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In a fifth grade classroom in 1, students were assigned to write a biographical Social Studies report about the third President of the United States. This report was to recount the great accomplishments and achievements that this President, and "founding father" of the United States made and contributed to society during the span of his life. Certainly as a fifth-grader, seeing the great Thomas Jefferson as anything less than an intelligent, honorable, noble man who contributed to building the United States of America would be absurd. Yet, years later the realization would soon set in (as Smith states in his text) that "Jefferson is the embodiment of the contradiction in the American democracy between its declaration of universal freedom and equality and its practice of slavery." On one hand, Jefferson would be demanding and fighting for the rights of man and on the other enslaving innocent humans.1

From Smith's lectures, it was concluded that there are three basic ways of defining such a contested concept like racism since it is a phenomenon that is highly debatable and disagreeable among people everywhere. The first of those attempts to define racism is one, which characterizes racism as an observable phenomenon. Smith defines it as consisting of "taking race in consideration in order to act negatively toward a particular person." But there are faulty links to this particular definition, since racism is argued to not always be so easily observable and not even necessarily an act that is negatively imposed on the race of the discriminated. The second definition is argued to be an immeasurable definition of racism based solely on what people think. This definition is more closely associated to Oxford's definition of racism as "the belief in the superiority of a particular race," and can be further connected to the idea of white supremacy. This is the idea that one would hold to, believing that every other race besides "white" or European races is inferior and can be closely associated with one's own ethnocentric beliefs. Lastly, the third and most acceptable definition of racism (for the purposes of this paper) is stated in Smith's words as "any decision or policy that is determined or implemented based on race." Racism is also stated in Smith's text as "involv[ing] the belief in the superiority, inherent or otherwise, of a particular group and that on this basis policies are implemented to subordinate sand control it."

It is from these definitions of racism and white supremacy that one can examine how Jefferson, one of the greatest men in American history exemplified and embodied these labels. Smith says in his text that

"[Jefferson] was a racist, individually and institutionally, in that he took the race of individual blacks into consideration so as to discriminate against them, and he supported, although ambivalently, the institution of slavery that subordinated blacks as a group."

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Presently, Jefferson can be linked closer to a model of contradiction rather than a role model for modern students studying political science. As Jefferson began to list the "truths to be self-evident" in declaring the thirteen United States of America as Independent, the words clash dramatically when contrasted to the very same words Jefferson authors in his Notes on the State of Virginia. The first two truths Jefferson prefaces this great American document are the very ones he contradicts by his life and words "that all men are created equal, [and] that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights." Smith's text quotes Rufus Choate in 1776 that "…Jefferson did not mean what he said. Rather the word men referred only to nobles and Englishmen who were no better than ordinary American freemen." How could Jefferson mean "all men" when his lifestyle and policies within the American government did not display this very truth he so demanded from the Britain's King?

Since the notion of white supremacy is solely defined as the idea or belief that all other races besides whites are inferior this belief system is hard to be accounted for, besides clear evidence and observable practices of people who hold to this. Primary sources such as written documents and statements would be most credible to account for in these circumstances. In Jefferson's case there is this tragic ebb of racism that is an outflow from his notion of white supremacy. The application of the terms racist and white supremacist can only be accurately affixed to our Third President based on his very own statements and lifestyle practices.

