Episode 229: A Deeper Look into Thomas Jefferson
Words & Numbers
00:00
Jefferson's Detractors Are Asking of Him Something That Was Not Pratical
Jefferson's debts at the time of his death totaled $107,000 in today's money from the millions. The land was protected by a legal contrivance known as entail that prevents inherited land from being subdivided and sold off. Jefferson couldn't sell the land to discharge the debt, which he inherited. He could only have the enslaved people work the land and hope that the land would produce enough that gradually the debts could be paid down.
Transcript
Play full episode
