---
title: Thomas Jefferson: Annette Gordon-Reed Discusses His Legacy
description: The Founding Father was born on April 13, 1743—and we still haven't figured him out
canonical: https://time.com/4286660/thomas-jefferson-book-annette-gordon-reed/
author: Lily Rothman
article:opinion: false
article:content_tier: free
article:published_time: 2016-04-13T12:00:06.000Z
article:modified_time: 2023-12-13T14:38:23.000Z
article:section: History
og:title: Thomas Jefferson: Annette Gordon-Reed Discusses His Legacy
og:description: The Founding Father was born on April 13, 1743—and we still haven't figured him out
og:url: https://time.com/4286660/thomas-jefferson-book-annette-gordon-reed/
og:site_name: TIME
og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb040668d5e0c28cd/69888e48bc6cfcd3c53dc7d3/jefferson.jpeg?branch=production&width=1920&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9
og:image:width: 1200
og:image:height: 675
og:image:alt: Thomas Jefferson Bust
og:type: article
twitter:card: summary_large_image
twitter:title: Thomas Jefferson: Annette Gordon-Reed Discusses His Legacy
twitter:description: The Founding Father was born on April 13, 1743—and we still haven't figured him out
twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb040668d5e0c28cd/69888e48bc6cfcd3c53dc7d3/jefferson.jpeg?branch=production&width=1920&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9
---
# What We're Still Getting Wrong About Thomas Jefferson
## Video: The Top 10 Richest Presidents in American History
[Watch (HLS stream): The Top 10 Richest Presidents in American History](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/TkU4JMjh.m3u8) (1:15)
_Published 2014-02-14. After adjusting for inflation, see who was America's most wealthy Commander-in-Chief_
by
[Lily Rothman](https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/)
## Lily Rothman
Rothman is managing editor at TIME.
Updated: Dec 13, 2023 2:38 PM UTCPublished: Apr 13, 2016 12:00 PM UTC
An etching of a bust of Thomas Jefferson, his face depicted with a slight smile, 1800\. From the New York Public Library.
An etching of a bust of Thomas Jefferson, his face depicted with a slight smile, 1800\. From the New York Public Library.Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images
by
[Lily Rothman](https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/)
## Lily Rothman
Rothman is managing editor at TIME.
Updated: Dec 13, 2023 2:38 PM UTCPublished: Apr 13, 2016 12:00 PM UTC
When Annette Gordon-Reed went to see the musical _Hamilton,_ her friends all turned to look at her when Thomas Jefferson appeared on stage. The group she’d gone with was made up of historians, after all, and Gordon-Reed is an expert on that particular Founding Father. She is the author of _The Hemingses of Monticello_—a National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize winner—and co-author, with fellow Jeffersonian Peter S. Onuf, of the new book _Most Blessed of the Patriarchs: Thomas Jefferson and the Empire of the Imagination._
All these centuries after his birth—he would have been 273 on Wednesday—there’s still no shortage of work to be done on the subject of Jefferson. For one thing, the project of editing [his papers](https://jeffersonpapers.princeton.edu/) is still ongoing. For another, our attitudes about the topics he discusses in those letters have changed so, as Gordon-Reed puts it, we ask different questions today than scholars did in the past, and thus get different answers.
Even so, Gordon-Reed says that there are at least two myths about Jefferson that endure to this day.
“I encounter sometimes people who think he was an atheist, that he was hostile to all religion, and that’s not true,” she says. “And that he really loved farming. People think that he wanted Americans to be farmers forever, but people at that time believed that civilization went through stages.”
[_Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter_](http://time.com/newsletter)
But those subjects, however important they were to American history, are not why Jefferson’s legacy has proved [controversial](http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/12/some-clarification-on-thomas-jefferson/266143/) in recent years. His standing as a great man of early American history has been questioned due to the conflict between his stated ideals—not least the words he wrote in the Declaration of Independence—and the fact that he owned slaves. (One formerly pervasive Jefferson myth was that the rumors of his relationship with his slave Sally Hemings were false; Gordon-Reed’s [own work ](http://books.wwnorton.com/books/978-0-393-06477-3/)has been instrumental in helping clear that one up. Today, few argue that Jefferson was not the father of Hemings’ children.) Though other Founding Fathers, like Washington and Madison, owned slaves, Jefferson is a particular disappointment because he left behind plenty of evidence that—though he didn’t necessarily believe that full racial harmony was possible in America—he did know slavery to be wrong, and yet continued to profit from the system.