If men were indeed all created equal, and if Jefferson truly held to this "truth" we wouldn't find the many accounts in his Notes on the State of Virginia displaying his white supremacist views so blatantly. He may admit that there are "deep rooted prejudices entertained by the whites.." but he goes on to say that that are "real distinctions which nature has made [between whites and blacks]," first of which that being the difference "of colour." Jefferson claims that there is a "circumstance of superior beauty" implied to be found in whites, but how can that be so if men were truly all created equal? The account continues in its obviously white supremacist views concerning differences between blacks and whites. Somehow he comes to the conclusion that "numberless afflictions… are less felt and sooner forgotten with [blacks] and that their existence appears to participate more of sensation than reflection." One must conclude from these sayings that his ideas and analyses of blacks show a clear bias and belief that blacks were of an inferior race. He goes on to say that "in memory they are equal to the whites; in reason much inferior" [emphasis mine] and continues by quoting Euclid "in imagination they are dull, tasteless, and anomalous." He quickly explains the quote he thereby borrowed, and defensively adds "it would be unfair to follow them to Africa for this investigation" but sums up with "…we will consider them here, on the same stage with the whites" [emphasis mine]." Jefferson will only "consider" them to be on the "same stage" though the rest of his document clearly displays an opposing belief in regards to this statement. Whites are obviously the superior race in his eyes. Jefferson's tone in his Notes on the State of Virginia concerning blacks is one that would leave a bad taste in anyone's mouth. One could hardly read through sections of it and NOT conclude that Jefferson did indeed hold a white supremacist view and in the whole, he sums up a portion of his document with startling conclusions.

…let me add too, as a circumstance of great tenderness, where our conclusion would degrade a whole race of men from the rank in the scale of beings with their Creator may perhaps have given them… I advance it therefore as a suspicion only, that blacks whether originally a distinct race, or made distinct by time and circumstances are inferior to the whites in the endowments both of body and mind. [emphasis mine]

Can his view and notion of white supremacy be any clearer than what he himself stated above? If all men had indeed been created equal, how would Jefferson's conclusion that "their Creator" gave them this position of being a "degraded race of men?"

As for making a decision or policy based on race, Jefferson was again the very embodiment of this notion towards the Africans of his time. From Smith's text we find that Jefferson condemned the King "for engaging in the African slave trade" and stated in the Declaration of Independence that

He [the King] has waged a cruel war against human nature itself, violating the most sacred rights of life and liberty in the persons of distant people who never offended him, captivating and carrying them into slavery.

From his belief of white supremacy to the outflow and practice of racism, Jefferson engages himself in what he claims to be "violating the most sacred rights of life and liberty" by being an active participate of the slave trade too.

A great American leader, Thomas Jefferson gained his beautifully architected plantations as well as regional prominence in society at the hands and backs of the slaved they repressed on their many properties.1

He would too, disregard the policy or decision to end the enslavement of Africans in America because deeply rooted within him he still believed that whites were superior. He continues to exemplify this racist belief and act toward the Africans by his confession (found in the Notes on the State of Virginia) of being helpless to free slaves since

this unfortunate difference of colour, and perhaps of faculty, is a powerful obstacle to the emancipation of these people…. Many of their advocates, while they wish to vindicate the liberty of human nature, are anxious also to preserve its dignity and beauty. [emphasis mine]

Jefferson now realizes that this "inalienable right to freedom" wasn't "inalienable" at all. This difference, (perhaps a supremacist belief for that matter) would be more powerful than the "God" whom he claimed this right was endowed by, to all men. Little did he know that his white supremacist views would lead him to exemplify and embody racism to its fullest by deciding upon the fact that emancipating slaves wouldn't preserve human nature's "dignity and beauty." His white supremacist ideas would therefore directly contradict the first truth he stated that "all men are created equal" while the outflow of this belief in racism comes in direct conflict with the second truth he presents in that great document of American history, that "[all men] are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights." His Notes on the State of Virginia can't display these appropriate labels to Jefferson as a racist, white supremacist any better.

Nicknamed "Man of the People" we come to the conclusion that Jefferson was probably only a "man of the white people." Students who saw him as the great, Third President and author of the Declaration of Independence though never knowing that he was a walking contradiction of American democracy and "liberty," can now examine his very own words and re-examine the true make-up of this man. Their findings would reveal the beliefs he acted upon as a great leader of his time while finally being rightfully heralded for who he really was. Smith states, "Jefferson one of the great men of American history and one of the most enlightened men of his day" but in addition to these qualities, he can be confidently labeled a racist and white supremacist as well.

1 Jones, Jerry D. Who was Thomas Jefferson? Ohio, 1,

Jefferson, Thomas. Notes on the State of Virginia. Virginia, 185 edited by J.W. Randolph

The World Book Encyclopedia, Vol.11; 167, Field Enterprises Educational Corporation

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