What makes Thomas Jefferson so controversial? - Frank Cogliano

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  • čas přidán 9. 01. 2023
  • Thomas Jefferson was a founding father of the United States - but were his principles outweighed by his participation in slavery?
    --
    Thomas Jefferson, founding father of the United States and primary author of the Declaration of Independence, was part of America’s fight for freedom and equality. But in his personal life, he held over 600 people in slavery. Are his enlightened principles outweighed by his participation in a greater injustice? Frank Cogliano puts this controversial figure on trial in History vs. Thomas Jefferson.
    Lesson by Frank Cogliano, directed by Brett Underhill, PorkchopBob Studio.
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Komentáře • 1,1K

  • @moist_spinach
    @moist_spinach Před rokem +2348

    I love how they don't have a final answer by the end of the video. It's up to us to form our opinions

    • @tecpaocelotl
      @tecpaocelotl Před rokem +57

      That's how the series is established.

    • @moist_spinach
      @moist_spinach Před rokem +27

      @@tecpaocelotl yeah, and I appreciate it

    • @PramkLuna
      @PramkLuna Před rokem +28

      Agreed, it's much more meaningful when you get to decide for yourself

    • @ZOCCOK
      @ZOCCOK Před rokem +12

      @@PramkLuna yup, enables us to think and form a decision for ourselves, after noting the merits and demerits of the said person.

    • @berlotti
      @berlotti Před rokem +11

      Or not… and we just stay with the facts without judgement.

  • @brankin421
    @brankin421 Před rokem +620

    I think the answer is obvious:
    We should appreciate the good things Thomas Jefferson did but not idolize him for them.
    We should also condemn the bad things Thomas Jefferson did but not vilify him for them.
    People are complicated. No one is perfect, especially when you look at them from a modern lens.

    • @lizycole8999
      @lizycole8999 Před rokem +22

      a much better conclusion than the actual video

    • @snakey934Snakeybakey
      @snakey934Snakeybakey Před rokem +27

      That's how historical figures should be viewed in general. Unfortunately, we are taught a dumbed-down version of history today. Case in point; ted-ed's video on the Civil War

    • @vincegreen973
      @vincegreen973 Před rokem +6

      We shouldn’t condemn the bad things about Jefferson dude. He’s a hero and we SHOULD idolize him

    • @vincegreen973
      @vincegreen973 Před rokem +1

      @@lizycole8999 not

    • @vincegreen973
      @vincegreen973 Před rokem +1

      @@snakey934Snakeybakey That is NOT how historical figures should be viewed in general

  • @maxleroux
    @maxleroux Před rokem +2068

    I'm really glad you brought this series back. History is often a lot more complicated and messed-up than most people realize. Maybe you guys should put George Washington on trial next time. For a guy who was historically famous for being unable to tell a lie... he really lied a lot.

    • @theotherohlourdespadua1131
      @theotherohlourdespadua1131 Před rokem +40

      That story most likely never happen. If it did, Washington would have said that at any point in his life. He is not Abe Lincoln who did put on record his honesty...

    • @barbiquearea
      @barbiquearea Před rokem +38

      And from what I've heard Washington treated his slaves on Mount Vernon pretty horribly.

    • @ultimatebishoujo29
      @ultimatebishoujo29 Před rokem +12

      I’m really glad this series got brought back too

    • @Fingolfin3423
      @Fingolfin3423 Před rokem +41

      Adam Ruins Everything is incredibly bias and has a strong political narrative to it. I would recommend not watching his content for educational purposes.

    • @maxleroux
      @maxleroux Před rokem +7

      @@Fingolfin3423 You're not wrong. I've noticed that they focus a little to much on topics related to the U.S.A.

  • @morganhall6459
    @morganhall6459 Před rokem +550

    "Well, I hear Mount Rushmore has a problematic past, too!" Now that's a great line for the Judge to end on.

    • @UlulvarCape
      @UlulvarCape Před rokem +12

      Yeah having a history vs for Lincoln and Washington is something I'd like to see, and I have a positive opinion of both so I wanna see how they go at it

    • @MKassa
      @MKassa Před rokem

      No, it's a subversive turd.
      What's "problematic" is socialist history & its millions of deaths that it's caused.
      It's all about subverting a culture from within to destroy it so that tyrants can usher in yet another failed dystopia just like all the rest.
      Afterall, a revolution is just a circle - you always come back to the same problems that every other ideology has failed to correct as well. It's never about "power to the people" but convincing fools to take power from the people & giving more to tyrants & robbers.

    • @vincegreen973
      @vincegreen973 Před rokem +1

      No it isn’t

    • @yetekt6953
      @yetekt6953 Před rokem +1

      @@UlulvarCape Lincoln and Washington aren’t controversial so there won’t be a video on them.

    • @ErminDedicNT
      @ErminDedicNT Před rokem +6

      @@UlulvarCape And here we go again having Roosevelt playing base 😁

  • @Imperiused
    @Imperiused Před rokem +363

    A new History Versus?! Like your best series? On my birthday? It's too good to be true!

