00000nam a2200000 a 4500 Ellis, Joseph J. aut Verfasser/-in Amerikanische Literatur Thomas Jefferson American Sphinx The Character of Thomas Jefferson Joseph J. Ellis New York Vintage Books 1998 Following Thomas Jefferson from the drafting of the Declaration of Independence to his retirement in Monticello, Joseph J. Ellis unravels the contradictions of the Jeffersonian character. He gives us the slaveholding libertarian who was capable of decrying mescegenation while maintaing an intimate relationship with his slave, Sally Hemmings; the enemy of government power who exercisdd it audaciously as president; the visionarty who remained curiously blind to the inconsistencies in his nature. American Sphinx is a marvel of scholarship, a delight to read, and an essential gloss on the Jeffersonian legacy. 9780679764410 9780679764410 0679764410 0679764410 440 S.