"Negro President"

Fascinating portrait of the early years in our political history.  The "Negro President" in the title is Thomas Jefferson, so called because he was elected on the backs of the slaves who counted as 3/5 of a person when figuring out how many representatives a state got in the House, which ultimately decided the Presidency back then.  It also contains a good description of Thomas Pickering, a long-forgotten abolitionist champion, who fought Jefferson's power grabs at all turns.  Yet another non-flattering Jefferson portrait, to go along with the one I read in a recent book on Adams, Jefferson, Washington and Hamilton, the title of which escapes me.  But it was interesting to see the struggles of the young nation, as it tries to find its way using the unprecedented legislative process.  A little disjointed though, as I guess it was adapted from magazine articles and talks WIllis gave, but still a good read nonetheless.

"Negro President": Jefferson and the Slave Power

Garry Wills