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Jefferson and His Time #2
Jefferson and the Rights of Man
The second volume in this Pulitzer Prize-winning biography tells the story of the eventful middle years in the life of Thomas Jefferson: his ministry to France in the years just before the French Revolution and during the early stages of that conflict; his service as secretary of state in President George Washington's first cabinet; the crucial period of his first differences with Alexander Hamilton and the beginnings of his long struggle with the Federalists. .
523 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1951
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About the author
Dumas Malone
158 books30 followersDumas Malone, 1892–1986, spent thirty-eight years researching and writing Jefferson and His Time. In 1975 he received the Pulitzer Prize in history for the first five volumes. From 1923 to 1929 he taught at the University of Virginia; he left there to join the Dictionary of American Biography, bringing that work to completion as editor-in-chief. Subsequently, he served for seven years as director of the Harvard University Press. After serving on the faculties of Yale and Columbia, Malone retired to the University of Virginia in 1959 as the Jefferson Foundation Professor of History, a position he held until his retirement in 1962. He remained at the university as biographer-in-residence and finished his Jefferson biography at the University of Virginia, where it was begun.
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February 11, 2016
Malone's second volume on Thomas Jefferson, beginning with his voyage to France in 1784 to be one of the American envoys to help Benjamin Franklin and John Adams negotiate treaties with the French. This book ends with George Washington's unanimous reelection in 1792, and Jefferson having already decided to retire as Secretary of State, but being forced to delay that retirement due to world events (specifically the French Revolution). The book is divided into two distinct parts: the first half takes place in Paris and details Jefferson's life and duties there, and the second half discusses his tenure as the first Secretary of State, and delves into his political and personal battles with Alexander Hamilton.
Malone's admiration of his subject was evident in the first volume, but it really begins to color the portrait that he paints of Jefferson here. To mind-numbing frequency, he does not miss an opportunity to extol the virtues of Jefferson, even concerning the most mundane things such as how he catalogs his natural history observations and how he communicates with everyone on everything, both important and inconsequential. At times, using more conciliatory language, Malone will somewhat reluctantly allow that Jefferson was indirect and shifty when he did not agree with someone. But then in the next sentence he usually half or fully excuses Jefferson's behavior, sometimes saying that he was just acting according to the customs of the times in which he lived. This continual reinforcement of how great he thought Jefferson was did not ruin the book for me; it was more of an almost-continuous irritant.
The telling of Jefferson's battles with Hamilton illustrates Malone's bias. He rarely found fault with anything that Jefferson said or did. Yet, he repeatedly skewers Hamilton seemingly any chance that he gets. Hamilton was far from a saint - far from one. Yet, in his conflicts with Jefferson, he was not totally to blame at all times. Yet to hear Malone tell it, Jefferson was an innocent victim of Hamilton's unquenchable thirst for power and glory. Please! Pretty much all of the Founding Fathers - with the notable exception of Washington - tried to cut-throat each other at almost every turn. Jefferson was no babe-in-the-woods and was more than up to challenge Hamilton. Malone seldom gave Hamilton credit for anything, large or small. An example: Hamilton had a conversation with the new French Ambassador (Minister, back then), Jean Baptiste Ternant. Malone notes that they could have a conversation alone because Ternant spoke English fluently. True enough, but what Malone does not write is that Hamilton spoke fluent French thanks to growing up bilingual in the West Indies.
Also, sometimes Malone would lapse into minute detail on the most mundane of topics. An example is the renovations that Jefferson wanted done on the house that he was renting in Philadelphia. It was too detailed to be of real value. I did, however, find one anecdote amusing: while serving in France, Jefferson decided to take a European trip to some other countries. One of the countries that he visited was Germany. He was trying to locate some geographic site of interest and stopped in a town to ask for directions. Unfortunately, he did not speak German, so he tried communicating to the natives in English, Latin, French, Italian, and Spanish. I got a laugh out of that: the man knew five languages, yet none of them could help him in that moment.
Grade: C+
Malone's admiration of his subject was evident in the first volume, but it really begins to color the portrait that he paints of Jefferson here. To mind-numbing frequency, he does not miss an opportunity to extol the virtues of Jefferson, even concerning the most mundane things such as how he catalogs his natural history observations and how he communicates with everyone on everything, both important and inconsequential. At times, using more conciliatory language, Malone will somewhat reluctantly allow that Jefferson was indirect and shifty when he did not agree with someone. But then in the next sentence he usually half or fully excuses Jefferson's behavior, sometimes saying that he was just acting according to the customs of the times in which he lived. This continual reinforcement of how great he thought Jefferson was did not ruin the book for me; it was more of an almost-continuous irritant.
The telling of Jefferson's battles with Hamilton illustrates Malone's bias. He rarely found fault with anything that Jefferson said or did. Yet, he repeatedly skewers Hamilton seemingly any chance that he gets. Hamilton was far from a saint - far from one. Yet, in his conflicts with Jefferson, he was not totally to blame at all times. Yet to hear Malone tell it, Jefferson was an innocent victim of Hamilton's unquenchable thirst for power and glory. Please! Pretty much all of the Founding Fathers - with the notable exception of Washington - tried to cut-throat each other at almost every turn. Jefferson was no babe-in-the-woods and was more than up to challenge Hamilton. Malone seldom gave Hamilton credit for anything, large or small. An example: Hamilton had a conversation with the new French Ambassador (Minister, back then), Jean Baptiste Ternant. Malone notes that they could have a conversation alone because Ternant spoke English fluently. True enough, but what Malone does not write is that Hamilton spoke fluent French thanks to growing up bilingual in the West Indies.
Also, sometimes Malone would lapse into minute detail on the most mundane of topics. An example is the renovations that Jefferson wanted done on the house that he was renting in Philadelphia. It was too detailed to be of real value. I did, however, find one anecdote amusing: while serving in France, Jefferson decided to take a European trip to some other countries. One of the countries that he visited was Germany. He was trying to locate some geographic site of interest and stopped in a town to ask for directions. Unfortunately, he did not speak German, so he tried communicating to the natives in English, Latin, French, Italian, and Spanish. I got a laugh out of that: the man knew five languages, yet none of them could help him in that moment.
Grade: C+
December 6, 2013
http://bestpresidentialbios.com/2013/...
“Jefferson and the Rights of Man” is the second of six volumes in the Pulitzer Prize winning epic biography of Thomas Jefferson authored by Dumas Malone. This volume covers the years 1784-1792 which Jefferson largely spent in Europe as a diplomat and as George Washington’s first Secretary of State. The volume concludes as Washington’s first term, but not quite Jefferson’s tenure in the cabinet, is ending.
Like the first volume in this series, turgid prose and weighty detail are found in abundance throughout. Happily, though, the pace moves along somewhat more rapidly than in “Jefferson the Virginian” though it is uneven, moving quite slowly in pockets and picking up speed at other moments (usually as the story grows more interesting and intriguing).
Many reviewers describe this volume as more dry and less interesting than the first, but I disagree. While, from a personal perspective, less seemed to occur in Jefferson’s life during these years, what was described of this important period seemed either more interesting, or perhaps just more colorfully related. Where in the first volume we saw Jefferson mature, enter politics, draft the Declaration of Independence, marry and serve as a war governor of Virginia, in this second volume he “merely” spent several ineffectual years in Europe as a diplomat and served three largely frustrating years as Secretary of State.
But it is the manner in which Malone weaves the major themes of Jefferson’s life during this period together with the increasingly fractious personalities of the time which holds the reader’s interest. The author’s description in the second half of the book of the relationship between Alexander Hamilton and Jefferson during Washington’s first term was one such highlight. Although that discussion comes across as a bit one-sided (in Jefferson’s favor), at least we uncover some intrigue and heat in an otherwise academic discussion of fruitless diplomacy.
