Overview

Nearly two centuries after his death, Thomas Jefferson continues to be the subject of competing claims about his public policy and private beliefs. In Getting Jefferson Right: Fact-Checking Claims About Thomas Jefferson, two conservative scholars examine key claims frequently made by religious conservatives about Thomas Jefferson. Using Jefferson's correspondence, accounts of Jefferson's contemporaries, and other primary sources, Throckmorton and Coulter separate fact from fiction. In earlier editions of Getting Jefferson Right, the authors debunked claims made by Christian nationalist David Barton. In this third edition, Throckmorton and Coulter broaden their scope to include additional false claims about Jefferson and respond to criticisms of their past work. They also widen their analysis of Jefferson's religious beliefs, his role in expanding slavery, and his view of separation of church and state. Throckmorton and Coulter take on the following questions and much more: -What did Jefferson mean by wall of separation between church and state? -Did Jefferson and other Founders finance a Bible in 1798 to get the Word of God to America's Families? -Was Jefferson an orthodox Christian? -Did Jefferson approve laws providing federal funds to evangelize Indians? -Did Jefferson edit the Gospels of the New Testament to remove supernatural sections he disagreed with? -Did Virginia law keep Jefferson from freeing his slaves? -Did Jefferson father children with Sally Hemings? -Did Jefferson attempt to influence the creation of the Bill of Rights? -Did Jefferson recite a prayer for the nation each morning during his presidency? The aim of the authors is to get Jefferson right.

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Praise for Getting Jefferson Right: If the United States survives this latest surge of Christian nationalism -- the mistaken notion that America is and always has been a Christian nation -- no small measure of credit will be due to Warren Throckmorton and Michael Coulter. Their work in uncovering and exposing the falsehoods perpetrated by David Barton and the Religious Right is nothing short of heroic. These historical distortions strike at the heart of America's genius, the First Amendment and the separation of church and state, and if we as a nation follow the course Barton and others prescribe, both individual liberty and religious integrity will suffer. Calmly, patiently, and painstakingly - without favor or rancor - Throckmorton and Coulter dismantle the lies and the distortions that have fueled the misguided push for Christian nationalism. -Randall Balmer. Episcopal priest and John Phillips Professor in Religion, Dartmouth College One fundamental mark of Christians, especially in our politicized and polarized age, should be that they insist on truth versus partisan lies. Throckmorton and Coulter offer conclusive proofs of how partisanship led to promoting popular falsehoods that exaggerate the roles of Christianity in America's founding. Anyone seeking an accurate understanding of that history should read this engaging volume, Getting Jefferson Right. -George Marsden, Professor Emeritus of History, Notre Dame University Getting Jefferson Right is an excellent example of the art of historical contextualization, of trying to tell the whole story, not just part of it. For those reasons, the work should become a standard reference. -Paul Harvey, Professor of History, University of Colorado

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