1. Do you agree with Descartes? Why or Why not?
Happy Monday! 9/21/2015
To Do
Take out your notebook and response to the following quote:
“The greatest minds are capable of the greatest vices as well as of the greatest virtues.”
Rene Descartes
Do you agree with Descartes? Why or Why not?
*virtue: righteousness, respectability, decency
*vice: immoral or wicked behavior

2. Learning Target: I will learn background knowledge about Pres
Learning Target: I will learn background knowledge about Pres. Jefferson so I can understand the DOI

3. Background on Thomas Jefferson
Born: April 13, 1743
Died: July 4, 1826
Birthplace: Shadwell, Virginia
Education: lawyer
Position:
Elected representative of Virginia
Governor of Virginia
Ambassador to France
Vice President of the US,
3rd Pres. of the US
Established University of Virginia

4. Background on Jefferson (cont.)
3rd generation immigrant from England (grandfather immigrated to America from England)
Son of a surveyor and cartographer (map maker)
Considered a “Renaissance Man” = Really Intelligent!
Spoke 5 different languages, read in two
Lawyer, agronomist (sophisticated farmer), musician, scientist, philosopher, author, architect, inventor, and statesmen
Went to college at 16, got a law degree and became America’s first law professor

5. You inspire me John!! <3 <3
Background on Jefferson (cont.)
Considered an “Enlightened” thinker
People who based their ideas/philosophy on scientific reasoning and not religious reasoning
Willing to question popular belief and even challenge his own ideas
Downfall of scientific perspective  savage v. civilized
You inspire me John!! <3 <3
Yeah.

6. Declaration of Independence
Most remembered/famous for writing the Declaration of Independence
Inspired by John Locke’s idea of “Natural Law”
Natural Law: There are certain rights guaranteed to us simply because we are human.
life, liberty and pursuit of happiness
Jefferson’s original draft was very different than the final approved draft
Jefferson wanted to get rid of slavery
Called slavery a, “moral depravity” and “hideous blot”

7. Jefferson’s views on slavery & Native Americans
“Moral depravity…hideous blot”
Jefferson said: “a cruel war against human nature itself, violating it’s most sacred rights of life & liberty in the persons …carrying them to slavery…”
Greatest threat to the survival of the new American nation
Wants to slowly free slaves and send them back to Africa
Did not believe in a bi-racial United States
HOWEVER! He owned 600 slaves!! Only freed 7 of them… slow indeed

8. Jefferson’s views on slavery & Native Americans
“This unfortunate race, whom we had been taking so much pains to save and to civilize...”
Did not see them as equals to the White men
Believed that if American Indians adopted European style way of life (agriculture & living) then they would quickly progress from “savagery” to “civilization”  make them equal to White men
Also by adopting European lifestyle, it could free up hunting land for white settlers to move in & farm
Proposed the “Indian Removal Plan”
Plan options: 1) assimilate to European culture, 2) Move west (by force), 3) Extermination

9. Designed his plantation mansion.
Included secret passage ways and doors so that slaves could move about the house unseen.
INFER: What does this design communicate about Jefferson’s views on slaves?
Monticello
Answer in your notebook!

10. Artist’s imagination of Sally Hemmings
Daughter of a half white half African slave mother.
Half sister of Jefferson’s wife
Slave of Jefferson’s wife
40 year liaison between Jefferson and Hemmings  7 illegitimate children
Artist’s imagination of Sally Hemmings

11. Go back to the quote that we talked about at the beginning of class.
Is Jefferson an example of Descartes’s great minds with great virtues and vices? Does it make you less great if you have great vices?