This is an examination of Thomas Jefferson through the critical lens of the French Revolution. Conor Cruise O'Brien argues that Jefferson, though enthralled with the ideological mystique of the French Revolution, nevertheless retained a shrewd political pragmatism, skillfully exploiting the Revolution's popularity with the American public. Ultimately, O'Brien suggests, Jefferson's egalitarian ideals came into conflict with his staunch political support for the slave-based southern economy. Following the French-inspired slave insurrection in Santo Domingo, his revolutionary zeal began to cool. The book concludes with an evaluation of Jefferson's current role in the system of American political beliefs.
- ISBN10 1856196372
- ISBN13 9781856196376
- Publish Date 2 December 1996 (first published 15 November 1996)
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 10 September 1999
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher Vintage Publishing
- Imprint Sinclair-Stevenson Ltd
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 320
- Language English