Malone’s obvious affection for Jefferson becomes increasingly clear during the course of this book. Where his sympathy for his Jefferson was harder to discern in the first volume, by the end of the current volume the author can be seen as almost unfailingly apologetic toward his primary subject. Besides his favorable treatment of Jefferson in all matters involving Hamilton, for example, I almost failed to find any trace of Jefferson’s leading role in starting or later fanning the rhetorical flames in the Philip Freneau / National Gazette firestorm.
Even though on the whole this volume represented an important if rather unexciting period of his life (at least for me personally), it was holistically satisfying to view the progression of Jefferson’s life and the evolution of his core philosophies during these years. Adding to the complex portrait of Jefferson which Malone paints, we begin to get our first hard impressions of what historians have often referred to as Jefferson’s duplicitousness as well. But more potent evidence of that side of Jefferson likely remains to be found in subsequent volumes.
Overall, “Jefferson and the Rights of Man” requires slightly less fortitude than the first book, but is equally unlikely to be a single-stop destination for most readers interested in Thomas Jefferson. Whether read as part of the broader six-volume journey or intended as a standalone experience, upon completing this book the logical next step is clearly to venture on to the next volume. That third book in Malone’s series seems to hold great promise as it covers a dynamic and interesting phase of Jefferson’s life: his “retirement” to Monticello, his election as Vice President and his increasingly active role as the leader of an evolving political party.
Overall rating: 3¾ stars
“Jefferson and the Rights of Man” is the second of six volumes in the Pulitzer Prize winning epic biography of Thomas Jefferson authored by Dumas Malone. This volume covers the years 1784-1792 which Jefferson largely spent in Europe as a diplomat and as George Washington’s first Secretary of State. The volume concludes as Washington’s first term, but not quite Jefferson’s tenure in the cabinet, is ending.
Like the first volume in this series, turgid prose and weighty detail are found in abundance throughout. Happily, though, the pace moves along somewhat more rapidly than in “Jefferson the Virginian” though it is uneven, moving quite slowly in pockets and picking up speed at other moments (usually as the story grows more interesting and intriguing).
Many reviewers describe this volume as more dry and less interesting than the first, but I disagree. While, from a personal perspective, less seemed to occur in Jefferson’s life during these years, what was described of this important period seemed either more interesting, or perhaps just more colorfully related. Where in the first volume we saw Jefferson mature, enter politics, draft the Declaration of Independence, marry and serve as a war governor of Virginia, in this second volume he “merely” spent several ineffectual years in Europe as a diplomat and served three largely frustrating years as Secretary of State.
But it is the manner in which Malone weaves the major themes of Jefferson’s life during this period together with the increasingly fractious personalities of the time which holds the reader’s interest. The author’s description in the second half of the book of the relationship between Alexander Hamilton and Jefferson during Washington’s first term was one such highlight. Although that discussion comes across as a bit one-sided (in Jefferson’s favor), at least we uncover some intrigue and heat in an otherwise academic discussion of fruitless diplomacy.
Malone’s obvious affection for Jefferson becomes increasingly clear during the course of this book. Where his sympathy for his Jefferson was harder to discern in the first volume, by the end of the current volume the author can be seen as almost unfailingly apologetic toward his primary subject. Besides his favorable treatment of Jefferson in all matters involving Hamilton, for example, I almost failed to find any trace of Jefferson’s leading role in starting or later fanning the rhetorical flames in the Philip Freneau / National Gazette firestorm.
Even though on the whole this volume represented an important if rather unexciting period of his life (at least for me personally), it was holistically satisfying to view the progression of Jefferson’s life and the evolution of his core philosophies during these years. Adding to the complex portrait of Jefferson which Malone paints, we begin to get our first hard impressions of what historians have often referred to as Jefferson’s duplicitousness as well. But more potent evidence of that side of Jefferson likely remains to be found in subsequent volumes.
Overall, “Jefferson and the Rights of Man” requires slightly less fortitude than the first book, but is equally unlikely to be a single-stop destination for most readers interested in Thomas Jefferson. Whether read as part of the broader six-volume journey or intended as a standalone experience, upon completing this book the logical next step is clearly to venture on to the next volume. That third book in Malone’s series seems to hold great promise as it covers a dynamic and interesting phase of Jefferson’s life: his “retirement” to Monticello, his election as Vice President and his increasingly active role as the leader of an evolving political party.
Overall rating: 3¾ stars
May 15, 2021
Malone gives a detailed description of Jefferson's activities here as Minister to France and Secretary of State.
The most frustrating part of Malone's Volume II is his inability to give a human portayal of Jefferson. His dislike of Hamilton is obsessive, even understanding the historiography of Hamilton and Jefferson's feuds as told by historians over the years. Anything ungodlike that would start to peel back the Trumbullian portrait etched in Jefferson's legacy to show us the human behind the legend, Malone is quick to pass off as a machination of Hamilton's brutish fumblings or he passess off to Madison (i.e. the entire Freneau affair).
This is not for anyone who wants to get to know Jefferson, and if you are looking for an introductory Jefferson biography, I recommend Meacham's Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power or Joseph Ellis's American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson.
I am planning on continuing my way through this 6-volume set, though after this volume the journey seems much more arduous.
3 stars
The most frustrating part of Malone's Volume II is his inability to give a human portayal of Jefferson. His dislike of Hamilton is obsessive, even understanding the historiography of Hamilton and Jefferson's feuds as told by historians over the years. Anything ungodlike that would start to peel back the Trumbullian portrait etched in Jefferson's legacy to show us the human behind the legend, Malone is quick to pass off as a machination of Hamilton's brutish fumblings or he passess off to Madison (i.e. the entire Freneau affair).
This is not for anyone who wants to get to know Jefferson, and if you are looking for an introductory Jefferson biography, I recommend Meacham's Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power or Joseph Ellis's American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson.
I am planning on continuing my way through this 6-volume set, though after this volume the journey seems much more arduous.
3 stars
March 23, 2018
This second volume of a six-volume series about Thomas Jefferson mainly covers his time as Secretary of State under Washington. Also, there is intriguing info about his time in Paris just prior to the French Revolution. Looking forward to eventually reading the remaining volumes!
November 9, 2018
Exhausting
February 20, 2017
Jefferson’s eventful years as United States Minister to France, and as Secretary of State during the first presidential term of George Washington, are well recounted in Dumas Malone’s Jefferson and the Rights of Man, the second volume of Malone’s six-volume biography Jefferson and His Time. As in the preceding volume, Jefferson the Virginian, Malone provides a sympathetic and well-written examination of a crucial period within the life of this important and influential American leader, spanning here the years from 1784 to 1792.
The book’s title refers to how Jefferson’s five years in France, from 1784 to 1789, coincided with the time when the doctrine of les droits de l’homme, the rights of man, was gaining ground in France, in a process that would eventuate in a French Revolution that began just as Jefferson’s time in France was ending (he left France in October of 1789, five months after the original Bastille Day). Malone’s 1951 book celebrates Jefferson as the perfect and logical champion of universal ideals of human rights, and does not dwell on Jefferson’s inconsistencies in that regard as later historians would do.
Jefferson’s time in France was eventful in personal as well as political terms. His wife Martha had died in 1782, and in 1786 the four-years-widowed Jefferson met one Maria Cosway, the wife of a French painter. The aristocratic and indulgent atmosphere of the soon-to-be-dissolved French court encouraged flirtation, and thus it was that “a generally philosophical gentleman, hungrier for beauty and a woman than he realized, was quite swept off his supposedly well-planted feet” (p. 70).
