Citizen Jefferson : The Wit and Wisdom of an American Sage

Few Americans have had the profound impact on our nation as did Jefferson, and even fewer left such a wealth of sage advice. Jefferson, a talented statesman, architect, musician, and inventor, was also gifted with a pen and the elegant turn of phrase. Even his friend and rival, John Adams, said Jefferson had "the reputation of a masterly pen . . . and a happy talent of composition." Collected here are some of the third president's most memorable passages and most deftly turned expressions. "The happiest moments my heart knows," Jefferson wrote, "are those in which it is pouring forth its affections to a few esteemed character." Citizen Jefferson is a beautifully produced collection of quotations from Jefferson's own private correspondence—to family and friends, political allies, and rivals. It is a testament to his position as a man of letters and an American sage. To his daughter he counseled, "Take more pleasure in giving what is best to another than in having it yourself, and then all the world will love you, and I more than all the world." To a friend, "Man, once surrendering his reason . . . is like a ship without rudder." Or to his country, "I have sworn upon the altar of god eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." Carefully chosen and expertly edited by Jefferson scholar Dr. John P. Kaminski, the quotations are organized by key topics for gentle browsing and indexed for quick reference. These passages reflect the best counsel that Jefferson offered his own and future generations. Citizen Jefferson is the perfect companion for those who admire the Sage of Monticello. Chapter 1 The Centrality of Slavery in American Legal Development Part 2 Theories of Democracy and the Law of Slavery Chapter 3 Learning the Three "I"s of America Slave Heritage Chapter 4 Ideology and Imagery in the Law of Slavery Part 5 Constitutional Law and Slavery Chapter 6 Slavery in the Canon of Constitutional Law Chapter 7 Chief Justice Hornblower of New Jersey and the Fugitive Slave Law of 1793 Chapter 8 A Federal Assault: African-Americans and the Impact of the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 Chapter 9 The Crisis Over The Impending Crisis: Free Speech, Slavery, and the Fourteenth Amendment Part 10 Criminal and Civil Law of Slavery Chapter 11 Slaves the the Rules of Evidence in Criminal Trials Chapter 12 "Details are of a Most Revolting Character": Cruelty to Slaves as Seen in Appeals to the Supreme Court of Louisiana/The Unreported Case of Humphreys v. Utz Chapter 13 Pandora's Box: Slave Character on Trial in the Antebellum Deep South Chapter 14 Slave Auctions on the Courthouse Steps: Court Sales of Slaves in Antebellum South Carolina Part 15 Comparative Law and Slavery Chapter 16 Seventeenth-Century Jurists, Roman Law, and Slavery Chapter 17 The British Constitution and the Creation of American Slavery Chapter 18 Thinking Property at Rome Chapter 19 Thinking Property at Memphis: An Application of Watson