Mr. Jefferson's Women

Excellent! This native Virginia and historian is in like with Thoma Jefferson, always have been. This excellent research source adds more background to Jefferson as a real person!

We all know the accomplishments of Thomas Jefferson. He helped form our country and set us down the path of becoming a great nation. However, most of us don't know what helped form the foundation of his personality and how the stops along his personal path affected who he was and the decisions he made. Mr. Jefferson's Women takes a look at how several women crossed his path and how these women affected Thomas Jefferson is profound and life-altering ways. Thomas Jefferson's interactions with the women in his family, his first love, wives of fellow politicians, and his slaves, all combined to form his opinion of women and their roles in society. This book dissects several of these relationships to expose how they impacted Jefferson's opinions and actions. While the book does expose Jefferson as anything but friendly to women's rights, it does it in a fair way, giving time and place context to the statements and actions of Jefferson. The book spends most of the time in five chapters, each dedicated to a detailed look at a specific relationship, all of which were some form of love interest. The last two chapters give an overview of other women who were not love interests, but had an impact on Jefferson. The book concludes with a trove of letters and detailed information that give great reference points and further research paths. For those of us who have a storybook take on the lives of the founding fathers, this book is eye opening and somewhat shocking but highly interesting. It is a quick and easy read that is entertaining and informative. Anyone who has an even cursory interest in Thomas Jefferson will find this book a welcome addition to their collection. Armchair Interviews says: We see the other side of one of the great names of our nation's history.

Thomas Jefferson is one of the most troubling characters among America's founding fathers. He penned the immortal ideals of freedom and equality in the Declaration of Independence. We, from our modern perspective, also like the fact that he was an intellectual and that he brought refreshing informality to the White House. In recent years, his reputation has been tarnished by re-examination of his disturbing political tendencies. (See for example, John Adams and Negro President: Jefferson and the Slave Power). This book provides additional insights into Jefferson's character by examining his relation to the women in his life, and the insights add more tarnish to Jefferson's reputation that go beyond the understandably archaic attitudes that might belong to a man of his time. As clearly documented here, "all men created equal" applied no more to women than to blacks in Jefferson's mind. Each woman discussed here provides additional perspective. As to the Sally Hemings controversy, Kukla carefully lays out enough circumstantial details to undermine the most strident doubter. A fine book, worthy of a wider audience.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The author wrote it in a way that both educates and compells you to read more. I found it hard to put down. My favorite parts were very personal, real-life events that made Mr. Jefferson even more real to me. My favorite is, during his presidency, an account of his chosen attire while welcoming a Rep. of the British King. He was wearing well worn slippers that he tossed around on his toes (priceless!). I also found the additional quotes and excerpts of letters from people such as Abigail Adams and others a welcome addition. Kudos to the author for such an insighful, wonderful, well thought out book about Jefferson and the various forms of relationships with women during his life.

Just when you thought you had read everything...Jon Kukla presents a very readable portrait of Jefferson's "relationships" with women--which leads to new insights about this great man--and, more interestingly, his attitudes towards women in general. The final chapters about his broader view of women as a threat to republican government place Jefferson in the context of his time. There is a remarkable discussion of Jefferson and Abigail Adams' letters. The book is eminently fair about Sally Hemings and gives a new meaning to the notion that "all men are created equal". Thank you, Jon Kukla, for beginning a lively conversation that is well worth your engagement.