September 9, 2025

A History Lesson

I’m reading an exhaustive (and exhausting) biography of the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson. Whatta guy! He had an impressive education, graduating from William and Mary College in 1762 and then spending five years reading the most detailed law books resulting in passing the Virginia bar and then being admitted to the Virginia Supreme Court . He ran for his father’s seat in the Virginia legislature, won it handily, got bitten by the political bug and never looked back.

He was a complete gentleman farmer, knowledgeable in all aspects of his extensive holdings, always adding and expanding his crops (apples? A whole orchard? Let’s get one!) An expert horseman, he loved riding, in the saddle or driving a one horse shay. He spent time as often as he could, at his plantation, taking care of his mother and five siblings Alas, his favorite sister, Jane, died of smallpox while Thomas was still in college, and for the rest of his life he was a stalwart proponent of vaccination . From this point in my reading, 100 pages in, he goes to Williamsburg and the state legislature and the rest is history.

Or, will we ever learn, you anti-vax people?