Jefferson’s romantic feelings toward Maria Cosway resulted in the writing of “My Head and My Heart,” a Socratic-style dialogue that must be one of the oddest love letters ever written, and much later inspired the 1995 Merchant-Ivory film Jefferson in Paris, with Nick Nolte as Jefferson and Greta Scacchi as Maria Cosway. Yet of another crucial character in the real-life drama that inspired the film – Sally Hemings, who resided with Jefferson in Paris, and is played in the film by a young Thandie Newton – Malone has not a word to say in the 488 pages of Jefferson and the Rights of Man. It would be left to later historians to make those aspects of the record more complete.
Thomas Jefferson’s time in France also saw the completion and publication of the only book he ever published during his lifetime, Notes on the State of Virginia. Written in part as a riposte to the claims of the French naturalist George-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, that all things coming out of the American landscape were weak and deracinated in comparison with their European counterparts, Notes on the State of Virginia is as paradoxical as its author. On the one hand, Jefferson writes movingly of how “The whole commerce between master and slave is a perpetual exercise of the most boisterous passions, the most unremitting despotism on the one part, and degrading submissions on the other,” and adds that “Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that his justice can not sleep forever….” On the other hand, some of Jefferson’s words regarding African Americans in Notes on the State of Virginia are so harsh that even the solicitously sympathetic Malone is reduced to a bit of rhetorical scrambling on his subject’s behalf: “He was troubled about the black race, which he had seen so close at hand in servitude….Dubious of the natural equality of endowment of the blacks with their masters, he was keeping his mind open about them” (p. 101).
Jefferson loved France and admired the French people, but always longed for his home in Virginia; in a quote that you’re sure to see or hear anytime you get within 25 miles of Charlottesville, he wrote from Paris in 1787 that “all my wishes end, where I hope my days will end, at Monticello” (p. 137). He did get to go home two years later, but his time at Monticello would be short; upon his arrival at Norfolk, he learned that “President [George] Washington had nominated him as secretary of state, the Senate had confirmed him, and he was greeted in Norfolk as a high official of the new government and not merely as a diplomat at home on leave” (p. 243).
Fans of the hit musical Hamilton! will be glad to hear that Malone gives due emphasis to the conflict that developed between Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson and Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton during George Washington’s first term as president. Indeed, the importance of the Jefferson-Hamilton rivalry in Hamilton! speaks to how, as Malone puts it, “these two men have become symbols of a conflict of ideas which runs through the whole of American national history” (p. 286). Malone’s sympathies within that conflict of ideas become clear when he writes that “No other American statesman has personified national power and the rule of the favored few so well as Hamilton, and no other has glorified self-government and the freedom of the individual to such a degree as Jefferson” (p. 286).
Later writers might point out that it was a strong, Hamilton-style national government that won the Civil War and destroyed slavery in 1865, and that enforced civil rights for African Americans 100 years later when Southern state governments were seeking to preserve segregation – and might add, while they were at it, that the man whom Malone lionizes as the ultimate champion of “the freedom of the individual” held 600 individuals in slavery over the course of his lifetime. But just as Jefferson and Hamilton, even in the bitterest days of their rivalry, respected each other’s integrity and abilities, so Malone, while always siding with Jefferson, treats Hamilton with the same scrupulous respect that Jefferson invariably extended toward Hamilton.
Jefferson and the Rights of Man ends in 1792, with Jefferson resigning his secretaryship – hoping, no doubt, for a comfortable retirement at Monticello. We know, as Jefferson could not, that the 34 years of life left to him would include, among other things, a term as Vice President under John Adams, two terms as President, the purchase from France of the Louisiana Territory, and the founding of the University of Virginia – enough material, to put it another way, for Malone to write four more equally massive volumes of Jefferson biography.
The inconsistencies of Jefferson’s character notwithstanding, the breadth of Jefferson’s achievements continues to impress. Malone writes of these years from Jefferson’s life that Jefferson “had kept the faith which he regarded as distinctively American while hoping it would become universal. He had never ceased to believe that men by right are free in their minds and persons, and that human society should guide its steps by the light of reason” (p. 488). All those with an interest in Jefferson and his time would do well to take up Jefferson and the Rights of Man.
The book’s title refers to how Jefferson’s five years in France, from 1784 to 1789, coincided with the time when the doctrine of les droits de l’homme, the rights of man, was gaining ground in France, in a process that would eventuate in a French Revolution that began just as Jefferson’s time in France was ending (he left France in October of 1789, five months after the original Bastille Day). Malone’s 1951 book celebrates Jefferson as the perfect and logical champion of universal ideals of human rights, and does not dwell on Jefferson’s inconsistencies in that regard as later historians would do.
Jefferson’s time in France was eventful in personal as well as political terms. His wife Martha had died in 1782, and in 1786 the four-years-widowed Jefferson met one Maria Cosway, the wife of a French painter. The aristocratic and indulgent atmosphere of the soon-to-be-dissolved French court encouraged flirtation, and thus it was that “a generally philosophical gentleman, hungrier for beauty and a woman than he realized, was quite swept off his supposedly well-planted feet” (p. 70).
Jefferson’s romantic feelings toward Maria Cosway resulted in the writing of “My Head and My Heart,” a Socratic-style dialogue that must be one of the oddest love letters ever written, and much later inspired the 1995 Merchant-Ivory film Jefferson in Paris, with Nick Nolte as Jefferson and Greta Scacchi as Maria Cosway. Yet of another crucial character in the real-life drama that inspired the film – Sally Hemings, who resided with Jefferson in Paris, and is played in the film by a young Thandie Newton – Malone has not a word to say in the 488 pages of Jefferson and the Rights of Man. It would be left to later historians to make those aspects of the record more complete.
Thomas Jefferson’s time in France also saw the completion and publication of the only book he ever published during his lifetime, Notes on the State of Virginia. Written in part as a riposte to the claims of the French naturalist George-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, that all things coming out of the American landscape were weak and deracinated in comparison with their European counterparts, Notes on the State of Virginia is as paradoxical as its author. On the one hand, Jefferson writes movingly of how “The whole commerce between master and slave is a perpetual exercise of the most boisterous passions, the most unremitting despotism on the one part, and degrading submissions on the other,” and adds that “Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that his justice can not sleep forever….” On the other hand, some of Jefferson’s words regarding African Americans in Notes on the State of Virginia are so harsh that even the solicitously sympathetic Malone is reduced to a bit of rhetorical scrambling on his subject’s behalf: “He was troubled about the black race, which he had seen so close at hand in servitude….Dubious of the natural equality of endowment of the blacks with their masters, he was keeping his mind open about them” (p. 101).
Jefferson loved France and admired the French people, but always longed for his home in Virginia; in a quote that you’re sure to see or hear anytime you get within 25 miles of Charlottesville, he wrote from Paris in 1787 that “all my wishes end, where I hope my days will end, at Monticello” (p. 137). He did get to go home two years later, but his time at Monticello would be short; upon his arrival at Norfolk, he learned that “President [George] Washington had nominated him as secretary of state, the Senate had confirmed him, and he was greeted in Norfolk as a high official of the new government and not merely as a diplomat at home on leave” (p. 243).
Fans of the hit musical Hamilton! will be glad to hear that Malone gives due emphasis to the conflict that developed between Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson and Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton during George Washington’s first term as president. Indeed, the importance of the Jefferson-Hamilton rivalry in Hamilton! speaks to how, as Malone puts it, “these two men have become symbols of a conflict of ideas which runs through the whole of American national history” (p. 286). Malone’s sympathies within that conflict of ideas become clear when he writes that “No other American statesman has personified national power and the rule of the favored few so well as Hamilton, and no other has glorified self-government and the freedom of the individual to such a degree as Jefferson” (p. 286).