  • @chrisn7986
    @chrisn7986 Před rokem +507

    It's been a while

  • @gamerstheater1187
    @gamerstheater1187 Před rokem +812

    I like how the lawyer isn't trying to demean Jefferson's deeds he's just trying to explain how he wasn't perfect

    • @goldenvulture6818
      @goldenvulture6818 Před rokem +55

      Nobody's perfect

    • @DragonGoddess18
      @DragonGoddess18 Před rokem +56

      Yeah,a lot of people worship the Founding Fathers and ignore the fact they did anything wrong,much less thought they had unpleasant flaws

    • @night6724
      @night6724 Před rokem +18

      @@DragonGoddess18 They we’re products of their times

    • @MKassa
      @MKassa Před rokem

      @@DragonGoddess18 - No, that's what the socialist, revisionist tyrants are trying to claim - as if they dug up all this "secret", past info themselves to expose their natures...
      As with anything else, you don't want to scar small children with history's unpleasantness so you start out with small facts, then as people get older, they're exposed to more info to form a more complete picture.

    • @lizycole8999
      @lizycole8999 Před rokem +5

      you're being sarcastic, right?

  • @bakhtawartaimoorahmed5602
    @bakhtawartaimoorahmed5602 Před rokem +529

    I'm glad they brought this series back. Another thing I am happy to see is that someone finally mentioned the point of measuring historical actions with the measuring stick of today doesn't paint these folks in the best light

    • @ultimatebishoujo29
      @ultimatebishoujo29 Před rokem +1

      I’m with you there

    • @terry_the_terrible
      @terry_the_terrible Před rokem +39

      It's a weasel argument.
      For one thing, if we stopped judging people because they had different values then we would never get anything done. The point of law is to judge with a common measuring stick and Andrew Jackson himself wrote that slavery was "a atrocious blight on society" but he was part of the system, he knew how to benefit from this system and the system rewarded him.
      Secondly, his face is still on the bills and his face is on Mount Rushmore and young kids are still taught about his heroics and his ideals are touted as the holy grail of USA democracy. Which means that he's very much part of modern society.
      But you're right. We should judge him according to both his standards and modern standards and not blindly follow propaganda that was taught to kids since the 1800s.
      And the conclusion should be something like this:
      Andrew Jackson:
      Important president, successful president, popular president*
      *But only for white voters at the time. Had the chance to make a difference but kept quiet so he could stay in power.

    • @andrewclarke7368
      @andrewclarke7368 Před rokem +12

      Applying today's standards is wokism at its worst. Enough already. It's nonsense.

    • @callnight1441
      @callnight1441 Před rokem +15

      Its a bit of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, yes, one should jugde a person by the standards of the time rather the the ones today as many standards are a product of the common perception of morality. On the other, just because something was a standard, doesnt mean its good. You can still be a terrible person, even if the actions you are committing are seen as normal. Certain things, even if legal, are just too horrible to justify.
      F.e., wifebeating was legal for a long time and even in some cases seen as a husbands right. But, not once am i going to forgive someone for doing it, because thats just something you can't justify

    • @liamgavinwells
      @liamgavinwells Před rokem

      I'd say the best course of action is teaching kids that tells of their heroics and injustices from both our point of view and, more importantly, the views of the people in their region and culture at that time. It was sort of like how I learned about Andrew Jackson. He did defy the Congress causing the Trail of Tears and filled his cabinet with yes-men, but he also got rid of the national bank and was the only president to get rid of the national debt. Racism and misinformation aren't only reasons he was on the $20 bill for so long

  • @LudicrousTorpedo
    @LudicrousTorpedo Před rokem +153

    It took us 500 years to wait for another History on Trial video...

    • @yourethatmantis5178
      @yourethatmantis5178 Před rokem +10

      I can imagined a History on Trial video 500 years in the future. The judge is a robot, and the two lawyers are Futurama heads in jars.

  • @plume231
    @plume231 Před rokem +528

    Hello, can you make History vs. Woodrow Wilson or History vs. Oliver Cromwell, please! By the way, I learned a lot about Thomas Jefferson, thanks!

    • @Ttegegg
      @Ttegegg Před rokem +20

      Woodrow Wilson isn’t really like by contemporary standards. Ronald regan, that Chilean dictator, and argentinas would be more reasonable. (Oh yea president Marcos exist I guess)

    • @jeffreygao3956
      @jeffreygao3956 Před rokem +21

      I would like History vs…
      Oda Nobunaga
      Richard Lionheart
      Leonidas
      Pericles
      Alexander the Great
      Walt Disney

    • @Username12038
      @Username12038 Před rokem +29

      history vs woodrow wilson would be literally overkill for the defense. like, how do you even defend such a person

    • @Dude-xb3xh
      @Dude-xb3xh Před rokem +2

      Richard the lionheart would be very good because he bankrupted England and almost never stayed in it to rule over it.

    • @thetaaaa
      @thetaaaa Před rokem +15

      I'd love to see a vid about Cromwell!