### Bringing Color to Presidents Past
Col. Theodore Roosevelt with a dead elephant at Meru, Kenya. The Siena Research Institute (SRI) at Siena College often releases complex expert rankings of all U.S. Presidents. In 2010, the SRI Survey Ranked Roosevelt the #2 President of All Time. Roosevelt took top marks in the survey's categories for 'Imagination,' 'Willingness to Take Risks', 'Court Appointments' and 'Intelligence.' Library of Congress
Col. Theodore Roosevelt with a dead elephant at Meru, Kenya. Original Image by Kermit Roosevelt / Library of Congress
c. 1908\. Grover Cleveland, half-length portrait, seated at desk. Ranked #20 in SRI Survey of U.S. Presidents. Photo colorization by Sanna Dullaway for TIME / Original Image (c) The New York Herald Company / Library of Congress
c. 1908\. Grover Cleveland, half-length portrait, seated at desk. Original Image (c) The New York Herald Company / Library of Congress
March 5, 1917\. Woodrow Wilson and his wife Edith Bolling Wilson riding in the backseat of a carriage on their way to his second inauguration. Ranked #8 in SRI survey of U.S. Presidents. Photo colorization by Sanna Dullaway for TIME / Original Image National Photo Company Collection / Library of Congress
March 5, 1917\. Woodrow Wilson and his wife Edith Bolling Wilson riding in the backseat of a carriage on their way to his second inauguration. Original Image National Photo Company Collection / Library of Congress
June 5, 1944\. General Dwight D. Eisenhower gives the order of the day, "Full victory--nothing else" to paratroopers somewhere in England, just before they board their airplanes to participate in the first assault in the invasion of the continent of Europe. Ranked #10 in SRI survey of U.S. Presidents. Photo colorization by Sanna Dullaway for TIME / Original Image by Library of Congress
June 5, 1944\. General Dwight D. Eisenhower gives the order of the day, "Full victory--nothing else" to paratroopers somewhere in England, just before they board their airplanes to participate in the first assault in the invasion of the continent of Europe. Original Image by Library of Congress
c. April 19, 1945\. Harry Truman, half-length portrait, seated at desk, facing front, holding pencil. Ranked #9 in SRI survey of U.S. Presidents. Photo colorization by Sanna Dullaway for TIME / Original Image (c) Chase-Statler, Washington / Library of Congress
c. April 19, 1945\. Harry Truman, half-length portrait, seated at desk, facing front, holding pencil. Original Image (c) Chase-Statler, Washington / Library of Congress
c. June 7, 1898\. William McKinley, full length portrait, seated at desk, facing right. Ranked #21 in SRI survey of U.S. Presidents. Photo colorization by Sanna Dullaway for TIME / Original Image (c) Frances Benjamin Johnston / Library of Congress
c. June 7, 1898\. William McKinley, full length portrait, seated at desk, facing right. Original Image (c) Frances Benjamin Johnston / Library of Congress
June 12, 1971\. President Richard Nixon standing in a crowd of people at daughter Tricia Nixon's wedding at the White House. Ranked #30 in SRI survey of U.S. Presidents. Photo colorization by Sanna Dullaway for TIME / Original Image by Warren K. Leffler / Library of Congress
June 12, 1971\. President Richard Nixon standing in a crowd of people at daughter Tricia Nixon's wedding at the White House. Original Image by Warren K. Leffler / Library of Congress
Nov. 8, 1863\. Formal portrait of Abraham Lincoln. Ranked #3 in SRI survey of U.S. Presidents, Lincoln received highest marks in the 'Ability to Compromise' and 'Domestic Accomplishments' categories. Photo colorization by Sanna Dullaway for TIME / Original image by Alexander Gardner / Library of Congress
![Abraham Lincoln, head-and-shoulders portrait, facing front. Date Created/Published: \[photograph taken 1863 Nov. 8; printed later and c1900\]. Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on publication.](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt50173a166c4994f5/69877f4535ba6f04a1c0710d/presidents-past-14.jpg?branch=production&width=1440&quality=75&auto=webp)
Nov. 8, 1863\. Formal portrait of Abraham Lincoln. Original image by Alexander Gardner / Library of Congress
September, 1955\. Lyndon B. Johnson, half length portrait, left profile, looking out a window. Ranked #16 in SRI Survey of U.S. Presidents, Johnson is rated #1 for his 'Relationship with Congress' but falls in last place for his 'Foreign Policy Accomplishments.' Photo colorization by Sanna Dullaway for TIME / Original Image by Thomas J. O'Halloran / Library of Congress
September, 1955\. Lyndon B. Johnson, half length portrait, left profile, looking out a window. Original Image by Thomas J. O'Halloran / Library of Congress
