There are some really valuable thoughts in your comment. I just think it's important to resist our social conditioning to seek out excuses for American history and embrace the reality that many of the actions of this country and many of the people who we revere were just flat out awful. As for Jefferson, I think he's an example of the type of person who says pretty things just to get what he wanted. Keeping your children as slaves is just the most disgusting thing I can think of.