1996
First Published
3.61
Average Rating
376
Number of Pages
This is an examination of Thomas Jefferson through the critical lens of the French Revolution. Conor Cruise O'Brien argues that Jefferson, though enthralled with the ideological mystique of the French Revolution, nevertheless retained a shrewd political pragmatism, skillfully exploiting the Revolution's popularity with the American public. Ultimately, O'Brien suggests, Jefferson's egalitarian ideals came into conflict with his staunch political support for the slave-based southern economy. Following the French-inspired slave insurrection in Santo Domingo, his revolutionary zeal began to cool. The book concludes with an evaluation of Jefferson's current role in the system of American political beliefs.
Avg Rating
3.61
Number of Ratings
31
5 STARS
29%
4 STARS
35%
3 STARS
16%
2 STARS
6%
1 STARS
13%
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Author
Conor Cruise O'Brien
Author · 11 books
Irish politician, writer, historian and academic. Member of the Irish Parliament for the socialist Labour Party. Member of the Northern Ireland Forum for the United Kingdom Unionist Party, which advocated direct rule of Northern Ireland from London. Virulently anti-IRA.