September 12, 1953\. John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier on their wedding day. Ranked #11 in SRI Survey of American Presidents, Kennedy is ranked 4th in 'Communication', 6th in 'Ability to Compromise', 6th in 'Executive Appointments' and 7th in 'Imagination'. Photo colorization by Sanna Dullaway for TIME / Original Image by Toni Frissell / Library of Congress
September 12, 1953\. John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier on their wedding day. Original Image by Toni Frissell / Library of Congress
March 4, 1933\. Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover in a convertible automobile on their way to the U.S. Capitol for Roosevelt's inauguration. FDR was ranked #1 on SRI's Survey of U.S. Presidents, holding the top spot in categories like 'Handling of the U.S. Economy,' 'Foreign Policy Accomplishments' and 'Party Leadership.' Photo colorization by Sanna Dullaway for TIME / Original Image by Library of Congress
March 4, 1933\. Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover in a convertible automobile on their way to the U.S. Capitol for Roosevelt's inauguration. Library of Congress
June 11 or 12, 1864\. General Ulysses S. Grant at City Point. Ranked #26 in SRI Survey of American Presidents, Grant remained in the bottom five Presidents of the survey through the 1980s and 1990s before being bumped up the list. Photo colorization by Sanna Dullaway for TIME / Original Image by Library of Congress
June 11 or 12, 1864\. General Ulysses S. Grant at City Point. Library of Congress
But, Gordon-Reed points out, there’s a difference between being a role model and being a historically important figure. And that’s ultimately where she finds the explanation for the chasm between Jefferson’s words and his deeds. To her, the idea that Jefferson was anything other than a fallible man is another myth that it’s time to put to rest.
“Because he wrote the Declaration and because he wrote other indictments of slavery, people say, ‘Why didn’t you take the extra step and free your slaves?’ But one of the things that we talk about the book is that people aren’t always able to live up what they believe,” she says. “This is your way of life and he did not have the strength to move beyond that. That shouldn’t be a surprise. You can express disappointment, but it’s not a shocking thing.”
And as for _Hamilton_? Thumbs up. “I think what the portrayal captures is the mischievous nature of politics,” she says. “The show’s energy level goes up when \[Jefferson\] is there.”
```json
[{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4286660/thomas-jefferson-book-annette-gordon-reed/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4286660/thomas-jefferson-book-annette-gordon-reed/"},"headline":"What We're Still Getting Wrong About Thomas Jefferson","datePublished":"2016-04-13T12:00:06.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-13T14:38:23.000Z","description":"The Founding Father was born on April 13, 1743—and we still haven't figured him out","url":"https://time.com/4286660/thomas-jefferson-book-annette-gordon-reed/","keywords":["Books","politics","White House","People"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb040668d5e0c28cd/69888e48bc6cfcd3c53dc7d3/jefferson.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Lily Rothman","jobTitle":"Rothman is managing editor at TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/"}],"articleSection":"History","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb040668d5e0c28cd/69888e48bc6cfcd3c53dc7d3/jefferson.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Thomas Jefferson Bust","caption":"Thomas Jefferson Bust","creditText":"Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/history/","name":"History"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/books/","name":"Books"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4286660/thomas-jefferson-book-annette-gordon-reed/","name":"What We're Still Getting Wrong About Thomas Jefferson"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"The Top 10 Richest Presidents in American History","description":"After adjusting for inflation, see who was America's most wealthy Commander-in-Chief","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/TkU4JMjh/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2014-02-14T23:56:18.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/TkU4JMjh.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4286660/thomas-jefferson-book-annette-gordon-reed/","duration":"PT1M15S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4286660/thomas-jefferson-book-annette-gordon-reed/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}]
```