  • @mangagor
    @mangagor Před rokem +376

    Hold It! As a non-american and not exactly an historian, I would just like to say that I think some of the songs in 1776 and Hamilton with him are really good.

    • @lizbizwiz1238
      @lizbizwiz1238 Před rokem +21

      Oh yeah, those songs are a bang for sure

    • @l.n.3372
      @l.n.3372 Před rokem +38

      They're good, but I wish some people remembered that it's just a musical and as such, fictional. There's a lot the musicals don't cover in history.

    • @SlightyLessEvolved
      @SlightyLessEvolved Před rokem +12

      To borrow from another musical:
      "Elphaba, where I'm from, we believe all sorts of things that aren't true - we call it history.
      A man's called a traitor, or liberator.
      A rich man's a thief, or philanthropist.
      Is one a crusader, or ruthless invader?
      It's all in which label
      Is able to persist.
      There are precious few at ease
      With moral ambiguities,
      So we act as though they don't exist!"

    • @5-1biggiebagextrafries
      @5-1biggiebagextrafries Před rokem +9

      Facts😂😂😂😂 Daveed really helped Jefferson’s PR😂😂😂

    • @PramkLuna
      @PramkLuna Před rokem +9

      Daveed Diggs is one of the best actors in Hamilton

  • @thewingedhussar4188
    @thewingedhussar4188 Před 8 měsíci +9

    Their is also one context they forgot to mention.
    The founding fathers legitimately thought slavery was going to end naturally

    • @sisjsjwjwjsjsmjsjssj6285
      @sisjsjwjwjsjsmjsjssj6285 Před 15 dny

      That doesn’t change the fact that most of them owned slaves themselves. I can get why they didn’t want to do anything in the government to stop slavery - it would’ve prevented the US from being able to form, and they felt it was going to end anyway. But if they did actually see slavery as wrong, they could’ve at least freed their own slaves or something like that…

  • @nebraskaninkansas347
    @nebraskaninkansas347 Před 11 měsíci +15

    Actually Jefferson did attempt to end slavery in Virginia and newly acquired NW territory. But was unsuccessful. Yes he was not strong enough in his opposition, but does not mean he didn't hold those ideals.

  • @BelcarrigFarm
    @BelcarrigFarm Před rokem +273

    I'd like to see a history versus on Eamon de Valera. He's quite similar to Jefferson in that he helped found his country but also made many mistakes and is quite controversial

    • @jezalb2710
      @jezalb2710 Před rokem +3

      Very controversial

    • @_TehTJ_
      @_TehTJ_ Před rokem +2

      Irish history is very interesting for me, I hope so too

    • @whideoreviews573
      @whideoreviews573 Před rokem +2

      Oooh yes. VERY much agree on a History vs. de Valera...

    • @mankytoes
      @mankytoes Před rokem +8

      Great shout. Even a lot of Irish nationalists despised de Valera.

    • @antmanatthemoment7233
      @antmanatthemoment7233 Před rokem

      What was so controversial about him? I'm asking genuinely, I don't know

  • @theeth3242
    @theeth3242 Před rokem +144

    "Even if some people considered him a great man in his time, he doesn't have to be an icon in ours", is a fantastic line about the balance of honoring the figures of the past with contemporary morals

    • @night6724
      @night6724 Před rokem

      You realize blacks and Indians owned slaves too right?

    • @Mimi-mq2wj
      @Mimi-mq2wj Před rokem +1

      he was the prime definition of barking no biting. preached but never did

  • @donovansausomeshow1178
    @donovansausomeshow1178 Před rokem +41

    You should History vs Martin Luther! (the monk) Or also History vs Shi Huangdi!
    This is a great and educational series which you should do more often!

  • @danielarivera4412
    @danielarivera4412 Před rokem +128

    I’m glad Sally was in this video. She really deserves to be recognized.

    • @centurionzen1005
      @centurionzen1005 Před rokem +2

      Hear, hear

    • @bunnybird9342
      @bunnybird9342 Před rokem +14

      Yeah even though her depiction (and children's depictions) were historically inaccurate because she was 3/4 white and her children were 7/8 white

    • @jeffreygao3956
      @jeffreygao3956 Před 10 měsíci +2

      @@bunnybird9342 I guess reality is really unrealistic.

    • @slushy711
      @slushy711 Před 8 měsíci +1

      i kinda feel like they shouldve at least mentioned that she was only 14 years old, iirc

    • @exceptionalhistory1955
      @exceptionalhistory1955 Před 7 měsíci +3

      Y'know the evidence for the existence of that relationship is really shabby.

  • @user-bx5iy6do3v
    @user-bx5iy6do3v Před rokem +80

    I'm a Japanese student and reviewing American history for the Common Test for University Admissions next weekend, so it's exactly timely!

  • @markvincentbonachita8950
    @markvincentbonachita8950 Před rokem +53

    "Can we judge historical figures by modern standards?"
    That's powerful.

