On September 26, 2011, the McConnell Center hosted historian Richard Bernstein to discuss Thomas Jefferson’s legacy in American constitutional theory. Professor Bernstein is the author of multiple books on constitutional history, but has also written a biography of Thomas Jefferson that is regarded as "the best short biography of Jefferson ever written." The lecture was the second installment in the Remembering America: From Colonization to the Civil War Lecture Series. Professor Bernstein’s extensive knowledge of the life and work of the American founder offered an enlightening understanding of how Jefferson’s experiences and career shaped the development of American government.
Professor Bernstein traced the path of Thomas Jefferson from his early political career as a founder and state legislator through his eventual term as Secretary of State and finally as President. One of the most striking views of Jefferson depicted during the lecture was his struggle to reconcile his personal beliefs with his political actions. As a firm proponent of the Bill of Rights and the people’s right to govern themselves, Jefferson struggled to justify his decision to buy the Louisiana Purchase.
In regards to the legacy of Thomas Jefferson, Professor Bernstein told the story of how Jefferson wrote his own epitaph, making sure to include those things for which he most wanted to be remembered. Despite his extensive experience in the executive branch of government, the Founder wanted it known that, “Here was buried Thomas Jefferson Author of the Declaration of American Independence Of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom & Father of the University of Virginia.”
The lecture concluded with the essential question asked of every modern political issue. How would the Founders, in this case Jefferson, react to the political climate of today? Professor Bernstein’s response was that of strict practicality; that no individual from more than two centuries ago would be able to function in our world of skyscrapers and the Internet.
-Danielle Robinette