Question

remembering thomas jefferson: a two - sided story
thomas jefferson is a very important person in american history. he was the third president of the united states. he wrote the declaration of independence and was one of the founding fathers of our country. his ideas about freedom and democracy are important. but, when we talk about jefferson, its important to remember that he had some ideas and did some things that were not fair or right.
even though jefferson spoke about freedom and rights for all, he himself owned slaves. this means that while he was president, he had people working for him without pay, who were not free to leave. this included children, and it even included a woman named sally hemings, who had children that were also jeffersons. this shows us that, even though jefferson wrote that all men are created equal, he did not treat everyone that way.
jeffersons time as president was filled with arguments about slavery. people disagreed about slavery for many reasons: some thought it was wrong and unfair, others thought it was necessary for the economy, and some had racist beliefs that justified slavery. despite these arguments, jefferson did not free his slaves, and his actions continued to support slavery.
to really understand this part of history, we need to remember to listen to the stories of the people who were enslaved and other groups who were treated unfairly. their experiences can teach us a lot about what life was like during slavery, and about the unfairness that continued even after slavery ended. when we learn about thomas jefferson, we need to remember both the good things he did, and the ways he treated people unfairly. this helps us understand our history better, and helps us work towards making sure everyone is treated equally.
directions: use the source above to respond to the following question:
which of the following claims can be made using the underlined evidence in the reading?
a. thomas jefferson fully embodied the principles of freedom and equality that he wrote about in the declaration of independence.
b. thomas jefferson, despite his contributions to american democracy and independence, was also a slave owner and did not apply the principles of equality to everyone.
c. thomas jefferson was an advocate for the abolition of slavery throughout his presidency.
d. thomas jeffersons principles and actions were solely based on the ideas of freedom and equality.

Explanation:

The text states that while Jefferson wrote about freedom and equality in the Declaration of Independence, he himself owned slaves and did not apply these principles to everyone. This shows that despite his contributions to American democracy and independence, he was also a slave - owner who did not fully apply the principles of equality.

Answer:

b. Thomas Jefferson, despite his contributions to American democracy and independence, was also a slave owner and did not apply the principles of equality to everyone.