Justice for the Past Book

Kennedy was Director Emeritus of the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution and past director of the National Park Service. He spent 50 years studying Jefferson, seemingly become increasingly disenchanted by his subject. In this book Kennedy has written an cognizant, knowledgeable, academic eco-politcal history of Jefferson's influence past the Louisiana Purchase, the good and the bad of Jefferson, his actions, and the consequences of those actions are explained in dry, economical language. I had to spend time remembering what I know and filling in the imagery of understanding. Reading this book was worthwhile work.

Kennedy
1. Shows his readers the nature of Jefferson's character.
2. Describes how the rift between 18th-century and 19th-century worldviews left some behind, brought others forth, and changed others completely (such as Jefferson).
3. Describes the damage Jefferson's encouraging the plantation system did to the expansion of slavery and to our eco-system
4. Tells how we have have our memories of Jefferson, allowing us to remember him as we improve our world through thr Homestead Act of 1862 and t the Morrill Act if 1862