    • @highcouncil1302
      @highcouncil1302 Před rokem +3

      I would say no but the more closer to modern times they are it's easier to do so

    • @Axelgear2006
      @Axelgear2006 Před rokem +14

      We can, yes. But we don't have to. We can judge them by historical standards too, of Jefferson's contemporary Thomas Paine. Or, heck, why not judge them by the standards of the slaves he kept and ordered whipped and beaten? Can we judge him by their standards?

    • @Atleastihavemydog
      @Atleastihavemydog Před 10 měsíci +2

      Right. Do better is our motto.

  • @_CrissoN
    @_CrissoN Před rokem +58

    Do everything in your power to ensure this History vs series never comes to an end. One of the best i've seen anywhere, unique and forces us to ask important questions about the past and about past historical figures that are celebrated

  • @afrikasmith1049
    @afrikasmith1049 Před rokem +56

    Thomas Jefferson is a prime example of the phrase "If it's only one person who wants to change things for the better then that goal will never come true."

    • @lebarondevalois605
      @lebarondevalois605 Před 6 měsíci +2

      Nope. If he did want to change things 500 people would have been a way he could've.

  • @Joshua_Graham2281
    @Joshua_Graham2281 Před rokem +36

    I like this because it’s a place where both points of view can listen to the other without it turning into a screaming match.

    • @GeneralDonato
      @GeneralDonato Před rokem +3

      I hope this comment section will be the same as well.

  • @oryoruk
    @oryoruk Před 10 měsíci +8

    I think we are overlooking the most relevant contribution of Jefferson, which is injecting the idea of equality into the founding. The same text, the Declaration of Independence, was tremendously influential in both the movement to abolish slavery, and the civil rights movement.

    • @sisjsjwjwjsjsmjsjssj6285
      @sisjsjwjwjsjsmjsjssj6285 Před 15 dny

      No, no we’re not overlooking that. He said those words but didn’t believe them completly; he didn’t consider slaves to be people, and thus didn’t believe the rights of people established in the Declaration of Independence applies to them.
      Also, he didn’t invent those ideas. Plenty of enlightenment thinkers, most notably John Locke, were a great inspiration to Jefferson. Jefferson’s whole rights of life Liberty and the pursuit of happiness were a near replica of Locke’s ideas of life liberty and property. If Jefferson didn’t write those ideas, they still would’ve existed.

  • @stephentomsky9576
    @stephentomsky9576 Před rokem +57

    Glad to see this series again. My favoriter factoid regarding Jefferson is the quote on the Southeast portico of the Jefferson Memorial which refutes the 'Originalism' I feel is too often used today to excuse regressive policies.
    "I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions, but laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as a civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors."

    • @vincegreen973
      @vincegreen973 Před rokem

      It doesn’t refute anything dude

    • @caelumvaldovinos5318
      @caelumvaldovinos5318 Před rokem +5

      @@vincegreen973 Read that again. He is *literally* saying that his views and policies will become obsolete as history marches on and therefore the documents & laws that were made in his time should be relegated to obsolescence

  • @urphakeandgey6308
    @urphakeandgey6308 Před 5 měsíci +3

    One thing I find interesting about American history is how unapologetic it is. Most other countries have long histories and it's very romanticized. After all, most leaders of other countries only had to directly deal with "their people," whereas American leaders had to deal with multiple ethnicities and races from the get go... And they completely fumbled it despite many of them being conscious of their own hypocrisy.
    Americans like to point out their own shortcomings and go "look how far we've come." Most other countries would rather pretend it never happened.

    • @randomcenturion7264
      @randomcenturion7264 Před 3 měsíci +2

      It's one of the things I love about the USA. We will happily cheer "USA No 1" to celebrate, but when it comes down to it, we know we are far, FAR from perfect and that the best we can hope for is trying to do a little better each generation.

    • @bunnybird9342
      @bunnybird9342 Před měsícem +1

      The "greatest country on Earth" doesn't exist. Countries shouldn't compete with each other to see who is the best, but rather each country should try to be the best it can be.

  • @TIME12308
    @TIME12308 Před rokem +14

    Next History vs Otto von Bismarck please.
    Thank you

  • @TheRevanchrist
    @TheRevanchrist Před rokem +9

    been a while since the last case. I love this format when analyzing controversial icons in history.

  • @alejandrosakai1744
    @alejandrosakai1744 Před rokem +16

    History vs. Ideas:
    -Julius Caesar.
    -Ramesses II.
    -Caligula.
    -Hannibal Barca.
    -Julia Maesa.
    -Pericles of Athens
    -Simón Bolívar.
    -Kösem Sultana.
    -Cyrus the Great.
    -Alexander the Great.
    -Kublai Khan.
    -Pocahontas.

    • @stegotyranno4206
      @stegotyranno4206 Před rokem +3

      Cyrus was a pure soul never did anything wrong

    • @awake6009
      @awake6009 Před rokem +1

      they already did a History vs Augustus, and covered the assassination of Julius Caesar in a separate video

    • @alejandrosakai1744
      @alejandrosakai1744 Před rokem +1

      @@awake6009 but never about his conquest of Gaul or his conflict with Pompey!

