American Sphinx

Considering that President Jefferson is one of our most illustrious & oft referenced Founding Fathers, I was surprised by how little I knew about him. My immediate memories reminded me of the same sorts of myths that surround Washington. Heroic. Brilliant. Architect. Singular writer of The Declaration of Independence. Died on the 50th anniversary of the 4th of July. And, while all of this is true, it barely scratches the surface of who he really was. And then again, therein lies the brilliance of this captivating character analysis by Mr. Ellis. Not intended as a straight forward biography, instead, Ellis is concerned about the multi-layered enigmas of his personality & political persuasions. How is it that one man can be claimed as the source of inspiration by such diverse individuals & groups. Palin quotes his infamous hurrah: "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure." And Abraham Lincoln said he often read Jefferson's words for guidance during the struggles of the Civil War. Regardless, however one wants to interpret the meanings of his sometimes contradictory statements, there is no confusing his stance on the appropriate size of government - small. The smaller the better. Jefferson is, without any doubt, not only an advocate of, but a true believer of the philosophy that the old good government is no government. It is for that belief, which he held till his dying breath, that I acknowledge him as the Founding Father of the Tea Party. It is a sobriquet he would not argue with.

Great book to read and learn about the shaping of our wonderful country! Very well written and referenced to back it up.Lots of info regarding other involved founding fathers and the Declaration of Independence and other documents!