In the early 2000's Derek Baxter was feeling stifled by his job as a lawyer. He had been interested in American History as a student, and was intrigued when he found out about a short book by Thomas Jefferson that was a travel guide for Americans in Europe. Over the course of 8 years, he and his young family endeavor to recreate some of Jefferson's experiences in Europe by visiting places he went and trying things he did. At first it is fun to go to France's wine country and sample fine wines, or go to England and visit famous gardens, but as Baxter continued to try to better understand Jefferson, he kept running into the fact that, although Jefferson was a champion of liberty, he depended on enslaved workers to maintain his lifestyle. This book is a record of the Baxter families effort to not only come to know Jefferson, but also learn more about the people who were robbed of their freedom so that Jefferson could become a famous founding father.
Here is another book on the America 250 list. I enjoyed it quite a bit. The writing is candid and engaging. Some of Baxter's adventures in Europe are fun and funny. When he has to wrestle with the stark reality of Jefferson's shortcomings, instead of flinching, he leans into it and accepts the challenge of taking on tough issues. I love that he includes his children in his wrestle as they visit the slave quarters at Monticello and learn about Jefferson's children with Sally Hemmings. I think the book is a good model for white people to start to be aware--and help their children be aware--of the role that enslaved workers played in the early history of the United States. (416 p. 2022)
No comments:
Post a Comment