    • @awake6009
      @awake6009 Před rokem +1

      @@alejandrosakai1744 I know, just saying it's unlikely they'd get around to Julius Caesar any time soon

    • @pauselab5569
      @pauselab5569 Před měsícem

      @@alejandrosakai1744both were very well justified. The Gauls revolted for literally no reason despite Cesar and Labienus being very kind to them since they garrisoned at local tribes. Many swore to help the Romans but ended up betraying them to join Vercingetorix. His conflict with Pompey was also well justified. Pompey was trying to remove him from power in Gaul in direct confrontation with a law passed a decade ago. He then refused mutual disarmament and so Cesar was forced to return to Rome.

  • @dajanicki
    @dajanicki Před rokem +3

    My recommendations for the next one:
    1. History vs. Abraham Lincoln
    2. History vs. Malcolm X
    3. History vs. Catherine the Great

    • @bunnybird9342
      @bunnybird9342 Před rokem +3

      Malcolm X would be very interesting

    • @dajanicki
      @dajanicki Před rokem

      @@bunnybird9342 Especially on the prosecutor’s side.

  • @Soundwaves-fi8dn
    @Soundwaves-fi8dn Před 7 měsíci +5

    "I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." --Thomas Jefferson

  • @onlymoschops3923
    @onlymoschops3923 Před rokem +98

    Hey Ted-ED, as a history geek myself, I really enjoyed this video! :D Loved how you tackled the controversy behind Jefferson.
    By the way, being a Chinese person myself too, do you think you can make a video about the Chinese philosopher Confucius (c. 551 - 479 BC) too? I think he'd be a good candidate. On one side, his philosophy has been credited with achieving peace for ancient China. He's also known for teaching kindness, humaneness, sincerity, and the Golden Rule. He's also known for encouraging education and meritocracy. But on the other side, critics have accused his philosophy of promoting blind obedience, child abuse, and sexism against women. In fact, a lot of intellectuals and Communists hated his guts in the 20th century and accused him of promoting an outdated feudal system that held Chinese society back. And even in the modern day, some critics blame his teachings for producing modern-day issues in East Asia such as a mental health crisis and an outdated education system. Do you think you could tackle that sometime? Thanks!

    • @aaronTGP_3756
      @aaronTGP_3756 Před rokem +8

      Being so influential and with huge positive and negative aspects, he's a perfect candidate for History vs.

    • @curranfrank2854
      @curranfrank2854 Před rokem +6

      Confucius would be an excellent person to do a video on

    • @vincegreen973
      @vincegreen973 Před rokem

      Bruh controversy? No it isn’t. This video is wrong

    • @ryancarter1080
      @ryancarter1080 Před rokem +2

      How could they accuse him of creating an outdated feudal system from over 2000 years ago? Of course its going to be outdated 2,500 years later just about everything from back then is outdated now. That's like blaming the person who invented the first wooden canoe for not inventing a steel engine powered ship with compass and radar, at the time the idea was revolutionary but things change and its up to the people after him to improve, change or discard it, not the man himself.

    • @trungduong4040
      @trungduong4040 Před 3 měsíci

      that's a great suggestion.

  • @Boman751
    @Boman751 Před rokem +10

    I do love the balance between the rights and wrongs that both sides point out about Jefferson. Both admitting the good, and conceding the flaws of Thomas Jefferson, letting the viewer understand he wasn’t perfect, but he wasn’t a tyrannical figure either. In my view, he was a complicated man in a complicated time. There was so much one man can do, but in the time he lived and what he had to deal with in it, I can say for certain that he has done much more good than bad in his life. Could he have done better on some issues? Sure, absolutely. But in a time where so much was against him, he fought tooth and nail to do the best he can with whatever he had and help granted many new freedoms and rights for many people. And he was without a doubt, one of the most important figures in American history and one of the most impactful founding fathers.

    • @bunnybird9342
      @bunnybird9342 Před rokem +2

      I agree with you 100%. Thomas Jefferson was very flawed and honestly does deserve all of the criticism he gets but I still have lots of respect for the guy and I agree with him on lots of things.

  • @aidanrogers4438
    @aidanrogers4438 Před rokem +13

    Glad to see another video from this series! History vs. Saladin would be an interesting one to do in the future.

  • @Porthos240
    @Porthos240 Před rokem +22

    Seriously missed these. No.3 is definitely a tough one.

  • @themuffinman8936
    @themuffinman8936 Před rokem +13

    I would love to see you do History vs Huey Long, he’s a very important figure in American history and very contentious to this day.

  • @WeeWeeJumbo
    @WeeWeeJumbo Před rokem +17

    Judge went "Pardon?!" and I guffawed

  • @carlstawicki1915
    @carlstawicki1915 Před rokem +10

    “Well, nobody’s perfect.”

