Originallypublishedin1898,ThomasJeffersonaclassicbiographyofthemanwhosodeeplyingrainedtherepublicanidealsoftheFoundingFathersintoAmericansociety.Assuch,itisthekindofworkthatavoidsthetrapofnoticingeverythingthatwentunnoticedinthepastwhilefailingtonoticeallthatthepastdeemednotable.Immediatelylaudedbythecriticswhenitwasfirstpublished,JohnT.Morse’sbiographyofJeffersonwasembracedbythereadingpublic.Today,itsrepublicationisawelcomeopportunitytoremindleaderstodayofthegreatstoryoflibertythatenabledtheyoungAmericannationtobecomeanundisputedworldpowerandabeaconoffreedomtooppressedpeopleeverywhere.ThomasJeffersonwasabrilliantandcomplexmanwhowaspracticallybornintoAmerica’srulingelite.HeservedintheVirginiaHouseofBurgesses,intheContinentalCongress,asambassadortotheFrenchcourt,asgovernorofVirginia,assecretaryofstateunderGeorgeWashington,asvicepresidentunderJohnAdams,andaspresident.TheauthoroftheDeclarationofIndependence,hewasalsothefounderoftheUniversityofVirginiaandestablishedtheLibraryofCongress.Despiteallthesecredentials,Jeffersonwashardlyconsideredamemberoftheestablishmentofhisday.Indeed,hewasbestknownasarevolutionarypopulist.Whenhewonthepresidentialelectionof1800,itwasdubbedakindofbloodlessrevolution.““Hebroughttothepresidencyaphilosophyofrepresentativegovernmentfirmlyrootedintherightsandlibertiesofindividuals.Asaresult,hehelpedtodramaticallychangethecharacterofthenation.““
