"American Sphinx" by Joseph Ellis is an excellent book about Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence and a man of astonishing achievements. However, it is not a standard biography of Jefferson and it is not a good introduction to Jefferson, because it does not tell some of the most important history involving Jefferson. Instead, "American Sphinx" is a well-written critique of Jefferson.
I strongly suggest R. B. Bernstein’s concise, yet excellent, biography Thomas Jefferson for a great introduction to Thomas Jefferson. That unbiased book is the best brief biography of Jefferson. Then read American Sphinx as a second book. Also consider Dumas Malone’s Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of Thomas Jefferson(six volumes). So many important things about Jefferson are missing from "American Sphinx."
Ellis previously wrote a fine biography of John Adams to revive the reputation of Adams(deservedly so), overshadowed by Jefferson. Adams and Jefferson bitterly disagreed on some issues, and Ellis admittedly agrees more with Adams. Therefore, it is no surprise that readers come away with a less than impressive opinion of Jefferson after reading "American Sphinx". Ellis is brilliant and accurate, but some favorable aspects of Jefferson are missing.
Ellis states in his biography of Jefferson, "My approach is selective. to focus on the values and convictions that reveal themselves in these specific historical contexts. Our chief quarry, after all, is Jefferson’s character, the animating principles that informed his public and private life." Ellis selectively emphasizes Jefferson’s contradictions.
Ellis even writes that some people recorded that Jefferson’s eyes were clear blue, while others(and portraits) suggest that they were hazel or green - a contradiction! So? Jefferson’s achievements and how he achieved them - sometimes through wily political maneuvers - are more important.
"American Sphinx" struck me as the equivalent of a book about Mozart’s public persona. Would that be a representative account of the life and music of Mozart, as well as the historical impact of his work? Jefferson should be judged by his achievements, and he achieved so much, even if he could be wily and hypocritical.
Thomas Jefferson was an architect(including Monticello), inventor, musician, prolific writer, scholarly lawyer, and observant scientist(in several fields). He once said, "I cannot live without book." He achieved the Louisiana Purchase, the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which really matched his keen interest in natural science, and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, which embodied Jefferson’s deep convictions about religious freedom. Yet Ellis hardly covers these fascinating aspects in detail. Jefferson was a planter farmer, author, governor of Virginia, foreign diplomat(and celebrity abroad), secretary of state, president, co-architect of Virginia’s constitution, founder(and architect) of the University of Virginia, political philosopher, vice president, and much more.
Jefferson believed in the enlightened rights of man as reflected in the Declaration of Independence, and he advocated the Bill of Rights to ensure that they were specifically expressed in the Constitution. Jefferson more than any other major leader of the Revolution believed in those lofty ideals, which were radical for the time and which Ellis correctly points out could be naively optimistic. Jefferson was a revolutionary and a dreamer.
He also was a legal reformer, supporter of the arts, and a public education advocate - far ahead of his time. He believed in equal opportunity in the context of his time, although he could be quite arrogant towards those of lesser achievement and, like almost everyone else at that point in American history, did not yet believe that women and people of color were equal in civil matter. As president, he was a splendid head of state. Yet these details are hardly covered by Ellis.
Jefferson’s most enduring achievement is the Declaration of Independence. Although Jefferson borrowed from ideas circulating in the colonies, Ellis writes generously that "The vision he projected in the natural rights section of the Declaration of Independence, then, represents yet another formulation of the Jeffersonian imagination. The specific form of the vision undoubtedly drew upon language Locke had used to describe the putative conditions of society before governments were established. But the urge to embrace such an ideal society came from deep inside Jefferson himself. The American dream, then, is just that, the Jeffersonian dream writ large." Jefferson was a man of ideas and ideals.
Jefferson sincerely introduced a radical measure into Congress to completely ban slavery in any of the non-original states. Unfortunately, the measure fell short by just one vote. Devastating! Think about what history would have been like had Jefferson achieved that goal. Few people in American history did more to further the long-term cause of freedom than Jefferson.
He articulated the American creed of "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" and then worked diligently to ensure that it was cemented into the fabric of America’s political tradition.
