History 117a - Book Review

Professor Kenney

History 117A

11/8/12

Book Review

A man of the people, the author of Deceleration of Independence, the founder of the University of Virginia and the third president of United States of America; Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson known as the founding father of America and he voiced the aspirations of a new America as no other individual of his era. The book "Thomas Jefferson A Life" Willard Sterne Randall describes the personal and public life lived by Thomas Jefferson. The purpose of this book is to represent the important events that occurred in Jefferson's life. For example, the story of becoming a governor, getting married, children, having slaves, writing the notes of state of Virginia, writing of the Deceleration of Independence, to becoming a vice president and then the third president of U.S, about the purchase of Louisiana territory, and the events that occurred till he passed away. The author wants to provide a more detailed interpretation of the events that occurred while representing the inner and outer struggles of Thomas Jefferson's life. Also, the author talks about slaves. Taking that into consideration, the book itself begins with slavery. For example, when Jefferson sat down to write his biography, he included "his first memory of being handed up to a slave on horseback while carrying a pillow and they went to Richmond" ( ). This memory was close to Jefferson because the pillow was technically Jefferson's dad and he believed that his dad played an important role in his life. Jefferson thought that his dad's influence made him the person he became despite the fact that they both spent little time with each other. This basically shaped Jefferson's personality and it led him to do greater things in life.

Willard Sterne Randall is the author of "Thomas Jefferson A Life". Moreover, he is an historian, investigative journalist, biographer and a speaker for many years. He teaches American history at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. He is the author of thirteen books, including five biographies and two biographical readers. He was a former investigative reporter and he received the National Magazine Award for Public Services from Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. His first biography book, "Benjamin Franklin and His Son, won a Frank Luther Mott Award for research from University of Missouri Graduate School of Journalism" ("Bio ."). Thomas Jefferson, A Life, was "selected as one of Publishers Weekly's best biographies of 1993" ("Bio ."). George Washington, A Life, was included in Readers Digest's Best Nonfiction of 1997, World's Greatest Biographies in 2002 ("Bio ."). Randall received "the Award of Merit from the American Revolution Roundtable in New York City, only awarded twice before in that organization's 50-year history" ("Bio ."). Furthermore, "he has co-authored four books with his wife, the poet Nancy Nahra, including American Lives, a two volume collection of short biographies that has been used in more than 100 colleges and universities" ("Bio .").

Thomas Jefferson was born at Shadwell, in Goochland County, Virginia on April 13, 1743. He was born into one of the good families of Virginia's planter elite. His mother, "Jane Randolph Jefferson, was a member of the proud Randolph clan, a family from English and Scottish royalty descent" (Randall). Jefferson's father: Peter Jefferson, "was a successful farmer, a skilled surveyor and cartographer who produced the first accurate map of the Province of Virginia" (Randall). Jefferson had five siblings: two older sisters, two younger sisters and a younger brother. In Jefferson's second year, Jefferson's family relocated from Shadwell to the nearby Tuckahoe estate in order to live with his mom's side of the family. Jefferson and his family stayed there for seven years. During their stay, a private tutor was hired who served the purposes of educating the Jefferson and Randolph children (Randall). Then Jefferson returned to Shadwell at age nine, He began his studies under the Scottish Reverend William Douglas (Randall). During these years, he grew as a reader and learned to play violin. Jefferson figured that his career should be statesmanship because of his father's involvement in the House of Burgesses. Then Jefferson's father passed away and Jefferson's childhood came tumbling down at the age of 15. Since Jefferson was the oldest son, all the responsibilities fell on him. Jefferson became" a boarder under the care of Reverend James Maury at Maury's home near Charlottesville"( Randall). Then at the age of 16, Jefferson began his studies at the College of William and Mary. Jefferson followed two years of study at the college with five years of the study of law under the direction of Wythe (Randall) . When Jefferson turned 21, he came to "inherent the 2,750 acres of land which was left for him by his father" (Randall). In this way he officially entered into Virginia society. Moreover, he made various real estate deals to improve the holdings he had inherited from his father (Randall). Afterwards, Jefferson became a lawyer for a while the "was named as representative of Albermarle County to the lower chamber of the House of Burgesses, in fulfillment of the lengthy Jefferson family line" (Randall).However, he was forced to leave, but he was named to the House of Burgesses for a second time. Then during 1770-1782, he's love life began. Jefferson ended up falling in love with "a twenty- three-year-old Martha Wayles Skelton who was the daughter of a prominent Virginia lawyer and the widow of Jefferson's classmate at William and Mary, Bathurst Skelton" (Randall). Jefferson was married to Martha on New Year's Day 1772. After a while, Jefferson's father-in-law passed away and he was left with the majority the father-in-law's. During that time period, Jefferson's wife Martha bore six children in less than ten years which turned out to be all were weak as infants, and only two survived (Randall). Patsy and Polly were was the only two surviving child. Martha grew weaker and weaker due to the pregnancies. Martha fought her illness off for several weeks, but she passed away in the end on September 6, 1782 (Randall). During the 1170's and onwards, political tensions aroused when the Parliament passed a" Tea Act which provided a tax break to merchants that chose to ship their tea from India via England to America" (Randall) . Reaction against the Tea Act was especially strong in "Massachusetts, where a group