"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
These words, penned by Thomas Jefferson more than 240 years ago, continue to
inspire many Americans. And yet they were written by a man who owned hundreds
of slaves, and fathered six children by an enslaved woman. This week, we talk
with Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Annette Gordon-Reed about the
contradictions in Jefferson's life — and how those contradictions might
resonate in our own lives.
Read more
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
These words, penned by Thomas Jefferson more than 240 years ago, continue to
inspire many Americans. And yet they were written by a man who owned hundreds
of slaves, and fathered six children by an enslaved woman. This week, we talk
with Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Annette Gordon-Reed about the
contradictions in Jefferson's life — and how those contradictions might
resonate in our own lives.
Read less