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Benjamin Banneker’s Letter to Thomas Jefferson & ‘UnSeen’ Portraiture | A Primary Source Close Read

Description

Even the most influential and prestigious among us aren’t without their faults, and Thomas Jefferson was no exception. In this Primary Close Read video, Kirk Higgins, Mary Patterson, and Elizabeth Evans compare Benjamin Banneker's letter to Thomas Jefferson and Titus Kaphar's interpretation of Thomas Jefferson's legacy in his painting "Behind the Myth of Benevolence." Why are these pieces important to our understanding of Jefferson? What do they tell us about the present moment in American history?

Related Resources

We Hold These Truths: Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration of Independence, and Identity

1 Activities45 Min

In this lesson, students will learn about Thomas Jefferson and the writing of the Declaration of Independence in order to understand their identity.

Educator Resource

Slavery, the Constitution, and The Presidency

The Founders’ Failure to End Slavery

Students should be familiar with the debates surrounding slavery in the Constitutional Convention in Chapter 3. Students should read the James Madison and the Bill of Rights Narrative and Benjamin Franklin and the First Abolitionist Petitions Narrative for context before reading this Lesson.

A Primary Source Close Reads Video Playlist

Primary Source Close Reading with BRI investigates some of the most pivotal speeches and documents that made America. In this series, join BRI staff Kirk Higgins and guests as they dissect how seminal documents, court cases, and speeches forged America’s development and impact our lives today.