Later writers might point out that it was a strong, Hamilton-style national government that won the Civil War and destroyed slavery in 1865, and that enforced civil rights for African Americans 100 years later when Southern state governments were seeking to preserve segregation – and might add, while they were at it, that the man whom Malone lionizes as the ultimate champion of “the freedom of the individual” held 600 individuals in slavery over the course of his lifetime. But just as Jefferson and Hamilton, even in the bitterest days of their rivalry, respected each other’s integrity and abilities, so Malone, while always siding with Jefferson, treats Hamilton with the same scrupulous respect that Jefferson invariably extended toward Hamilton.
Jefferson and the Rights of Man ends in 1792, with Jefferson resigning his secretaryship – hoping, no doubt, for a comfortable retirement at Monticello. We know, as Jefferson could not, that the 34 years of life left to him would include, among other things, a term as Vice President under John Adams, two terms as President, the purchase from France of the Louisiana Territory, and the founding of the University of Virginia – enough material, to put it another way, for Malone to write four more equally massive volumes of Jefferson biography.
The inconsistencies of Jefferson’s character notwithstanding, the breadth of Jefferson’s achievements continues to impress. Malone writes of these years from Jefferson’s life that Jefferson “had kept the faith which he regarded as distinctively American while hoping it would become universal. He had never ceased to believe that men by right are free in their minds and persons, and that human society should guide its steps by the light of reason” (p. 488). All those with an interest in Jefferson and his time would do well to take up Jefferson and the Rights of Man.
October 15, 2017
Jefferson and the Rights of Man is the second of six entries in Dumas Malone's well-researched series on the life of Thomas Jefferson, and this book sets the bar high for historical writing.
Its timeline covers the period of Thomas Jefferson's life from the time of his mission to Europe (at the conclusion of the Revolutionary War and the interim of the Articles of Confederation years) to the near end of his time as Secretary of State in the Washington administration. His stationing in Europe with men like John Adams and Gouvernor Morris coincided with the outbreak of the French Revolution, an unfolding drama which he at first strongly supported. Jefferson's dislike of monarchy and his affinity for democratic government led to a split with men like Adams regarding the wisdom of overthrowing King Louis XVI and instituting a more egalitarian society.
Malone's examination of the French Revolution genesis is a real gift for readers.
Some of the most compelling portions of the reading come in the form of discussion of Jefferson's division against Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton. The latter's desire to institute a stronger federal government clashed repeatedly with Jefferson's profession to desire a smaller one, and the manner in which James Madison sided with his fellow Virginian in taking on Hamilton from his post in Congress (sometimes without attribution) was like a mini-drama in and of itself. The anonymous newspaper sniping is viewed as one of the onsets of political parties in the United States; prior to this "official" division between Federalists and Republicans like Jefferson seems much less organized than it did afterward.
President Washington's desire to please Jefferson's side as well as fellow administration members like Hamilton and Henry Knox causes readers to feel sorry for the first president; the way he handled decisions with input from these sorts of men on his executive council enlightens the book's readers on how the inaugural presidential administration functioned.
According to Malone, Washington certainly wanted to stick to the text of the Constitution (as evidenced by his hesitancy at first to allow Hamilton's First Bank of the United States to be created, allowing for Jefferson to provide his input on the matter), but he also wanted to ensure the federal government had sufficient powers to put down rebellions in the line of Shays and the Whiskey Rebellion, in some ways not looking as kindly on potent democracy to the degree Jefferson tended to.
Jefferson and the Rights of Man paints a strongly sympathetic portrait of the first Secretary of State, especially in relation to his domestic and foreign policy cat fights with Hamilton and his supporters (Malone makes it clear he feels Hamilton was an intriguer and lacked Jefferson's integrity). More often than not, the author takes Jefferson's side when his motives are in question.
The documentation of these interesting years of Jefferson's life and the early American republic are thoroughly written and eminently recommendable. Dumas Malone deserves recognition for his painstaking efforts to compile this gem of a six volume biography on Thomas Jefferson's contributions to society.
-Andrew Canfield Denver, Colorado
Its timeline covers the period of Thomas Jefferson's life from the time of his mission to Europe (at the conclusion of the Revolutionary War and the interim of the Articles of Confederation years) to the near end of his time as Secretary of State in the Washington administration. His stationing in Europe with men like John Adams and Gouvernor Morris coincided with the outbreak of the French Revolution, an unfolding drama which he at first strongly supported. Jefferson's dislike of monarchy and his affinity for democratic government led to a split with men like Adams regarding the wisdom of overthrowing King Louis XVI and instituting a more egalitarian society.
Malone's examination of the French Revolution genesis is a real gift for readers.
Some of the most compelling portions of the reading come in the form of discussion of Jefferson's division against Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton. The latter's desire to institute a stronger federal government clashed repeatedly with Jefferson's profession to desire a smaller one, and the manner in which James Madison sided with his fellow Virginian in taking on Hamilton from his post in Congress (sometimes without attribution) was like a mini-drama in and of itself. The anonymous newspaper sniping is viewed as one of the onsets of political parties in the United States; prior to this "official" division between Federalists and Republicans like Jefferson seems much less organized than it did afterward.
President Washington's desire to please Jefferson's side as well as fellow administration members like Hamilton and Henry Knox causes readers to feel sorry for the first president; the way he handled decisions with input from these sorts of men on his executive council enlightens the book's readers on how the inaugural presidential administration functioned.
According to Malone, Washington certainly wanted to stick to the text of the Constitution (as evidenced by his hesitancy at first to allow Hamilton's First Bank of the United States to be created, allowing for Jefferson to provide his input on the matter), but he also wanted to ensure the federal government had sufficient powers to put down rebellions in the line of Shays and the Whiskey Rebellion, in some ways not looking as kindly on potent democracy to the degree Jefferson tended to.
Jefferson and the Rights of Man paints a strongly sympathetic portrait of the first Secretary of State, especially in relation to his domestic and foreign policy cat fights with Hamilton and his supporters (Malone makes it clear he feels Hamilton was an intriguer and lacked Jefferson's integrity). More often than not, the author takes Jefferson's side when his motives are in question.
The documentation of these interesting years of Jefferson's life and the early American republic are thoroughly written and eminently recommendable. Dumas Malone deserves recognition for his painstaking efforts to compile this gem of a six volume biography on Thomas Jefferson's contributions to society.
-Andrew Canfield Denver, Colorado
September 3, 2016
A well-structured book, divided nearly in half by two important phases of Jefferson's career, first as Franklin's successor as ambassador to France, and then his service as the first secretary of state in the newly-constituted United States. It doesn't, though, cover his entire service in that office, and ends with a bit of a cliff-hanger. Jefferson intended to retire to Monticello at the close of Washington's first term of office, and had privately informed his friends and officially notified the country's envoys. This intention was put off a year, and in the coming months the nation was riven by partisan feelings over the course of the French Revolution. But this is only intimated as Malone closes this volume.
The Paris years are characterized as Jefferson's ripening as a respected political philosopher. Although in this posting he performed valuable service to the newly-independent nation, as well as gaining a grounding in diplomacy that made him the most logical choice to serve at the head of the State Department, it did force his absence from the constitutional convention. He took lively interest in the proceedings, recorded in his correspondence, particularly with Madison, but his contribution was limited by the length of time it took in those days to exchange letters. It interested me to see his keenly felt need for a bill of rights, as well as for term limits on the presidency, pointing to the danger of a leader wildly popular with half of the voters staying in office for life, establishing a democratically-elected dictatorship. He didn't succeed on the latter issue, a constitutional amendment to that effect didn't come until nearly two centuries later, but in the event, Washington at least set a potent precedent by retiring after two terms.
The last fifth or so of the book traces the rising antagonism between Hamilton and Jefferson. Malone is at pains to clear his protagonist of the worst of the charges hurled by the brilliant and ambitious secretary of the treasury, but does this in a reasoned way. As in the first volume of this set, the author has researched meticulously. The result is an appealing portrait.
