Ellis concludes that Jefferson held a central core of convictions his entire life, even though they were contradictory and became increasingly hysterical in his retirement. The book ranges from Jefferson’s writings on the causes and goals of the American Revolution as exemplified in the Declaration of Independence through his term as Ambassador to France, his time in Monticello between serving as Washington’s Secretary of State and becoming President, the eight years of his Presidency and ending with his final years at Monticello, his correspondence with John Adams and founding of the University of Virginia.

The result is a masterful portrait of a complex man - as well as a cautionary tale on the challenges of the historian’s task in connection with Ellis’s attempt to size up the evidence on Jefferson’s relationship with Sally Hemings, as discussed below.

Rather than give us a traditional biography, Ellis makes deep dives into the significance of his actions/thoughts in those key episodes and fills in as necessary any gaps in the biography that remain. The combination of Jefferson’s romantic political vision, an unwillingness to let reality change that vision, his mixed success at implementing his vision into reality, his reliance on self-delusion, and the deception of others, to avoid facing his many contradictions and to achieve his political and personal ends - all contribute to Jefferson being an enigmatic figure.Įllis seeks to unearth Jefferson’s true character through examination of both his strengths and flaws as manifested in several key periods in his life.

The title of Joseph Ellis’s book examining this figure is well-chosen. Thomas Jefferson was probably the most complex and conflicted of those individuals who played a significant role in the founding of the United States of America.

American sphinx joseph ellis