  • @joed7547
    @joed7547 Před rokem +9

    Thanks for bringing this back, as an Aussie going into the histories of James Cook and Lachlan Macquarie, would be interesting, some great deeds, and absolute atrocious actions, (such as the hanging of aboriginal's on trees for Macquarie's case.

  • @henrylivingstone2971
    @henrylivingstone2971 Před rokem +36

    I think it’s very difficult to pass judgement on Jefferson on his inaction against slavery whilst president. The state of the union following the revolutionary war was rather shaky. While all the states signed the Declaration of Independence some members of the union were growing concerned with the seemingly endless powers of the central government and the sense of losing autonomy.
    So if Jefferson had tried to abolish slavery during his presidency, it is likely that the union would’ve dissolved. Especially since many states stilled relied on slavery as their primary source of income whether it be direct or indirect. No state would abide by policy changes that would threaten their economic independence.
    So you can’t really blame Jefferson solely for the inaction against slavery.

    • @erozionzeall6371
      @erozionzeall6371 Před rokem

      What's your opinion on Lenin?

    • @henrylivingstone2971
      @henrylivingstone2971 Před rokem +9

      @@erozionzeall6371
      He probably had his heart in the right place in the beginning considering what he saw during the Tsarist regime, political suppression was fairly common and it wasn’t uncommon to see people carted away for speaking ill of the ruling class.
      So he much like many other liberally minded young men and women incensed by the decadent and superfluous upper class grew resentful and bitter, as one rightfully would. However, killing the Tsar and his family was probably not the best move he could’ve done to showcase his humanity though that order was not entirely his own.
      Lenin is a weird character in the sense that while he was a dictator he isn’t a dictator that we would expect. He wasn’t totalitarian, his regime might be totalitarian but the man Lenin certainly was not since not all of his orders were carried out in full. Though he was still the first amongst equals.
      But considering political suppression, state sanctioned executions, and armed conflict was common in the newly minted Soviet Union and this all occurred under Lenin’s jurisdiction it can be reasonably argued that Lenin did not start with bad intentions but eventually succumbed to the temptations of power and the inability to maintain his visions for society without using brutal tactics, the same tactics he criticized the Tsars for.

    • @jackluck2538
      @jackluck2538 Před rokem +3

      I agree he couldn't abolish it, but he could have easily freed his own slaves.

    • @henrylivingstone2971
      @henrylivingstone2971 Před rokem +6

      @@jackluck2538
      I agree. Jefferson of course not without his faults. He clearly could’ve cleared his own stock of slaves had he adhered to his own reservations concerning the institution of slavery by he didn’t. For that he will always be remembered.
      However when it comes to the context in the video casting him as an engaged supporter of slavery and his inability to abolish slavery, I think it takes a little more understanding of the political climate of the US in that time to make an informed opinion.

    • @CJ87317
      @CJ87317 Před rokem +3

      Even freeing some of his slaves would have been difficult for him financially. Jefferson was land rich, but actually always in financial debt. Really, the only reason his estate wasn't repossessed at some point was his fame/stature. He needed the plantation to produce or he would have gone into poverty. Or, he could have sold some/most of his slaves off to get back to even, but that wouldn't exactly endear him to modern audiences either.
      Complicated, but essential, man.

  • @weizhanghao5126
    @weizhanghao5126 Před rokem +8

    This is an insane series; hope to see more of it. Thanks TED-Ed!

  • @nathanpaulbonzon1670
    @nathanpaulbonzon1670 Před 11 měsíci +4

    Can you do a video of History vs. Alexander the Great please, I always wanted to see what was Alexander's life and background

  • @missshaolina7286
    @missshaolina7286 Před rokem +7

    It’s so awesome to see this series come back!

  • @asperRader
    @asperRader Před rokem +2

    I'll admit to coming into many of these videos with an opinion already formed and set, but it is good to figure out what the opposing side thinks, what their arguments are. Please continue this series!

  • @FortyJester
    @FortyJester Před rokem +4

    Im so happy you guys brought this series back!!

  • @pbh9195
    @pbh9195 Před rokem +3

    Ahh it's been a while since released one of these. Always love this series

  • @cwolvie
    @cwolvie Před rokem +9

    As Frederick Douglass said in his Epic Rap Battle with TJ: "Man, you did some good things; I ain't denying your fame/I'm just saying they need to put an asterisk next to your name!"

    • @bunnybird9342
      @bunnybird9342 Před rokem +1

      Epic Rap Battles of History so cringe.
      Also IRL Frederick Douglass didn't hate Thomas Jefferson

  • @claraallisandra9135
    @claraallisandra9135 Před rokem +4

    I am so glad the series is back!
    If you don’t mind could you put Harry Truman on trial?

  • @cormorantcolors6791
    @cormorantcolors6791 Před rokem +22

    I can’t believe I’ve never watched this series before, it’s such an interesting way to look at these historical debates! I’ll be sure to catch any future episodes.

