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Jefferson's Story
Before his death in 1826, Jefferson worked to define his own legacy. He will always be celebrated for drafting the Declaration of Independence and his inventiveness.
Realization in the 1970s that Jefferson fathered children with his slave Sally Hemmings and later disowned them redefined his legacy.
The principles he expressed -- particularly that "all men are created equal" -- have been turned against him and expose profound contradictions about our nation's founding. |