Paradox of Liberty

Paradox of Liberty

Introduction of Jefferson's Monticello

The website, Jefferson's Monticello, provides all the details of the 5000 acres plantations (named Monticello) of Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the USA and the chief author of the Declaration of Independence. The main page of the website is divided into 9 parts: Visit, House and Gardens, Plantation and Slavery, Research and Collections, Families and Teachers, Donate, Shop and Online Community.

This essay discusses the part of Plantation and Slavery and its further sections. This part of the website is titled: Slavery at Jefferson's Monticello: Paradox of Liberty. The Plantation and Slavery part has 5 sections related to Jefferson, the institution of slavery, and life and plantation on Monticello.

On the main page, beneath the title of the sections, appear images related to these sections. Below which some question are written from the perspective of the visitor of the website. These inquire about the paradox between Jefferson's concept of freedom and the slavery on his land.

Summary of the Five Sections

The five sections have further divisions which are stepwise summarized:

Thomas Jefferson: Liberty and Slavery

Jefferson and the Enlightenment informs about Jefferson's inspiration from the 18th century European intellectual movement called Enlightenment which enlightened human minds, had a profound influence on Colonial Americans and made them demand, with great vehemence, their rights of liberty from British Empire. However, ironically they did not extend these rights to slaves. This section also provides some biographical details of Jefferson's education. The text of the Declaration of Independence is also included.

“This Deplorable Entanglement” refers to the predicament of the slaves and highlights the paradox of Jefferson's life: the contradiction between his words, political actions and practical life. He spoke in favor of abolition of slavery but never abolished slavery on his own land, Monticello. Three solutions, ...