    • @boymeetworlf3433
      @boymeetworlf3433 Před rokem +1

      Omg this so nice to watch I don't hate Jefferson he did some bad things but nobody perfect we need to look at their historical significance than morals

    • @bunnybird9342
      @bunnybird9342 Před rokem

      @@boymeetworlf3433 I don't hate him either but tbh I really think he had no self-awareness

  • @amethystsavage4018
    @amethystsavage4018 Před rokem +6

    Love it how the music just stopped after he said “flesh and blood”, almost like the orchestra was dumbstruck to hear that he had secret children with his slaves

  • @jarekwrzosek2048
    @jarekwrzosek2048 Před rokem +5

    You gotta make one about Emperor Nero: A promising, strong leader with artistic soul, or a matricidal tyrant?

  • @jepong1768
    @jepong1768 Před rokem +2

    when the world needed this series the most, it come back still as ever great

  • @Rudster14
    @Rudster14 Před rokem

    I have been waiting for a new one of these for years!

  • @ebonysoldier
    @ebonysoldier Před rokem +13

    Epic Rap Battles of History said it best. You (Thomas Jefferson) let freedom ring, but never picked up the phone" - Fredrick Douglas erb

    • @pisces2569
      @pisces2569 Před 2 měsíci

      Followed by the second best “you did some good things. I ain’t denying your fame. I’m just saying they need to put an asterisk next to your name.”

  • @whideoreviews573
    @whideoreviews573 Před rokem +3

    I hope this can become a frequent series again. Goodness knows how many American presidents probably warrant their own "History vs." videos.

  • @me6405
    @me6405 Před rokem

    I love this series more than any other format of history descriptions pls don't stop it post more vedios weekly or in less than 2 weeks Thank u

  • @luyandzabavukiledlamini4693

    Love this series and good that both sides don't try to demean or belittle each other instead engage in an open argument and actually listen to each other's points

  • @bvillafuerte765
    @bvillafuerte765 Před rokem +3

    Good video as always, before judging the person it is necessary to analyze it according to the laws, morals and duties of the time that lived and the past. I would love you to make more videos on this subject with Hernán Cortés, Francisco Pizarro, Charles 1 of Spain, Isabel 1 of Castile, etc.

  • @HereWeald
    @HereWeald Před rokem +11

    This series is finally back.

  • @samwithsmalleyes5805
    @samwithsmalleyes5805 Před rokem +2

    Oh my god, I did not even know ted-ed made these kinds of series, now I need more!!!!

  • @astyanax905
    @astyanax905 Před rokem +2

    YES!!!! I love this series!! please keep making new ones!

  • @fernsong8558
    @fernsong8558 Před rokem +5

    I loved this series, hope to see more in the future!

  • @lonehiker6648
    @lonehiker6648 Před rokem +5

    are we really applying modern ideas and values upon people 300 years ago??

    • @MutantMonke
      @MutantMonke Před rokem +1

      Slavery was bad forever. Many civilizations millennia old were against it, so there's no reason for one to think a person supporting slavery was not wrong.

  • @ultroytheroy34
    @ultroytheroy34 Před rokem

    I'm so glad this series is back it's what introduced me to this channel

  • @grovercleavland2698
    @grovercleavland2698 Před rokem +5

    It’s been a while since this series was updated. I’m so glad you guys decided to continue it.
    For your next addition to the series may I suggest History vs Francisco Franco? He was was easily one of the most controversial leaders in Spanish history. Maybe even in the history of the world. He did a lot of good and a lot of bad during his time. He’s the perfect historical character for a series like this.

  • @StaySpicy
    @StaySpicy Před rokem +3

    This is a super fun concept! I thoroughly enjoyed this!!! Need more!

  • @TIME12308
    @TIME12308 Před rokem +14

    I love this series keep it up TED :)

  • @lemonman1066
    @lemonman1066 Před rokem +2

    Finally
    I've been waiting about 2 weeks for this

  • @user-fm8em5qd1j
    @user-fm8em5qd1j Před rokem

    I am a high school student in Japan.
    And I am learning English.
    So, if I may be wrong grammar.,I am sorry.
    I appreciate learning English with this channel ‼️❤

  • @bunnybird9342
    @bunnybird9342 Před rokem +5

    Videos I would like to see:
    History vs Winston Churchill
    History vs Confucius
    History vs Mother Teresa
    History vs Gandhi
    History vs Robespierre
    History vs Huey Long
    History vs Malcolm X
    History vs Yuri Kochiyama
    History vs Catherine the Great
    History vs Karl Marx

  • @micow9951
    @micow9951 Před rokem +7

    I'd love a history vs Marie Antoinette video this series is great

  • @willmcalister3733
    @willmcalister3733 Před rokem +1

    I am deeply grateful for this! Thank you guys!

  • @kat4317
    @kat4317 Před rokem +1

    love these videos, please continue this series!

  • @kenan511
    @kenan511 Před rokem +3

    Do Woodrow Wilson! That guy has done way more damage than what most of us realize!

  • @Mackyle-Wotring
    @Mackyle-Wotring Před rokem +5

    I am glad that you brought back the series. Can you do a History vs Jossip Tito episode?