The Paris years are characterized as Jefferson's ripening as a respected political philosopher. Although in this posting he performed valuable service to the newly-independent nation, as well as gaining a grounding in diplomacy that made him the most logical choice to serve at the head of the State Department, it did force his absence from the constitutional convention. He took lively interest in the proceedings, recorded in his correspondence, particularly with Madison, but his contribution was limited by the length of time it took in those days to exchange letters. It interested me to see his keenly felt need for a bill of rights, as well as for term limits on the presidency, pointing to the danger of a leader wildly popular with half of the voters staying in office for life, establishing a democratically-elected dictatorship. He didn't succeed on the latter issue, a constitutional amendment to that effect didn't come until nearly two centuries later, but in the event, Washington at least set a potent precedent by retiring after two terms.
The last fifth or so of the book traces the rising antagonism between Hamilton and Jefferson. Malone is at pains to clear his protagonist of the worst of the charges hurled by the brilliant and ambitious secretary of the treasury, but does this in a reasoned way. As in the first volume of this set, the author has researched meticulously. The result is an appealing portrait.
August 20, 2011
I'm not entirely sure whether the difficulty of this book is the fault of its subject matter or the style of the author. Or maybe the author's style is the only kind suited to the subject matter. But then again, it's hard to fault the subject matter, because it's simply reflective of the historical record.
Whatever the reason, I found Volume 2 of Malone's Jefferson series to be a dull but important bit of history. Having covered Jefferson's biographical background in the initial volume, Malone continues unpacking the political side in the second. In the first volume, Malone seemed to have a little trouble humanizing Jefferson. He practically gives up in this one. The focus here is ideas, philosophies, ideologies and debates. The growing rift between Jefferson and Hamilton- democratic vs. republican, populist vs. aristocratic, constructionist vs. liberal, pro-French vs. pro-British - is mapped out in painstaking detail. This conflict alone is rich enough material for several books, and Malone is careful not to let any detail be wasted. This ought, however, to have formed a very distinct centerpiece to the book, rather than merely be cast as the biggest conflict among a host of other conflicts. These other conflicts: foreign policy, diplomacy, the proper role of the individual positions of government- are no less important, but Malone simply has not given this volume the scale such detail demands. The overall effect is one of harried overview rather than substantive analysis, which is a shame, given Malone's grasp of the issues.
The book winds down tightly, though. Having set the stage and the conflict, Malone leads neatly into the election of 1792 and the impending conflicts overseas, highlighting the political outcomes of Jefferson's philosophical influence.
This is a difficult yet important piece of Malone's portrait of Jefferson, rewarding the patient reader with an inside perspective of America's critical early days, and the mind of one of it's most critical leaders.
Whatever the reason, I found Volume 2 of Malone's Jefferson series to be a dull but important bit of history. Having covered Jefferson's biographical background in the initial volume, Malone continues unpacking the political side in the second. In the first volume, Malone seemed to have a little trouble humanizing Jefferson. He practically gives up in this one. The focus here is ideas, philosophies, ideologies and debates. The growing rift between Jefferson and Hamilton- democratic vs. republican, populist vs. aristocratic, constructionist vs. liberal, pro-French vs. pro-British - is mapped out in painstaking detail. This conflict alone is rich enough material for several books, and Malone is careful not to let any detail be wasted. This ought, however, to have formed a very distinct centerpiece to the book, rather than merely be cast as the biggest conflict among a host of other conflicts. These other conflicts: foreign policy, diplomacy, the proper role of the individual positions of government- are no less important, but Malone simply has not given this volume the scale such detail demands. The overall effect is one of harried overview rather than substantive analysis, which is a shame, given Malone's grasp of the issues.
The book winds down tightly, though. Having set the stage and the conflict, Malone leads neatly into the election of 1792 and the impending conflicts overseas, highlighting the political outcomes of Jefferson's philosophical influence.
This is a difficult yet important piece of Malone's portrait of Jefferson, rewarding the patient reader with an inside perspective of America's critical early days, and the mind of one of it's most critical leaders.
Read
August 17, 2024This is the second volume of Malone's six volume biography of Thomas Jefferson. It was published in 1951. It is amusing that in the first volume, which covered the first 41 years of his life, Malone said this would be a four-volume biography. In this volume, which covers the next eight years of his life (1784 to 1792), he admits that it will have to be a five-volume biography. It was finished in 1981 as a six-volume biography.
This book covers Jefferson's years in France as an American diplomat and his four years as the first United States Secretary of State under President Washington.
This is a classic American biography. Malone captures Jefferson's personal and political life. It is deeply researched and elegantly written. Malone weighs in on all of the disputes and gives us his judgment on the merits of the various positions. He usually sides with Jefferson.
Malone believed that Jefferson was an exceptional man. He acknowledged some shortcomings, but he did it grudgingly. For example, "His chief weakness, and up to this point he had not shown it often, was a defect of his politeness and amiability which caused him to seem deceptive." Jefferson's enemies said he was sneaky and two-faced.
Jefferson led a huge life. Before he turned 50, he was a brilliant diplomat and politician. His book, 'Notes on Virginia", was one of the great books on life and nature in America. He knew almost all of the leading scientists and philosophers of the time. He managed a very large plantation and introduced several significant crops and techniques into American farming. He helped found one of the two great political parties in 19th century America. He was an accomplished architect. He also wrote the Declaration of Independence and served as Governor of Virginia during the American Revolution. Later volumes of the biography deal with his two terms as president, founding of a college and carrying off the Louisiana Purchase, among many other accomplishments.
Malone has a nuanced portrait of most of the major figures. Like almost everyone, he sees Washington as the great American, the necessary man for the founding of the country. John Adams. was honest, conscientious and a dedicated patriot, but he could be strongheaded and stubborn. Madison was brilliant but not as judicious as he could have been.
Malone is not balanced in his description of Hamilton. He has a Jeffersonian distain for the man. He describes him as a "brilliant, egotistical and overbearing" man who was "a potential dictator" and he says that "he, more than any other major American statesman of his time, lusted for personal as well as national power."
The first half of the book is Jefferson in France. He loved France. He enjoyed the style and elegance. He tried repeatedly to solidify the political alliance between France and the new country in America, He had little success. America was not an important problem for the government of France in the years leading up to the French Revolution. Jefferson was sympathetic to the liberals who were pressuring the King to move towards a democratic monarchy and then, a democracy.
Jefferson had no appreciation of the terrors that would be unleashed by the French Revolution. He did not see the guillotine coming when he wrote in a letter in 178 that, "I think it probable, this country will, within two or three years, be in the enjoyment of a tolerably free constitution, and that without its having cost a drop of blood."
Jefferson was in France during the Constitutional Convention. He was not particularly sympathetic with the Convention. Shay's Rebellion in Massachusetts was the trigger that was cited for the need for a strong constitution. Jefferson thought that was an overreaction. He thought that rebellions and riots could be healthy for a country because it kept the rulers in line and deterred tyranny. He said "I like a little rebellion now and then. It is like a storm in the atmosphere." Malone makes it clear that this was not hyperbole. Jefferson sincerely believed that "A little rebellion is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government." For that reason, he urged leniency for those involved in rebellion.
Jefferson eventually became reconciled to the new Constitution. Interestingly the two major flaws he saw in it, no limit on the number of terms a president could serve and the lack of a bill of rights, were both solved by Constitutional Amendments, although the limit on terms had to wait 162 years.
The second half covers the first term of Washington's presidency. Jefferson was Secretary of State. Hamilton was the Secretary of Treasury. They had opposite views of what America should be. Jefferson wanted country based on agriculture, low taxes and low Governmental debt and limited power in the Federal government. Hamilton saw manufacturing, trade and finance as the future. He thought that a healthy amount of national debt was good for the economy and that taxes should support it. He believed in a dynamic Federal government with the power to implement his scheme.
