tarleton's men ransacked Monticello but didn't put it to the torch, thankfully - but they did manage to capture many members of the Virginia Legislature, including Daniel Boone, in nearby Charlottesville.
I don't think this episode qualifies as "not one of (Jefferson's) finest moments". Had he remained at Monticello, Jefferson certainly would have been captured, possibly executed, and at best would have remained a prisoner of war for the duration.
The course of American history would have been different without the bravery of Jack Jouett, known as "Virginia's Paul Revere".
After the Revolution, Jouett moved to central Kentucky and settled on a land grant awarded to him for his courageous actions during the war. Here he married and raised a large family, including noted portrait artist Matthew Jouett. His small rural house is nicely restored and open to the public on weekends during three seasons of the year.
Too bad Longfellow never wrote about Jack Jouett...
Last edited by CraigCreek; 08-20-2013 at 11:17 AM..
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