The Jefferson Lies: Exposing the Myths You've Always Believed About Thomas Jefferson

This book is very heavily annotated. There are 78 pages of end notes included in the total 346 pages of text (22%). The author demonstrates that many of the contentions of other writers critical of Jefferson are based on single lines or phrases extracted from lengthy historical documents without considering the total context of the documents or are simply quoted from other authors without verifying their authenticity. Barton reprints extensive sections of original documents to show the context of the original document from which the single line or phrase is extracted. For example, in a lengthy letter to his nephew, Peter Carr, a sophomore at William and Mary whom Jefferson had raised as a son following the death of Peter's father Dabney, Jefferson advises Peter to "question with boldness even the existence of God." Secularists and antireligious authors have used this short phrase as proof that Jefferson himself doubted the existence of God. However, Barton prints an entire section of the letter, occupying 3 pages of text, that clearly show that Jefferson was telling Peter to determine for himself the existence of God, rather than simply relying on what he had been taught. A reading of the entire section of the letter leaves no doubt that Jeffferson, himself, had clearly concluded that God did, in fact, exist, and was simply suggesting that Peter examine the facts and make his own personal determination concerning God's existence. Another example of misinterpretation of Jefferson's writings involves the First Amendment regarding "separation of church and state." Many authors, and even the U.S. Supreme Court, have referred to Jefferson as the Father of the First Amendment or the architect of the First Amendment. However, most do not know, or have forgotten that although Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, he was not involved in the writing of the Constitution or the Bill of Rights which contains the First Amendment. In fact, Jefferson was in Europe when those documents were penned. Jefferson later commented on the First Amendment, stating that it was his belief that the purpose of that amendment was to prohibit the intrusion of the government into religion, not to prevent the involvement of religion in government, but he was in no way involved in creating the Constitution nor the Bill of Rights. All in all, although Barton's beliefs are apparent in his writing, the extensive documentation makes it very difficult to disagree with his conclusions when examined from a neutral standpoint.

It is very documented with the real history of Thomas Jefferson! There are so many lies about Thomas Jefferson and this book tells the truth with a very large section of footnotes from history. Everyone should have a copy of this book. Many so called historians have written lies about him, with NO supporting documentation. They have just made up lies to push an agenda. This book breaks down their lies and gives the real truth.

I finished this book yesterday and I’d highly recommend it to anyone interested in factual history that is well documented. David Barton references 969 footnotes tied to documents, usually Jefferson’s own letters to/from other founding fathers, organizations, grandchildren, and other acquaintances, as well as many government documents. The footnote section occupies nearly 25% of the total 364 pages, despite being fine print and all single line spacing. He pulls in full paragraphs and sometimes more for the reader to get full comprehension of the topic and doesn’t “cherry-pick” as do the modern revisionist and his critics.This book is an easy read, yet fascinatingly interesting and educational. Should be a required reading for all high school students. If you buy “The Jefferson Lies” be sure it is this (the latest) version as it addresses many of his critics of his previous version.

This was a very engaging read if you are a student of American history. Mr. Barton does an excellent job of bringing out the authentic Thomas Jefferson, accomplishing this in the manner of a true historian - with countless references and documentation. He takes the time in this book to compare his Jefferson to the image that seems to have taken hold in the last 20 years, providing a very clear contrast in meticulous fashion.While this book debunks some of revisionist history of recent years, it does not simply edify the cardboard cut-out version of greatness either. Barton's Jefferson, based on his complete and fully referenced letters and diaries, is a mortal man whose views evolve over time. Like most human beings , he constantly question's his own beliefs and finds different perspectives with age, perspectives that are often influenced by the times in which he lived.Like most historical books it does have some areas where the author seems to bog down but that could also be dependent on what parts of the Jefferson story you find the most interesting. I recommend this book to history lovers who enjoy going back in time to discover the true depth, humanity, and motivations of those that helped lay the foundation for our country.

In a time when our history and the heritage of Americans is constantly being bowdlerized and rewritten by scheming leftists who would steal BOTH from us, it is refreshing to find such a comprehensive debunking of those myths. The claptrap that is being taught to our kids as "history" in the public schools is part and parcel of this assault on our heritage. Books like "The Jefferson Lies" are badly needed to combat this egregious partisan revision.Barton does an excellent job of debunking the leftist myths, with copious notes and excerpts from historic originals to back up his assertions. An enjoyable and educational read!

An utterly fascinating read. I had always assumed that Jefferson was practically an atheist, or at least a Deist, because he is routinely quoted in small snippets of what he said and wrote, instead of in full context. The fact that he became a practical Unitarian later in life helps explain much of that. He was an amazing man, and this book helps shed light on his deep Christian faith.We all try to make our heroes like ourselves, and since Jefferson is a hero to many, including liberals, he has been re-cast as a deist liberal in the modern world, which is a disservice to history. Mr. Barton's exhaustive supply of primary sources, quoted at full length, easily puts to rest the false notion that Jefferson was somehow anti-religion, or even a deist for that matter.

It was good to read the truth about Jefferson and see the exposure of lies that have been perpetrated against the man.