They clashed immediately and continually. Washington tried to keep them both under his umbrella. Malone describes the intrigue and maneuvering in detail. At times, for example when dealing with the questions of tariffs, the detail gets a bit overwhelming, but it is easy to forget that tariffs were one of the most controversial political subjects of the time.
The name calling and vituperation was at a modern level, or worse. Hamilton describes Jefferson's "insidious tales of hypocritical demagogues". Hamilton was attacked as "a cowardly assassin". Jefferson resigned from his office at the end of Washington's first term. The battle between Jefferson and Hamilton descended into pure mudslinging over the next several years.
This is history in the grand style. Malone meticulously cites his sources and balances the conflicting evidence. He is also a stylish writer.
it is, of course, impossible to read this 1951 book without thinking, "What about Sally Hemmings?" She was a slave owned by Jefferson. She was 14 when she accompanied Jefferson's daughter Martha from Virginia to France. Many scholars believe that Jefferson began having sex with her in France. Malone does not discuss this possibility. He mentions that Martha was accompanied by a slave, and he lists Sally's name as part of the party leaving France at the end of Jefferson's term. There were contemporary allegations of Jefferson have sex with his slaves. The allegations are discussed and dismissed out of hand by Malone in one of the later volumes of this biography. He was one of the leading scholars battling the modern claims about Sally Hemmings.
This book covers Jefferson's years in France as an American diplomat and his four years as the first United States Secretary of State under President Washington.
This is a classic American biography. Malone captures Jefferson's personal and political life. It is deeply researched and elegantly written. Malone weighs in on all of the disputes and gives us his judgment on the merits of the various positions. He usually sides with Jefferson.
Malone believed that Jefferson was an exceptional man. He acknowledged some shortcomings, but he did it grudgingly. For example, "His chief weakness, and up to this point he had not shown it often, was a defect of his politeness and amiability which caused him to seem deceptive." Jefferson's enemies said he was sneaky and two-faced.
Jefferson led a huge life. Before he turned 50, he was a brilliant diplomat and politician. His book, 'Notes on Virginia", was one of the great books on life and nature in America. He knew almost all of the leading scientists and philosophers of the time. He managed a very large plantation and introduced several significant crops and techniques into American farming. He helped found one of the two great political parties in 19th century America. He was an accomplished architect. He also wrote the Declaration of Independence and served as Governor of Virginia during the American Revolution. Later volumes of the biography deal with his two terms as president, founding of a college and carrying off the Louisiana Purchase, among many other accomplishments.
Malone has a nuanced portrait of most of the major figures. Like almost everyone, he sees Washington as the great American, the necessary man for the founding of the country. John Adams. was honest, conscientious and a dedicated patriot, but he could be strongheaded and stubborn. Madison was brilliant but not as judicious as he could have been.
Malone is not balanced in his description of Hamilton. He has a Jeffersonian distain for the man. He describes him as a "brilliant, egotistical and overbearing" man who was "a potential dictator" and he says that "he, more than any other major American statesman of his time, lusted for personal as well as national power."
The first half of the book is Jefferson in France. He loved France. He enjoyed the style and elegance. He tried repeatedly to solidify the political alliance between France and the new country in America, He had little success. America was not an important problem for the government of France in the years leading up to the French Revolution. Jefferson was sympathetic to the liberals who were pressuring the King to move towards a democratic monarchy and then, a democracy.
Jefferson had no appreciation of the terrors that would be unleashed by the French Revolution. He did not see the guillotine coming when he wrote in a letter in 178 that, "I think it probable, this country will, within two or three years, be in the enjoyment of a tolerably free constitution, and that without its having cost a drop of blood."
Jefferson was in France during the Constitutional Convention. He was not particularly sympathetic with the Convention. Shay's Rebellion in Massachusetts was the trigger that was cited for the need for a strong constitution. Jefferson thought that was an overreaction. He thought that rebellions and riots could be healthy for a country because it kept the rulers in line and deterred tyranny. He said "I like a little rebellion now and then. It is like a storm in the atmosphere." Malone makes it clear that this was not hyperbole. Jefferson sincerely believed that "A little rebellion is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government." For that reason, he urged leniency for those involved in rebellion.
Jefferson eventually became reconciled to the new Constitution. Interestingly the two major flaws he saw in it, no limit on the number of terms a president could serve and the lack of a bill of rights, were both solved by Constitutional Amendments, although the limit on terms had to wait 162 years.
The second half covers the first term of Washington's presidency. Jefferson was Secretary of State. Hamilton was the Secretary of Treasury. They had opposite views of what America should be. Jefferson wanted country based on agriculture, low taxes and low Governmental debt and limited power in the Federal government. Hamilton saw manufacturing, trade and finance as the future. He thought that a healthy amount of national debt was good for the economy and that taxes should support it. He believed in a dynamic Federal government with the power to implement his scheme.
They clashed immediately and continually. Washington tried to keep them both under his umbrella. Malone describes the intrigue and maneuvering in detail. At times, for example when dealing with the questions of tariffs, the detail gets a bit overwhelming, but it is easy to forget that tariffs were one of the most controversial political subjects of the time.
The name calling and vituperation was at a modern level, or worse. Hamilton describes Jefferson's "insidious tales of hypocritical demagogues". Hamilton was attacked as "a cowardly assassin". Jefferson resigned from his office at the end of Washington's first term. The battle between Jefferson and Hamilton descended into pure mudslinging over the next several years.
This is history in the grand style. Malone meticulously cites his sources and balances the conflicting evidence. He is also a stylish writer.
it is, of course, impossible to read this 1951 book without thinking, "What about Sally Hemmings?" She was a slave owned by Jefferson. She was 14 when she accompanied Jefferson's daughter Martha from Virginia to France. Many scholars believe that Jefferson began having sex with her in France. Malone does not discuss this possibility. He mentions that Martha was accompanied by a slave, and he lists Sally's name as part of the party leaving France at the end of Jefferson's term. There were contemporary allegations of Jefferson have sex with his slaves. The allegations are discussed and dismissed out of hand by Malone in one of the later volumes of this biography. He was one of the leading scholars battling the modern claims about Sally Hemmings.
August 17, 2018
This review applies to the entire series, Jefferson and His Times.
Anyone who wants to understand a fraction of Jefferson, needs to start here. This work is the source that most academicians use. It is thorough and depends upon Jefferson's correspondence, editorials, reports, day books, conversations and memories. What more could you ever need? Heavily footnoted, this series puts to shame all other works on this great American. Some popular authors have written of Jefferson suggesting what he may have thought, or he may have done (Brody, anyone?) Malone is authoritative and needs not speculate. Read the series and then ask yourself, "Is it more likely than not that Jefferson fathered Sally Hemming's children?" I can only conclude that he did not. I remember when Clinton was president and, when incidents arose which questioned his fidelity, suddenly this old rumor became current. Someone interviewed the descendants of Hemmings and guess what? They all believed they were related to him! Isn't that peculiar? NO! What does a reasonable man expect them to say? Is it not more impressive to be part of a family that was sired by one of the greatest Americans or his philandering nephew, Peter Carr. All resurrected in the hope of distracting the American public from a current political scandal.
Anyone who wants to understand a fraction of Jefferson, needs to start here. This work is the source that most academicians use. It is thorough and depends upon Jefferson's correspondence, editorials, reports, day books, conversations and memories. What more could you ever need? Heavily footnoted, this series puts to shame all other works on this great American. Some popular authors have written of Jefferson suggesting what he may have thought, or he may have done (Brody, anyone?) Malone is authoritative and needs not speculate. Read the series and then ask yourself, "Is it more likely than not that Jefferson fathered Sally Hemming's children?" I can only conclude that he did not. I remember when Clinton was president and, when incidents arose which questioned his fidelity, suddenly this old rumor became current. Someone interviewed the descendants of Hemmings and guess what? They all believed they were related to him! Isn't that peculiar? NO! What does a reasonable man expect them to say? Is it not more impressive to be part of a family that was sired by one of the greatest Americans or his philandering nephew, Peter Carr. All resurrected in the hope of distracting the American public from a current political scandal.
