Though Jefferson certainly used a mélange of ideas to create his masterpiece, he is not the only great author to have done so:
It is known that Martin Luther King Jr. plagiarized not only the majority of his academic papers, but also his dissertation. He also plagiarized portions of many of his speeches, including his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.
The famed H.G. Wells is also known to have plagiarized large portions of his work.
Though these men's plagiarism is certainly not to be excused, when considering the context of Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence, it can certainly be understood. Was Jefferson supposed to cite Hobbes, Locke, and the other sources he used in MLA format? Or perhaps APA? Certainly not. There was no time for footnotes considering the urgency with which he was writing.
I think we should give Tommy a break. I'm not saying he was perfect (after all, most of you are probably aware of his affair and illegitimate children with slave Sally Hemings), but he increased the size of our country by almost half (with the Louisiana Purchase) and wrote the Declaration of Independence.
Mollie,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your post. Whether or not he plagiarized should attract attention, however; the overall impact that he had on America and our future should be the main focus. On a personal note, I feel that Jefferson's plagiarism shouldn't be criticized. Connections between the Declaration of Independence and George Mason’s draft of the Virginia Declaration of Rights are apparent. The connection between the two is that "all men are created equal, and have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" (Jefferson). Even though this idea is similar between the two, it is undoubtedly the lesson that Americans should live by. Why is it wrong to publicly announce the way in which Americans should live?
On a further note, I feel that we shouldn't blame Jefferson but we should possibly give Jefferson the credit that he deserves. The ideas and theories may not have been his own, but when no one steps up to write one of the most important documents in United States' history, he took the challenge.
Let's not forget the fact that along with Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston supplied the main ideas and points of the Declaration. After the first original draft was written by Jefferson, the Declaration was, "Revised first by Adams, then by Franklin, and then by the full committee, a total of forty-seven alterations including the insertion of three complete paragraphs was made on the text before it was presented to Congress on June 28" (Declaring Independence: Drafting the Documents). Therefore, to solely blame an individual would be incorrect. If there should be someone to blame, the entire committee should be at fault (not saying I believe anyone is at fault).
We can possibly relate this post to dirty hands. Even though Jefferson may have used others ideas and thoughts (dirtying his hands) he still was able to achieve freedom and liberty for America. So was Jefferson totally in the wrong?
I completely agree that we should give Tommy a break due to his political record. He accomplished incredible things in his time in office (i.e. he increased states' rights, he gave America independence, Louisiana Purchase, he increased trade, and brought liberty and peace to America). All in all, I believe Jefferson is not to blame.
Articles Used:
"Declaring Independence: Drafting the Documents." Library of Congress, 23 July 2010. Web. 29 Oct. 2012. .