Negro President

Book cover of Negro President: Jefferson and the Slave Power

Book description

Offers a new look at Thomas Jefferson and his presidency, his election due to the "slave power" vote, the relationship between the power of the slave states and his administration's policies, and the opposition he faced.

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Why read it?

1 author picked Negro President as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Judith Armatta

Author

Books that astound me teach something important I didn't know. After 15 years of schooling, I still have much to learn, which keeps me reading.

In Negro President, I learned that Jefferson achieved the presidency because of the then-clause in the US Constitution that gave slave owners additional votes equal to three-fifths of a person, based on the number they owned. The slaves didn't have a say in it. While Wills admires Jefferson and has written much about him, he reveals how Jefferson helped maintain slavery in the South.

This proves two maxims: 1) we're none of us all good…

From Judith's 3 favorite reads in 2023.