July 10, 2019
At times...incredibly dull, but extremely thorough. Malone focuses largely on the writings and professional actions of Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson's personality is subsumed into his political being in Malone's interpretation. Malone is very pro Jefferson and very anti Hamilton. In fact, Hamilton comes off so badly in this book that anyone who has seen the Broadway show or listened to its soundtrack would not recognize him. But Broadway has its goals, and political biography has its. It's an interesting contrast, and I would love to see Dr. Malone and Hamilton biographer Ron Chernow go head to head in a debate. Sadly, they are of two different eras, which might in part explain their differences of opinion.
This is the second in a six volume set. I read the first 4 years ago. Hopefully, I can push myself through the next four by the end of this year. If you are new to Jefferson, I would look to a more modern, single-volume biography that brings more balance to the professional, political, and personal sides of Jefferson, who is one of the most interesting presidents of the United States.
This is the second in a six volume set. I read the first 4 years ago. Hopefully, I can push myself through the next four by the end of this year. If you are new to Jefferson, I would look to a more modern, single-volume biography that brings more balance to the professional, political, and personal sides of Jefferson, who is one of the most interesting presidents of the United States.
October 3, 2016
This is only book two and I'm already beating my head against a wall, but I will finish the series. This book covers the years Jefferson spent as a diplomat in France and his service as Secretary of State. This is probably the least interesting part of Jefferson's life to me so it was tough to get through the book. Dumas Malone is very familiar with his topic, but the problem is he admires him too much. The part on Hamilton and Jefferson, although interesting, was so biased toward Jefferson it was hard to read. Now I know Hamilton was not a saint, but he certainly wasn't the villain Malone paints him out to be. And Jefferson certainly played a role in the animosity that developed between these two. It's really irritating the lengths that Malone goes to cover for Jefferson, especially regarding his penchant for married women.
I'm giving this book 3 stars and 3 stars only because it is well researched and you can get some useful knowledge about Jefferson. The writing itself is very dry and difficult to read. You really have to be a reader to read Dumas Malone.
I'm giving this book 3 stars and 3 stars only because it is well researched and you can get some useful knowledge about Jefferson. The writing itself is very dry and difficult to read. You really have to be a reader to read Dumas Malone.
December 30, 2016
Brilliantly written biography in a series of biographies by Dumas on Thomas Jefferson. HIGHLY recommend for anyone interested in the political history of our country. I'm on a quest to truly understand the details about how the United States was founded, why, and the personalities of the major players in that task. Will be posting about each of the biographies in this series, but cannot state emphatically enough how much I enjoy reading these over and over.
Each book sequentially covers a part of Jefferson's robust life. He was, as many know, not just an enormous influence in American history, but a prolific author and highly educated man. He was also very clinical about his beliefs in life and made no secret of his suspicion of religious ideals.
This would be an incredible summer reading series for someone in high school or college.
Each book sequentially covers a part of Jefferson's robust life. He was, as many know, not just an enormous influence in American history, but a prolific author and highly educated man. He was also very clinical about his beliefs in life and made no secret of his suspicion of religious ideals.
This would be an incredible summer reading series for someone in high school or college.
April 25, 2012
Jefferson and the Rights of Man is the second volume in Malone’s series and covers the years 1784-1792 from Jefferson’s ministry to France at the early stages of the French Revolution and his service as secretary of state in President George Washington’s first cabinet. Jefferson’s extended residence in Europe was influential in solidifying his opinions about monarchical rule (he had a rather dim view of the subject) and his subsequent promotion of a Bill of Rights to the Constitution.
The latter part of the book focuses on the decision to move the capital from Philadelphia to Washington DC and the rising conflict (increasingly personal) between Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton.
The latter part of the book focuses on the decision to move the capital from Philadelphia to Washington DC and the rising conflict (increasingly personal) between Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton.
November 5, 2017
Book is old now -- Hamilton is a traitor, Jefferson is noble. The book does a great job of showing what life was like then -- when the government went to Philadelphia Jefferson rented a house -- sight unseen, naturally, which turned out not to be ready for him. His first months of secretary of state he was sleeping in his living room while they finished the bedroom, and even after that he had to eat at a neighbor's house while they made eating available. Hard to imagine a Secretary of State living like that now.
February 25, 2017
This second volume of Malone's biography on Thomas Jefferson covers the years 1784 to 1792. The timeframe covered therefore is much smaller than that of the first volume. However these years are filled with quite lots of things happening: It covers Jefferson's work as amasador of the young United States to Paris, his views of the French Revolution, his years as Secretary of State and his relationship with Alexander Hamilton. Malone again achives an inside view of Jefferson's political thinking.
February 11, 2019
Volume 2 of the 6 volume Jefferson and His Time covering his time as Ambassador to France and Secretary of State until the election of 1792. I like this one better than volume 1. Malone does a better job of providing context and doesn't fawn over Jefferson as much. However, his dislike of of Alexander Hamilton seems a little much to me. Mostly interesting. Might have rated it higher if I didn't prefer history to biography.
July 1, 2016
Malone's hateboner for Alexander Hamilton could be seen from space. Without a telescope.
Snide comment aside, this series is a wonderful resource for anyone who wants to learn about Thomas Jefferson, but it does read like an apologia in spots, with many of his assertions about Jefferson's motives based on nothing but Malone's obvious regard for his subject.
Snide comment aside, this series is a wonderful resource for anyone who wants to learn about Thomas Jefferson, but it does read like an apologia in spots, with many of his assertions about Jefferson's motives based on nothing but Malone's obvious regard for his subject.
December 1, 2018
This second installment was not as good as the first one. About half of it was really boring, but there were passages of it that were riveting. Malone doesn't attempt to distinguish between the important and the trivial. He gives equal space to both, but I appreciate his thoroughness, and It's good to know that he leaves nothing out. I'm look forward to the third volume!
February 9, 2008
white guy #3 vol 2
April 7, 2010
Well, I didn't exactly finish reading this book. I set it aside to pursue other reading adventures and never got back to it, so I'm pulling it from my currently-reading list.
April 11, 2013
Much dryer than Vol. I, mostly due to what Jefferson was up to at this point in his life.
September 25, 2017
understanding the man even more
January 20, 2021
At the end of the day, while these biographies are the standard for dep th and getting into the weeds of Jefferson's life, they're not the easiest books to read. Malone's prose leaves a little to be desired by the modern reader. As far as mid-century historians go, it is a very approachable tone and way of writing, relatively speaking. But still, it is a straightforward narrative by a man that really loves Thomas Jefferson, and who is inclined to assume the best of him and defend him unless he absolutely cannot. However, it doesn't happen that often because he doesn't add interpretive flourishes into too much of this book. There's not much room for him to insert himself into the narrative because it really is a play-by-play of each passing day of Jefferson's early adult life, through to the end of his first term as Secretary of State. As for detail on Thomas Jefferson, this book has no rival. Malone is able to cogently hold together the strands of Jefferson's diplomatic work and the early controversies in our country. He's somehow able to contain so much detail and specificity and still feel like he's just telling you a story at his own pace. There's nothing rushed or forced into the narrative, he just takes as much time as it needs to say the things he wants to say.
And yet, once more, to the modern sentiment, the book comes up short. Once more, for what it is and when it was written, it is heads and shoulders above many, many other books of history from that time. But nowadays, we read these books not so much to get the facts and the story, but to get a feel for what it was like to be there at that time, or to get inside the psyche of these figures and to truly understand them as well as we can from this distance. And that is just so far from Malone's intent here. It is striking that one can know such minutia and details about one human beings existence and still not have a gras p on who they are as a human. On one hand, this does go to show you that the human being is far, far more than some of their parts. But on the other, we want to know that human being beyond the some of their parts.
