Uploaded September 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
The trial begins with prosecutor Jason Kypros addressing the audience, setting a lively tone with calls for audience participation, including reactions such as clapping, booing, or hissing. Kypros presents four charges against Jefferson, framing the trial as a question of whether the founding father should be “canceled.”
Charge 1: Political Machinations
Jefferson is accused of “screwing” his political enemies, particularly through his association with journalist James Callender. Jefferson acknowledges knowing Callender but denies encouraging personal attacks, claiming any financial support was merely for groceries. The conversation touches on Callender’s eventual betrayal of Jefferson by publishing scandalous stories, including the first public allegations of Jefferson’s relationship with Sally Hemings.
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Charge 2: Treatment of Native Americans
The prosecutor accuses Jefferson of deceitfully extending credit to Native Americans to drive them into debt and seize their lands. Jefferson defends his policies as attempts to “civilize” the Native Americans, stating that westward expansion was inevitable, and his administration aimed to manage it humanely. He admits to conducting archeological digs on Native burial grounds but justifies it as part of scientific inquiry.
Charge 3: Views on Women
Jefferson’s views on women’s roles are scrutinized, particularly his belief that women were not suited for politics. He defends his stance by claiming that women were biologically designed for domestic duties, drawing a sharp distinction between men’s and women’s roles in society. The conversation shifts to Jefferson’s personal life, including his marriage, the loss of his wife, and his alleged romantic entanglements with Maria Cosway.
Charge 4: Slavery
The trial reaches its climax with the discussion of slavery. Jefferson admits to owning around 600 slaves over his lifetime, manumitting only eight. He struggles to reconcile his ownership of slaves with the ideals he professed in the Declaration of Independence. He acknowledges the immorality of slavery but argues that he was trapped in the system and could not see a way out, citing legal and economic constraints.
Jefferson presents a defense of his legacy, listing his accomplishments, such as writing the Declaration of Independence, making the Louisiana Purchase, and founding the University of Virginia. The trial ends with a vote, where the jury (audience) decides whether to acquit or convict Jefferson. Ultimately, the majority votes for ...?
The trial begins with prosecutor Jason Kypros addressing the audience, setting a lively tone with calls for audience participation, including reactions such as clapping, booing, or hissing. Kypros presents four charges against Jefferson, framing the trial as a question of whether the founding father should be “canceled.”
Charge 1: Political Machinations
Jefferson is accused of “screwing” his political enemies, particularly through his association with journalist James Callender. Jefferson acknowledges knowing Callender but denies encouraging personal attacks, claiming any financial support was merely for groceries. The conversation touches on Callender’s eventual betrayal of Jefferson by publishing scandalous stories, including the first public allegations of Jefferson’s relationship with Sally Hemings.
Please like, subscribe and click the bell icon above to get notifications when we post new videos!
Join our mailing list to get advance info on our upcoming programs and to sign up for livestreams: signup.e2ma.net/signup/1887647/1895526
We rely on our donors to keep our programming going, please donate here: vailsymposium.org/donate
Charge 2: Treatment of Native Americans
The prosecutor accuses Jefferson of deceitfully extending credit to Native Americans to drive them into debt and seize their lands. Jefferson defends his policies as attempts to “civilize” the Native Americans, stating that westward expansion was inevitable, and his administration aimed to manage it humanely. He admits to conducting archeological digs on Native burial grounds but justifies it as part of scientific inquiry.
Charge 3: Views on Women
Jefferson’s views on women’s roles are scrutinized, particularly his belief that women were not suited for politics. He defends his stance by claiming that women were biologically designed for domestic duties, drawing a sharp distinction between men’s and women’s roles in society. The conversation shifts to Jefferson’s personal life, including his marriage, the loss of his wife, and his alleged romantic entanglements with Maria Cosway.
Charge 4: Slavery
The trial reaches its climax with the discussion of slavery. Jefferson admits to owning around 600 slaves over his lifetime, manumitting only eight. He struggles to reconcile his ownership of slaves with the ideals he professed in the Declaration of Independence. He acknowledges the immorality of slavery but argues that he was trapped in the system and could not see a way out, citing legal and economic constraints.
Jefferson presents a defense of his legacy, listing his accomplishments, such as writing the Declaration of Independence, making the Louisiana Purchase, and founding the University of Virginia. The trial ends with a vote, where the jury (audience) decides whether to acquit or convict Jefferson. Ultimately, the majority votes for ...?
