Thomas Jefferson was a man of the greatest moral character who has been excoriated routinely over the last 30 years by historical revisionists and presentists. His commitment to America and his vast contributions to the framing of society as it is today are overlooked in favor of base analysis of his character that, while not flawless, is that of a morally upright person who has deeply held convictions and lives by them. Jefferson was born to a prominent family of Virginia tobacco growers. Plantation life is based largely around the work of slaves, so Jefferson was surrounded by them from...
not lust after her solely on a physical basis; also, he promised his wife when she died that he would not remarry. He fulfilled his promise only because he found a woman to love whom he was not expected, indeed not allowed, to marry. This is a weak front on which to criticize Jefferson.

Given Jefferson"s contributions to American society, it is almost impossible to find him to be morally weak and coarse. Those who do are presentists, cynics, and nay-sayers who are simply looking for a way to criticize one of the greatest Americans who has ever lived.