I'm anticipating that this book occupies an awkward spot in the series. The first book traveled the earliest days of Jefferson's life, things that even the most educated lay person has never heard. It's a lot of new things about what formed and shaped Jefferson and what made him who he is. It paints a vivid picture of the earliest days of our country and what it was like to grow up there.
This book, however, covers his time in France and his early days of Secretary of State. Now, Jefferson himself ends his own autobiography at a similar point that this particular book ends. He has a well-known unfinished personal memo where he does not know if his existence has left a positive mark on the world so he writes a list of his accomplishments to see if they are worthy of having lived. And he writes that around the same point that this book ends.
Yes, he had written the declaration of Independence, but in the earliest formation of our country, that's kind of all he did, And even in that, he only wrote the first draft and then it was mangled by the rest of the convention, much to his own pain and regret. Outside of the declaration, Jefferson doesn't really do much during the time span of this book. Yes, compared to most human beings, by the time this book ends he has accomplished more significant things than most human beings ever do, but even he has no idea that there is so much more crazy stuff about to come in his life. But we do.
And so this book will inevitably be one of the relatively unexciting chapters of his life, save for a few spikes here and there. And so, as a book, it may be unfair to hold Malone to a modern standard of history and biography, and to try to infuse this segment of Jefferson's life with a bit more pizzazz. But still, I think this book will maybe be the least exciting and enjoyable of the series, even though it is by no means "bad".
And yet, once more, to the modern sentiment, the book comes up short. Once more, for what it is and when it was written, it is heads and shoulders above many, many other books of history from that time. But nowadays, we read these books not so much to get the facts and the story, but to get a feel for what it was like to be there at that time, or to get inside the psyche of these figures and to truly understand them as well as we can from this distance. And that is just so far from Malone's intent here. It is striking that one can know such minutia and details about one human beings existence and still not have a gras p on who they are as a human. On one hand, this does go to show you that the human being is far, far more than some of their parts. But on the other, we want to know that human being beyond the some of their parts.
I'm anticipating that this book occupies an awkward spot in the series. The first book traveled the earliest days of Jefferson's life, things that even the most educated lay person has never heard. It's a lot of new things about what formed and shaped Jefferson and what made him who he is. It paints a vivid picture of the earliest days of our country and what it was like to grow up there.
This book, however, covers his time in France and his early days of Secretary of State. Now, Jefferson himself ends his own autobiography at a similar point that this particular book ends. He has a well-known unfinished personal memo where he does not know if his existence has left a positive mark on the world so he writes a list of his accomplishments to see if they are worthy of having lived. And he writes that around the same point that this book ends.
Yes, he had written the declaration of Independence, but in the earliest formation of our country, that's kind of all he did, And even in that, he only wrote the first draft and then it was mangled by the rest of the convention, much to his own pain and regret. Outside of the declaration, Jefferson doesn't really do much during the time span of this book. Yes, compared to most human beings, by the time this book ends he has accomplished more significant things than most human beings ever do, but even he has no idea that there is so much more crazy stuff about to come in his life. But we do.
And so this book will inevitably be one of the relatively unexciting chapters of his life, save for a few spikes here and there. And so, as a book, it may be unfair to hold Malone to a modern standard of history and biography, and to try to infuse this segment of Jefferson's life with a bit more pizzazz. But still, I think this book will maybe be the least exciting and enjoyable of the series, even though it is by no means "bad".
May 18, 2020
This, the second in the six volume set, is exceptional. I have only read Jefferson, the Virginian, the first in the set and this and can say the second volume was a better read than its forerunner. Meticulously researched, Malone adds well written, clear prose bolstered by quotes from sources few of us have at our disposal.
A highlight in Jefferson and the Rights of Man is the story of the germination of the hostility Hamilton had for the writer of the Declaration and portrays the ruthlessness of the Secretary of Treasury, his treacherous intrigues to garner power and provides some insight into his agrandizement to power...he wanted the presidency. Malone packs a lot into this 488 pages, but then, its 488 pages.
It will lead me to read more on Hamilton from other sources and finish the six volumes on Jefferson.
A highlight in Jefferson and the Rights of Man is the story of the germination of the hostility Hamilton had for the writer of the Declaration and portrays the ruthlessness of the Secretary of Treasury, his treacherous intrigues to garner power and provides some insight into his agrandizement to power...he wanted the presidency. Malone packs a lot into this 488 pages, but then, its 488 pages.
It will lead me to read more on Hamilton from other sources and finish the six volumes on Jefferson.
November 6, 2020
4.5 stars. Volume 2 is just as well written as the first as Malone describes the period from 1784 thru 1792. These are the 5 plus years TJ serves as ambassador to France followed by his term as Secretary of State during GW’s first term.
No discussion of slavery here.
It is interesting to compare Malone’s description of the origin of the Hamilton-Jefferson conflict to that of Ron Chernow in his bio of Hamilton. Quote:” Jefferson’s pro french bias prevented any real progress from being made in Anglo American relations during his tenure at State”(page 395).
TJ’s results were impacted by much more complicated reasons than simply personal bias, as Malone takes pains to explain.
This just reinforces my theory that biographers can’t help but make interpretations of their historical subjects in a favorable light despite trying to be neutral.
No discussion of slavery here.
It is interesting to compare Malone’s description of the origin of the Hamilton-Jefferson conflict to that of Ron Chernow in his bio of Hamilton. Quote:” Jefferson’s pro french bias prevented any real progress from being made in Anglo American relations during his tenure at State”(page 395).
TJ’s results were impacted by much more complicated reasons than simply personal bias, as Malone takes pains to explain.
This just reinforces my theory that biographers can’t help but make interpretations of their historical subjects in a favorable light despite trying to be neutral.
December 18, 2020
Yes I know it was written a while ago, but there's a passage that occurs when Jefferson returns from France in which the "darkies" (to be fair I don't remember if it actually uses this misbegotten word) rush down the hill to meet their master on his return. The evidence for this cited in the story seems pretty dodgy -- it's mostly inferred; and the author doesn't seem at all skeptical about it. It would be interesting certainly if it actually happened, but couldn't Professor Malone make a quick survey to see if similar occurrences happened with other major figures? If yes, I guess I'll have to accept the correction.
September 30, 2022
Malone has definitely hit his stride in this second volume. Much more readable, organized, and entertaining than the first.
As others have said, Jefferson commits no sin that Malone won't excuse. You wonder if Hamilton is getting as fair a shake as he deserves, and if Jefferson really is as pure of heart as Malone makes him out to be.
Still, who wouldn't want to read about France right before the Revolution through the eyes of Jefferson? And it is exciting to watch Hamilton's machinations and see the beginnings of debates that still occupy us. All of it presented with skill and thoroughness.
As others have said, Jefferson commits no sin that Malone won't excuse. You wonder if Hamilton is getting as fair a shake as he deserves, and if Jefferson really is as pure of heart as Malone makes him out to be.
Still, who wouldn't want to read about France right before the Revolution through the eyes of Jefferson? And it is exciting to watch Hamilton's machinations and see the beginnings of debates that still occupy us. All of it presented with skill and thoroughness.
August 17, 2020
This is the second volume of Malone’s six volume biography of Jefferson. It is, as you may imagine, very detailed and well written given the style of its period. Its main weaknesses are a reluctance to violate Jefferson’s privacy (a four month gap in the biography during 1792 is stated to be a period in which he was engaged in personal matters and family illnesses), and his partisanship in regard to Jefferson’s political battles. He does not seem to feel that a biographer and historian needs to strive for objectivity.
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