Beyond Jefferson

“In Beyond Jefferson, Christa Dierksheide considers how Thomas Jefferson’s descendants, white and Black, children and grandchildren, engaged with the complicated legacy of the American Revolution. This story of how Jefferson’s lineal descendants grappled with his legacy is sophisticated and beautifully written. It blends intellectual, social, cultural, and family history in a unique and compelling manner to discuss broad themes relevant to the history of the United States during the nineteenth century and after.”—Frank Cogliano, author of A Revolutionary Friendship: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and the American Republic

“Thomas Jefferson hoped future generations would secure the new nation’s independence, guarantee the equal rights of its enterprising citizens, and thus redeem the American Revolution’s promise. Christa Dierksheide’s eloquent and illuminating life histories of leading members of his own families, Black and white, reveal what became of the nation Jefferson envisioned. Beyond Jefferson is a welcome and timely contribution to our national self-understanding.”—Peter S. Onuf, coauthor, with Annette Gordon-Reed, of “Most Blessed of Patriarchs”: Thomas Jefferson and the Empire of the Imagination