In a special Independence Day episode of the National Constitution Center’s weekly We the People podcast, scholars Akhil Amar of Yale Law School and Peter Onuf of the University of Virginia join host Jeffrey Rosen for a discussion on the historical legacy of founding father Thomas Jefferson, America’s third president and principal author of the Declaration of Independence. In a National Constitution Center event a few months ago, Professor Amar announced his intention to “break up with” Thomas Jefferson; and in this episode of We the People, we explore why he’s decided to break up with Jefferson—including his actions and views on slavery—and what aspects of Jefferson's legacy deserve defense. Professors Amar and Onuf also explore the positives and negative aspects of his legacy and influence on the country, as well as recommendations on how to understand and study Jefferson today.
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Today’s episode was produced by Lana Ulrich, Bill Pollock, Samson Mostashari. It was engineered by Bill Pollock. Research was provided by Lana Ulrich, Samson Mostashari, Tomas Vallejo, Connor Rust, Rosemary Li, and Yara Daraiseh.
Show Notes: https://constitutioncenter.org/news-debate/podcasts/the-historical-legacy-of-thomas-jefferson
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