  • @CrowntheGriffin
    @CrowntheGriffin Před rokem +1

    Love this series! Definitely need more keep it coming

  • @dillagi20
    @dillagi20 Před rokem

    I'm glad ted-ed brought this series back. Loved it!

  • @thematthew761
    @thematthew761 Před rokem +7

    Jefferson had many personal problems, but he still is one of my favorite historical figures of the time.

  • @grovercleavland2698
    @grovercleavland2698 Před rokem +7

    Should we judge past leaders and hero’s by modern standards? No. If we did that we would run out of people to look up to.

    • @jeffreygao3956
      @jeffreygao3956 Před rokem +2

      But they shouldn't be absolved of guilt either.

  • @williamsurname4669
    @williamsurname4669 Před rokem

    I've been waiting for 9 months, and I'll happily wait another 9 if necessary. These are great.

  • @Aa-fg6jf
    @Aa-fg6jf Před rokem +2

    best series indeed, more of it please

  • @pouya8221
    @pouya8221 Před rokem +5

    I love this series, so insightful and fun to watch. Thank you for making more!

  • @1.4142
    @1.4142 Před rokem +4

    I like that this video series doesn't just present multiple arguments, but steel-mans both sides instead of strawmaning one side.

    • @night6724
      @night6724 Před rokem

      It could’ve mentioned how blacks and Indians owned slaves

    • @sindhubhadarge3014
      @sindhubhadarge3014 Před 10 měsíci

      What does ironmanning mean?

  • @mikhelBrown
    @mikhelBrown Před 9 měsíci +1

    4:33 *"Pardon?"* 😂

  • @centurionzen1005
    @centurionzen1005 Před 9 měsíci +1

    Yes, we absolutely can judge people by modern standards. How are we supposed to learn from history if we can't condemn people for what they did wrong? I think a better question would be, can we appreciate somebody despite what they did wrong?

    • @bunnybird9342
      @bunnybird9342 Před 8 měsíci +2

      Explanations not excuses. It should be about realistic expectations, not a get out of jail free card. But at the same time, there is a lot of anti-intellectualism on the other end.

  • @jessicajayes8326
    @jessicajayes8326 Před rokem +5

    Jefferson in Hamilton: What did I miss?

  • @nolanbaglietto1430
    @nolanbaglietto1430 Před rokem +6

    Hiya Ted ed, I am from Gibraltar 🇬🇮 and since we were British in 1704, we had (and still have) a lot of political problems from Spain 🇪🇸, especially during the days of the dictator Francisco Franco. I was wondering if you could do History vs Francisco Franco.

  • @macmedia1000
    @macmedia1000 Před rokem

    Thankyou for making another and i hope there's more they are your best work but after all. I don't like that you changed the thumbnails on some of the past ones thou. Oh yes nice jazzy title intro to.

  • @daveteves
    @daveteves Před rokem +1

    I"m so happy this series is back!

  • @Hellysal
    @Hellysal Před rokem +11

    I like the question at the end - can we judge historical figures by modern standards? The answer is - yes AND no. It's important to realize in what times they were living in to try understanding their reasons and actions. But it's also important to notice all the flaws in them so to not put all their views on the pedestal as an example for future generations.

  • @aaronbeamesderfer2389
    @aaronbeamesderfer2389 Před rokem +5

    Even though Jefferson was contradiction. We still have to remember he did help found a country whose basis of ideals, that up until that point had not happened on a grand scale. And now those ideals have shaped the modern world

  • @carlanthony3433
    @carlanthony3433 Před rokem +1

    I'm glad this series is back. It was my favourite from ted

  • @TheMedicatedArtist
    @TheMedicatedArtist Před rokem +2

    I was hoping this series wasn’t dead. Fingers crossed that we get a History vs. Robespierre video.

  • @GG1Productions
    @GG1Productions Před rokem +28

    I've missed this series! Fingers crossed for History v. Ronald Reagan!

  • @RealFoxTrotFox
    @RealFoxTrotFox Před rokem +16

    I like videos like this. We get to see the bad side of historical figures as well as the good, so we can understand how and why they acted and what they did

  • @willfakaroni5808
    @willfakaroni5808 Před rokem +1

    Just as I was thinking about this series a new one comes out

  • @888SpinR
    @888SpinR Před rokem +1

    More of this format please!

  • @plainnan
    @plainnan Před rokem +3

    Exceptional thought provoking video. Thanks Ted -Ed. Pls do History v Winston Churchill

  • @nicolasgarciagallardo3548

    It makes no sense to judge people with todays standards, its like saying that sumerians where incredibly undevelopped because they had no cars or constitutions, its just absurd

  • @Jgaldragon
    @Jgaldragon Před rokem +2

    A huge factor for any of the figures on trial is what they have available and who or what they are up against. And these factors can hinder the person's intended goal and may reach only halfway if they were lucky.

  • @Marsfi16
    @Marsfi16 Před rokem

    My favorite series is back 🙌 thanks Ted-Ed