All of this information adds up to paint what appears to be an unbiased and accurate portrait of one of the country's great yet flawed men. History such as his battle to be elected president, and stories like the fact that his tombstone contains no mention of his presidency, or his financial troubles late in life. I won't elaborate on all of the other stories told, but many were new and fascinating. Given his time period, I don't know that these pitfalls taint his reputation, but they definitely tint it a darker hue. To compound matters, Jefferson also harbored complex racist tendencies, although not in a malicious way. The primary instance was his duplicity in being a champion for freedom and equality, yet simultaneously owning hundreds of slaves.
A theme of the documentary was the contradiction that seemed to run through Jefferson's life. That point was alluded to, but never elaborated upon. To my knowledge, he was a Deist rather than a true Christian. The only thing lacking was a snapshot of Jefferson's religious beliefs. No definitive conclusion is stated, but all opinions are given, and those thoughts match up with the information I have found. Controversial issues such as Jefferson's alleged affair and illegitimate children are addressed in a fair way. Among the more interesting lore are his early political years, the vastness of his knowledge, and his late-life correspondence with erstwhile rival John Adams.
Using narration and the perspective of multiple historians, the documentary covers virtually every significant aspect and passion of Jefferson's life, including both common knowledge stories and lesser known events. Having said all that, I hoped that this documentary would accomplish two things: Unearth the truth, and dive deeper into this intriguing man's life.
It was shocking, as I discovered that one of my patriotic heroes had such a double standard in his life.
I still remember when I first learned that he owned hundreds slaves, in direct contradiction to his written words. When I was young, I read many of his biographies and loved all that he did, particularly the articulate ways the Renaissance Man expressed the nation's desire for freedom and equality. Thomas Jefferson was a man that I admired as a kid.
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