Comments for Henry Wiencek

Comment on Contact by Rocky Galgano

Rocky Galgano — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:48:36 +0000

Finished your book and I loved it. I’m always surprised when people praise TJ. Here was a guy who had a knack for putting together phrases from other peoples writing, added a little of his own and came up with the Declaration of Independence. He was investigated for plagiarism by Congress for it, investigated for cowardice for fleeing Virginia when the British came, was a slave master, raped at least one slave repeatedly that we know of (that’s what it’s called in California when a jailer has sex with a prisoner) bullied Congress into buying his library so he could have money to live, and according to your research had slave children beaten when they wouldn’t work. No wonder there’s a monument to him in Washington. Anyway, loved your book. Looking forward to the next one. BTW saw you on Book T.V. Good reply to that woman who tried to discredit you with that ‘will’ thing.

Comment on Contact by Rachel

Rachel — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 02:56:19 +0000

I’m in the middle of reading Master of the Mountain and can’t put it down! Just wanted to tell you how interesting I find your book, how compelling, and how touching. I am very pleased that after 2 centuries, the stories of some of these slaves is being told!

Comment on Smithsonian Magazine cover story on “Master of the Mountain” by Peggy Seats

Peggy Seats — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 23:39:33 +0000

Henry Weincek is a brilliant historian and author who has the audacity to write truth to power about American history versus the mythologized “sound bytes” that have plagued and prevented Americans [and the world-at-large] from knowing who the historic figures of America, particularly colonial America, are. Although it has been over two centuries since Thomas Jefferson and George Washington [of Weincek's "An Imperfect God: George Washington and His Slaves and the Creation of America."], America refuses to relinquish the candy coated lies and to tell the true story of the founding of America. These people were human beings, not gods, and their true stories are far more interesting and engaging than the myths.

Hats off to Weincek for having the courage of conviction for arguably coming closer to telling the truth about America’s early historic record than most anyone. This is particularly true as relates to the “interdependence” of the slave owners and their victims, the chattel slaves, in the creation of America as the first created sovereign nation [and capital] in modern history.

That’s even though the enslaved are still seeking their freedom and credit for their many unsung contributions as slavery has only been modernized; and the slave owners are still in denial about the benefits they were bequeathed as their inability to stop being in denial about the “peculiar institution” that is the American way skewed in their favor is alive and well, of course.

Here’s a clue for consideration. As the old axiom goes, “The truth will set you free.” That perspective, I believe, is relative to us all!

Comment on A recent historical discovery by Henry Wiencek

Henry Wiencek — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 20:07:06 +0000

Jefferson freed five men in his will and his creditors did not protest as far as I know. His grandson tried to revive the bequest left to Jefferson by Thaddeus Kosciuszko (which I discuss in the book) to save some people from auction but it was too late. Jefferson had the means to free slaves throughout his life and did not do it.

Comment on Jefferson’s Labyrinth by WRichard Stark

WRichard Stark — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 13:46:41 +0000

Steep stairs were the standard at the time, as if they were a luxurious improvement on the ladder.

Comment on A recent historical discovery by jp

jp — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 22:27:32 +0000

As I understand it Jefferson was bankrupt at the time of his death. Ergo his assets belonged to his creditors and manumitting them might have been void as a matter of law as an attempt to defraud his creditors.

Comment on New Yorker, ipad edition, review of Master of the Mountain by Connie Smith

Connie Smith — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 12:28:43 +0000

I hope this book revives an old debate that claims it was Thomas Paine, not Jefferson, who wrote the Declaration of Independence. Paine was the first founder of an anti-slavery movement in America whose actual philosophy was that “all men are created equal.” Jefferson, as a frequent buyer and seller of slaves and a commenter on their inferior traits emphatically did not believe this idea. Furthermore, the writing style of the Declaration is nothing like Jefferson’s style, but completely like Paine’s. Even the use of the word “hath” in the Declaration was nowhere to be found in Jefferson’s works, but appeared regularly in Paine’s, who was a Quaker and inclined to speak and write in such Quaker terminologies.

Comment on Book Tour by ev pace

ev pace — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 15:55:01 +0000

I will see you on 11/20/12 @ my local bookstore, Politics and Prose. EVP

Comment on American History Magazine by unwisegirl

unwisegirl — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 19:48:14 +0000

I just finished your article in American History; it should be required reading for anyone who wants to talk about the founding fathers. Very interesting(and infuriating, honestly), can’t wait to read the book. So glad to see you be in Austin for the Texas Book Festival, I hope to hear you speak then and get a book signed.

Comment on American History Magazine by Gib

Gib — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 22:02:20 +0000

Just finished reading “Thomas Jefferson Slave Master.” This article was beautifully written, but more importantly, it was well researched, based on a dispassionate and painstaking examination of documents. Many scholarly works about our Founding Fathers seem to have been produced to further preconceived theories or political causes or religious beliefs — or all of the above. Congratulations to you for swimming against that tide.

The quality of your work is a rebuke to those who think it is necessary to earn graduate degrees to qualify as a first-rate historian. I recall that one of my history professors (at a Big Ten university) also lacked any degrees beyond the bachelor’s. A fellow doctoral student asked him why he had not pursued graduate studies himself. He replied, “Who would teach me?”