Uncanceling History & Heroes:
Founding Father, Thomas Jefferson

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

Those immortal words penned by the great Virginian Thomas Jefferson have lit a fire that has burned brightly throughout the world, changing nations, lives and hearts, for the past 250 years. Indeed, it can be said they are the most important words of the entire quarter of a millennium. And for centuries they sealed Jefferson’s place as one of the greatest thinkers, statesmen and philosophers of the 18th and 19th centuries. Indeed, one noted historian has called him “the author of America.”

Dangerously, that precious legacy has come under vicious “revisionist” assault in recent years, as ideologically driven “historians” and others have sought to denigrate the Founder, dismiss his achievements, distort his positions, and even use questionable “science” to besmirch his character. In undermining Jefferson, his enemies know that they will undermine the very foundations of the Republic, including the precious rights he enumerated in the Declaration and his emphasis that government must respect the beliefs and lives of every individual – principles later eloquently articulated in the U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights.

The Virginia Council believes enough is enough. So we were honored to host two of America’s most distinguished Jefferson scholars at historic Hanover Tavern on May 10 for our third Un-Cancelling History and Heroes symposium – focusing on Jefferson, the great Founder.

Our guests included Dr. Mark Andrew Holowchak, a professor of philosophy and history who has taught at institutions including the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Michigan, and Rutgers University. The author of more than 70 books and over 375 published essays, his current research focuses on Jefferson, who has been the subject of 30 of Dr. Holowchak’s books. His acclaimed Thomas Jefferson: Uncovering His Unique Philosophy and Vision presents a vivid picture of the Founder’s enlightened philosophy and clearly shows many of the Jefferson critics to be pushing post-modernist, politically motivated agendas untethered to historical fact.

Our second noted guest was Professor Robert F. Turner, who was a distinguished law professor at the University of Virginia for 32 years and has devoted much of his career in retirement to an unflagging and courageous defense of the Founder. In 2001, Professor Turner edited the report of the Scholars Commission, a respected group of leading Jefferson experts who examined the widely believed allegations that Jefferson fathered one or more children by Sally Hemings, one of his slaves. After a massive review of the evidence, the Scholars Commission report presented conclusions ranging from “serious skepticism” over claims that Jefferson fathered Hemings’ children to statements that the allegations were “almost certainly false.” The Wall Street Journal hailed the report, stating that it “presents a substantial argument for the position that Heming’s paternity is still unknown.” And Alan Pell Crawford, author of Twilight at Monticello: The Final Years of Thomas Jefferson saluted “Turner’s book as a long-overdue corrective, worthy of respect and serious consideration.”

The Virginia Council is pleased to present, in its entirety, video of the seminar, including remarks and presentations by Dr. Ann H. McLean, former vice chair of The Virginia Council; Bill Byrd, vice chair of the Council; Dr. Holowchak and Dr. Turner. We hope you find their presentations interesting and compelling. And our thanks to our friend Buddy Bishop for his superb videography.