Abraham Lincoln was deeply motivated by Jefferson. When the Missouri Compromise unraveled and the south began to export slavery westward, Lincoln was livid. He was willing to accept slavery in the southern states, but he would not tolerate slavery expanding westward. Lincoln’s position was Jefferson’s position(or what Lincoln believed to be Jefferson’s position). Lincoln borrowed from Jefferson’s own words to define the meaning of the Civil War. Lincoln said, "Four score and seven years ago, our founding fathers brought forth to this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the principle that all men are created equal. this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom." Read a good biography of Lincoln.
Some of Jefferson’s ideas as president were bad. Fortunately, his advisors talked him out of many of his bad ideas. His second administration was not very good. He also was probably a better person in his younger years, becoming viciously politically motivated in later years to defeat Hamilton.
Jefferson quit his sincere fight in his early years against slavery once he experienced a severe collapse in his financial condition and realized that slavery was a lost cause. He tried his best and then moved on. Why destroy yourself socially and financially for something that has no chance of success? He considered African American to be inferior racially, which is not surprising considering the slaves he saw were deprived of education like that he had, and his views back then, in today’s different world, would be considered racist. He late in life became paranoid and feared a slave rebellion, which caused him to become an advocate of states rights, and a different view than the outspoken opponent of slavery in his younger years.
The brilliant Jefferson learned to be a cunning politician. He could tell one person one thing and another person a different thing. To survive in the very nasty political arena, he had to be clever. Mobs would tar and feather people. Thousands died in the revolution. Economic interests had considerable power. Other founding fathers had strong wills and very different ideas.
Alexander Hamilton praised the virtues of monarchy and resisted a Bill of Rights. Under a fake name, Hamilton savaged Jefferson with vile and false newspaper commentaries, and Jefferson in return the same.
John Adams disagreed with Jefferson’s democratic vision for America. Adams held a dim view of human nature(not without some truth) and thought that Jefferson’s democratic ideas were radical. The Federalists, such as Adams and Hamilton, were distrustful of the people and wanted America ruled by a small group of elites. This caused a break between Jefferson and Adams, who had been good friends.
Thomas Jefferson was George Washington’s secretary of state, the most prestigious position besides president. But Jefferson resigned after sharply disagreeing with the Federalists in Washington’s administration, especially Hamilton. Hamilton’s economic ideas were brilliant(read "An Empire of Wealth" by John Gordon Steele) but Jefferson the revolutionary was suspicious of Hamilton’s motives and ruthless tactics.
When Vice President John Adams became president and turned into an autocrat through the Alien and Sedition Acts, Jefferson’s worst fears were confirmed. So he ran for president and defeated Adams in a very nasty campaign by both sides. It was a bitter political struggle and Jefferson won.
Ellis skips this explosive era of the Adams administration, and he only passively refers to the outrageous Alien and Sedition Acts. Ellis passively attributing them to the Federalists and not specifically to Adams. This works to the advantage of Adams and against Jefferson. Ellis is brilliant but not complete. You really need to read another Jefferson biography first.
Once Jefferson became president, he worked diligently to entrench his Jeffersonian democratic ideals and to wipe out the Federalists. Some historians call this the Second American Revolution. First Jefferson worked hard to establish his ideal of the separation of church and state. Then he used the symbolism of the presidency to promote democratic government for the people. Jefferson hated the corrupt aristocratic order that dominated the European powers, including both the clergy and the aristocracy.(Read Sean Wilentz’s Bancroft Prize-winning "The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln" or Joyce Appleby’s biography of Jefferson.)
Within a short time the Federalists were completely extinct. Briefly there was only one party - the party of Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson the politician was completely dominating - a truly remarkable achievement. His craftiness must be put into this context. He was results oriented - and just look at the results he achieved!
Jefferson also came very close to acquiring Florida, later acquired by James Monroe, his former aid and fellow Virginian. Despite Jefferson’s rhetoric about limited federal power, he actually acted to strengthen the federal government considerably.
"American Sphinx" is a brilliant book and would be a good 2nd read about Jefferson. However, I recommend first reading Bernstein’s brief "Thomas Jefferson. Also consider the insightful Light and Liberty: Reflections on the Pursuit of Happiness or Merrill Peterson’s huge Thomas Jefferson and the New Nation.
One last thought. Ellis is one of the greatest writers on the American Revolution period, and I very much enjoy his books. I highly recommend his books. I simply recommend that you read a standard biography of Jefferson before your read "American Sphinx."