On April 13, 1743 a young child was born into the world that would change the course of American history. This child was the third of ten eventual siblings. His father was born in the Colonies and his mother was born in England and migrated to the Colonies where she met her future husband.
At the age of 5 this child was enrolled in school and at age 9 he began studying Latin and Greek; which led him to also learn French. At the age of 17 this young man began attending college at William and Mary, where he studied mathematics, natural philosophy, and political philosophy. It was at this time this young man was introduced to the writings of those responsible for the Age of Enlightenment. By the time this young man finished his formal education he would read and write in Latin, Greek and French, and had become more than proficient with the violin.
This young man was an avid reader, amassing a large personal library. It is said that he read so often that in 9 days he taught himself Spanish with only a grammar guide and a copy of Don Quixote, and that he also learned enough Italian to be proficient in carrying on conversations in that language as well. He was also interested in agriculture and architecture.
At the young age of 33 this man was chosen to write a document which would become world renowned for its principles on government and liberty.
During the American Revolution this young man was appointed as a Colonel in the Virginia militia and would then go on serve in the Virginia House of Delegates for Albemarle County where he helped write Virginia’s State Constitution.
In 1779 he was elected as Governor for the Commonwealth of Virginia; a position he held for two terms.
After the Revolution ended and America gained its independence, this young man served as a member of the Congress. He was then sent to France as ambassador for the United States to help establish trade treaties with the French.
Upon returning home, this man was then chosen to serve as Secretary of State under our first president; George Washington. When Washington refused to run for a third term, this man was then chosen to be Vice President under John Adams. When John Adams failed to win re-election in a campaign against this man, he then ascended to the presidency; where he served two terms afterwards choosing the quite life of retirement from public affairs.
Quite the resume, wouldn’t you say? Yet this man could NOT get elected to office in today’s political climate. His belief that good government consists of, “a wise and frugal Government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned…” would not go over well in a society that expects government to do all the things it currently does.
Who is this man? Why, it’s none other than Thomas Jefferson; the man who President John F. Kennedy said the following about to 49 Nobel Prize winners, “I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent and of human knowledge that has ever been gathered together at the White House – with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.”
I have to ask; if a man with so many accomplishments accredited to him could not get elected in today’s political climate, don’t you think that maybe there just might be something wrong with the political climate in America today? Could it possibly be that the problem in America today is not so much with those we elect, but with us for tolerating their violations of our rights and the limits imposed upon their powers?
I have to wonder, with Jefferson’s interest in an educated citizenry, what would he think of preponderance of ignorance that exists in this country today in regards to our nation’s history and its system of government?
~ The Author ~
Neal Ross, Student of history, politics, patriot and staunch supporter of the 2nd Amendment. Send all comments to: [email protected].
If you liked Neal’s latest column, maybe you’ll like his latest booklet: The Civil War: (The Truth You Have Not Been Told) AND don’t forget to pick up your copy of ROSS: Unmasked – An Angry American Speaks Out – and stay tuned – Neal has a new, greatly expanded book coming soon dealing with the harsh truths about the so-called American Civil War of 1861-1865. Life continues to expand for this prolific writer and guardian of TRUE American history.