Seeking to help readers understand Thomas Jefferson’s role in the intellectual development of the United States, in the expansion of the territory and sovereignty of the US, and his relation to slavery and race, the editor has selected Jefferson’s most important texts. More than one-hundred letters have been included, allowing readers to see him as a person as well as a public figure. All texts are annotated. ‘Contexts’ reprints contemporary documents with responses to him and his writings. ‘Criticism’ provides modern works confirming his continuing relevance. A bibliography is also included in this title.