Anita's Attic: What I Learned From Thomas Jefferson

Last month the kids went to the grandparents for a summer visit. It was great not having to play Mom Taxi and it was great to have some time to spend with hubby. After a Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean marathon, Austin and I decided we should get out of the house. Since we live not far from Charlottesville, Virginia, we decided to tour Monticello where Thomas Jefferson lived.

First, it's a shame that I'm a Virginia native and hadn't been before, but as the tour guide said, "Better late than never." I have to say I wish I had gone before. Perhaps on a day when it wasn't 95 degrees outside, but it was a great trip. I was mesmerized by the place and by the man who built it. The house, considered an architectural masterpiece, was lovely, but not quite as large or fancy as I had expected.

Instead of a grand staircase when you entered the house, tucked away in a corner was a tiny staircase  that would have been difficult for a large man to squeeze into. Jefferson was a creative genius, but also efficient. He believed a grand staircase was a waste of space. The entrance to Monticello was like a mini museum, giving his visitors a glimpse of American history while they waited to be received. Jefferson was a lawyer, politician, avid reader, fascinated by education, astronomy, weather, architecture, government, horticulture and most anything you could think of.

His inventions were remarkable. He invented a copy machine (a device that would move a second pen as he wrote), double-pane windows when no one had them, a self-opening door...in the 18th century! and many more things to make life more efficient. The man was a brilliant.

And he kept slaves....Therein lies the rub.

How could a man so enlightened, so foreward-thinking and caring of humanity and education have enslaved human beings? It doesn't make sense to me, and it's disappointing. He was from a prominent family and anyone with a significant amount of land in those days had to have many hands to do the work. Jefferson himself inherited 3,000 acres when he was young and the land probably came with slaves. I think he was so used to slavery that he turned a blind eye to the despicable trade. And to make matters more interesting, after his wife died, he had a long-time relationship with one of his slaves, and he fathered three of her children. Or so go the rumors, and they're pretty solid rumors because even the tour guides discuss it on the tour.

Here's a man who authored the Declaration of Independence, served as the 3rd President of our country, as well as many other political offices, established the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, founded the University of Virginia, just to mention a few of his numerous contributions and accomplishments, yet he kept slaves and had a relationship with one of them, even had children with her.Sounds like a novel. In fact, Jefferson would make a great character for a book. Characters, just like people, aren't all good or all bad. Good characters have flaws. Sometimes serious flaws (like tolerating slavery.) The best bad characters aren't all bad. They have some redeeming qualities hidden in there somewhere. They might not ultimately choose to act on them, but they're there.

During my visit to Monticello, I didn't just learn about Thomas Jefferson's accomplishments and his contribution to our history or about his remarkable inventions, but it was a reminder that good people do some not so good things. We're complex and flawed, just like the characters we write in our stories.