If there is one subject in school that I wish I had tried harder in, it's history. It wasn't until I was in my early 20s that I realized the importance of understanding the past. And I knew embarrassingly little about the founding of this country until that period of my life.
Now that I understand that original concept of libertarian government that our founding fathers had, I've become a big advocate of it and I consider our Constitution the greatest document ever created other than the Bible. Too bad most people are almost completely ignorant of both documents.
I was really glad when I noticed my son Joshua, now 10, watching Liberty's Kids, a PBS cartoon series about the founding of this country. And last year, shortly before Christmas, I saw "Thomas Jefferson: A Complex Life" on DVD for $1 at Dollar Tree. I bought it both for Joshua and for me.
This 93-minute documentary is a very modestly produced but extremely thorough and interesting biography of our third president and one of our most important founding fathers. It looks like something that would be on PBS but if you can get passed that and judge it merely on substance, I think you'll like it a lot.
The film covers Jefferson from his birth on April 13, 1743 to his death on July 4, 1826 - ironically, the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which he wrote - and places particular emphasis on his political career.
His story is told by historian Dan Dalton, whose narration is very straight forward, though his very advanced vocabulary might be a little too hard for the common man to grasp. The narration is visually enhanced by many photographs, paintings and maps and is backed by classical music.
I learned a lot about Jefferson from this film. Of course, I already knew many of the basics about him and his philosophy but this film goes far beyond that. The vast majority of the information it presents was never in any of my history text books.
It tells not only that Jefferson was the author of Declaration of Independence and our third president but also that he was an initiator of the separation of church and state and an advocate of a bill of rights. It covers his many other political positions, including governor of Virginia and minister to France, where he resided from 1784-89, and vice president under fellow founding father John Adams, who also died on 7/4/1826.
And in addition to his political positions, the film also goes deeply into his political philosophies/influences and his long rivalry with Alexander Hamilton, a proponent of bigger government.
The film also addresses many other aspects of Jefferson's life, including his education, his 10-year marriage to his wife Martha that produced six children and ended in her death, his post-presidential activities and even his personality.
Because of watching this film I'm nor far more appreciative of what an extraordinary man Jefferson was. I know of extremely few people who have displayed such prowess in so many areas. Jefferson was not merely a politician but also a lawyer, architect, violinist, inventor, scientist and the founder of the University of Virginia.
Still, the film doesn't ignore Jefferson's flaws. Like many of the founding fathers, he was a slave owner. He was also deeply in debt for much of his life. But those who want detailed information on the evidence that Jefferson fathered children with his slaves will probably be disappointed. The film only vaguely and briefly addresses that subject.
I recognize that our founding fathers weren't perfect. I certainly disagree with the attitudes that they had toward blacks and women. But I think Rev. D. James Kennedy has a good response to that. He said that while the bulk of our founding fathers were Christians, they had blind spots on some issues but that it was other Christians who led to the changing of attitudes and policies in those areas. And the blind spots of our founding fathers don't invalidate the great ideas for government that they had.
My favorite political writer, Walter Williams, who is black, also shares that view of our founding fathers.
Unlike most of our founding fathers, Jefferson actually wasn't a Christian. He agreed with the moral teachings of Jesus but was actually a deist. Still, I'm in awe of his vast array of skills and his vision of small government.
In conclusion, this comprehensive film doesn't whitewash Jefferson but it doesn't mudsling either. It seems to be very balanced and tasteful, showing us the big picture of this American legend. I strongly recommend this DVD to all. Especially if you find it for sale as cheaply as I did! And if I were a history teacher, I'd show this film to my class! 9/10
Now that I understand that original concept of libertarian government that our founding fathers had, I've become a big advocate of it and I consider our Constitution the greatest document ever created other than the Bible. Too bad most people are almost completely ignorant of both documents.
I was really glad when I noticed my son Joshua, now 10, watching Liberty's Kids, a PBS cartoon series about the founding of this country. And last year, shortly before Christmas, I saw "Thomas Jefferson: A Complex Life" on DVD for $1 at Dollar Tree. I bought it both for Joshua and for me.
This 93-minute documentary is a very modestly produced but extremely thorough and interesting biography of our third president and one of our most important founding fathers. It looks like something that would be on PBS but if you can get passed that and judge it merely on substance, I think you'll like it a lot.
The film covers Jefferson from his birth on April 13, 1743 to his death on July 4, 1826 - ironically, the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which he wrote - and places particular emphasis on his political career.
His story is told by historian Dan Dalton, whose narration is very straight forward, though his very advanced vocabulary might be a little too hard for the common man to grasp. The narration is visually enhanced by many photographs, paintings and maps and is backed by classical music.
I learned a lot about Jefferson from this film. Of course, I already knew many of the basics about him and his philosophy but this film goes far beyond that. The vast majority of the information it presents was never in any of my history text books.
It tells not only that Jefferson was the author of Declaration of Independence and our third president but also that he was an initiator of the separation of church and state and an advocate of a bill of rights. It covers his many other political positions, including governor of Virginia and minister to France, where he resided from 1784-89, and vice president under fellow founding father John Adams, who also died on 7/4/1826.
And in addition to his political positions, the film also goes deeply into his political philosophies/influences and his long rivalry with Alexander Hamilton, a proponent of bigger government.
The film also addresses many other aspects of Jefferson's life, including his education, his 10-year marriage to his wife Martha that produced six children and ended in her death, his post-presidential activities and even his personality.
Because of watching this film I'm nor far more appreciative of what an extraordinary man Jefferson was. I know of extremely few people who have displayed such prowess in so many areas. Jefferson was not merely a politician but also a lawyer, architect, violinist, inventor, scientist and the founder of the University of Virginia.
Still, the film doesn't ignore Jefferson's flaws. Like many of the founding fathers, he was a slave owner. He was also deeply in debt for much of his life. But those who want detailed information on the evidence that Jefferson fathered children with his slaves will probably be disappointed. The film only vaguely and briefly addresses that subject.
I recognize that our founding fathers weren't perfect. I certainly disagree with the attitudes that they had toward blacks and women. But I think Rev. D. James Kennedy has a good response to that. He said that while the bulk of our founding fathers were Christians, they had blind spots on some issues but that it was other Christians who led to the changing of attitudes and policies in those areas. And the blind spots of our founding fathers don't invalidate the great ideas for government that they had.
My favorite political writer, Walter Williams, who is black, also shares that view of our founding fathers.
Unlike most of our founding fathers, Jefferson actually wasn't a Christian. He agreed with the moral teachings of Jesus but was actually a deist. Still, I'm in awe of his vast array of skills and his vision of small government.
In conclusion, this comprehensive film doesn't whitewash Jefferson but it doesn't mudsling either. It seems to be very balanced and tasteful, showing us the big picture of this American legend. I strongly recommend this DVD to all. Especially if you find it for sale as cheaply as I did! And if I were a history teacher, I'd show this film to my class! 9/10