Heir through Hope

Abstract

Abstract This book traces the relationship between Thomas Jefferson and William Short that was developed in years shared in France and carried forward through the French Revolution and Short’s return to the United States, and on into Jefferson’s retirement. It describes Jefferson’s lifelong concern for Short’s moral well-being and his practical management of Short’s career and estate. It analyzes disagreements between the two men over land use, American politics, French culture, and the meaning of the French Revolution. It places Short’s disinclination to follow Jefferson’s advice within the larger context of the problematic transfer of republican values in the Early National period of US history while describing how each man sought to make an imaginary yet heartfelt father–son relationship work. It assesses the impact on their relationship of three aspects of Short’s life without counterpart in Jefferson’s experience: Short’s fourteen-year affair with Duchess Rosalie de La Rochefoucauld, his subsequent avoidance of marriage, and his status as a childless bachelor. Jefferson’s generosity toward Short is shown in creative tension with his political and moral principles.