Chapter 5 Summary and Analysis

In 1809, Jefferson retired to Monticello permanently. Today's scholars know far more about this period of his life than any other. As the last surviving Founding Fathers, Jefferson and Adams were treated with a respect that approached reverence. Both men were acutely aware of their roles in history.

Jefferson found a measure of the domestic bliss that he had always craved at Monticello. His reddish hair was entirely gray. He kept it cut short, in the new fashion, rather than tied in the revolutionary queue. His days followed the predictable pattern of an aristocratic gentleman. He was constantly tended by his black slave Burwell. Mornings were devoted to correspondence and gardening. In the afternoons, Jefferson rode Eagle, his favorite horse. Evenings were devoted to socializing. Jefferson drank cider and malt liquor with meals. He avoided hard liquor but had three or four...