Rebecca’s Reviews > The Portable Thomas Jefferson > Status Update

State of Virginia was an absorbing illumination of Jefferson's thoughts on many political, social and cultural subjects. Some of his observations (especially on slavery and the comparison of black to white merits) are tortured and uncertain, betraying his internal anguish, and some are delightfully wry (commentary on local architecture). Ensconced in a fair bit of trivia, it was well worth reading.

Jefferson really struggled with his need to categorize, including people, and his innate belief in human equality. While he briefly acknowledges that the suffocating conditions of slavery would impact the opportunities for a brilliant black person to rise to notice, he soldiers on continuing to cite the immediate examples of mediocrity and pettiness that he observes in the enslaved community around him.

Detailed lament about Virginia's government and legislative process, including an interesting commentary about the keenly-considered proposal to install as governor an appointee with dictatorial powers. It didn't pass, but it was evidently popular and came close.