Selena Newton

4-1-13
Period 4A

Thomas Jefferson was a very complex individual. He was very intelligent and his beliefs
in the government were evident. Some historians, though, believe Jefferson was an oxymoron.
An oxymoron is a combination of contradictory or incongruous words. Jefferson had two
characteristics that contradicted each other. Jefferson believed in freedom, yet he owned slaves.
His journal entries often talked about condemning the clause of African slavery. Based on some
things found in his journal entries and his home, there is evidence to prove that Jefferson was an
oxymoron.
First, in Monticello, there is a very strange revolving door outside the dining room. One
side had shelves. The other was flat. Food would be brought up from the kitchen in the basement
and place on the shelves on the outer side of the door. Jefferson's guests would see the food, but
not the slaves who prepared the meal. Jefferson wanted to hide his slaves for whatever reason.
Maybe he understood the contradiction between owning slaves and believing in freedom.
Also, Jefferson saw the Native Americans as a problem, but equal to white men.
Jefferson wanted to do the right thing to the Native Americans. Nevertheless, Jefferson upheld
the white man needed to introduce fear in the Indians or the American experiment would fail.
This meant America should have power and principle. Jefferson had wrote man powerful things
about liberty and freedom. He had tried to reach perfection even though he never found it.
Thomas Jefferson also was not too religious. He believed there was God, but he wasn't
Christian. He rejected Jesus' divinity, resurrection, the atonement, and biblical miracles. Over
time, Jefferson's religion became increasingly unconventional. He rejected many precepts
important to Christian belief, including the divinity of Jesus of Nazareth and the concept of the
Trinity, in which God exists simultaneously and co-equally as the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit. He denied the possibility of biblical miracles, including the claim that Mary conceived
Jesus while remaining a virgin and that Jesus was resurrected after death. Jefferson told one

nephew that he should "Question with boldness even the existence of a god; because, if there be
one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear." Despite
saying this, Jefferson maintained a firm belief in a God.
Based on evidence that has been found on Jefferson, it is safe to say he was an oxymoron.
Many of his thoughts contradicted each other. Jefferson's thoughts on government contradicted
his actual thought.