Jefferson and his slaves topic at July 13 talk

FALLS VILLAGE — Robert Forbes will present a picture of Thomas Jefferson as a man trying to theorize his way out of the contradiction between being the author of the Declaration of Independence — and a man who believed that blacks are an inferior race, or even a separate species.

Forbes, assistant professor of History and American Studies at the University of Connecticut in Torrington, will discuss “Thomas Jefferson and the Imperative of Race� as part of the Tuesdays at Six lecture series July 13 at the South Canaan Meeting House.

While historians have written at length about the contradictory nature of Jefferson’s beliefs and writings, Forbes said, he sees it as a rhetorical strategy, a way to justify the seeming incoherence — and avoid going down in history “as the greatest monument to hypocrisy.�

Jefferson attempted to make his own slaveholding “irrelevant to his position by rendering slaves as not really deserving of attention and concern.�

Forbes said as attitudes toward blacks began to change in the 1770s and 1780s, and black writers such as Phillis Wheatley (in the U.S.) and Ignatius Sancho ( in England) began to refute the notion that Africans were intellectually inferior to Europeans, Jefferson had to scramble to keep his theories intact, reintroducing ideas about race that were starting to lose currency.

“He took folk prejudices and elevated them to the level of scientific truth,� said Forbes.

“And because he was Thomas Jefferson he had extraordinary influence.�

Forbes said the direction his research has taken him is “not pleasant� at times, “but I am not at all concerned with current political or social dogma.�

Rather, he’s concerned about “where Jefferson fits in among his contemporaries.�

The July 13 lecture is a preview of a forthcoming book, which will probably cause a stir. “I’ve been advised to visit the South, or at least Virginia, before it comes out,� said Forbes with a laugh.

The Tuesdays at Six lectures are free and open to the public. The program starts at 5:45 p.m. with a musical interlude; the program runs from 6 to 7 p.m.

The South Canaan Meeting House is located just south of the junction of routes 7 and 63 in Falls Village (behind the Crossroads Deli).

 

Latest News

A scenic 32-mile loop through Litchfield County

Whenever I need to get a quick but scenic bicycle ride but don’t have time to organize a group ride that involves driving to a meeting point, I just turn right out of my driveway. That begins a 32-mile loop through some of the prettiest scenery in northern Litchfield County.

I ride south on Undermountain Road (Route 41 South) into Salisbury and turn right on Main Street (Route 44 West). If I’m meeting friends, we gather at the parking area on the west side of Salisbury Town Hall where parking is never a problem.

Keep ReadingShow less
Biking Ancramdale to Copake

This is a lovely ride that loops from Ancramdale north to Copake and back. At just over 23 miles and about 1,300 feet of elevation gain, it’s a perfect route for intermediate recreational riders and takes about two hours to complete. It’s entirely on quiet roads with little traffic, winding through rolling hills, open countryside, picturesque farms and several lakes.

Along the way, you’ll pass a couple of farmstands that are worth a quick visit. There is only one hill that might be described as steep, but it is quite short — probably less than a quarter-mile.

Keep ReadingShow less
Taking on Tanglewood

Aerial view of The Shed at Tanglewood in Lenox, Mass.

Provided

Now is the perfect time to plan ahead for symphonic music this summer at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts. Here are a few highlights from the classical programming.

Saturday, July 5: Shed Opening Night at 8 p.m. Andris Nelsons conducts the Boston Symphony Orchestra as Daniil Trifonov plays piano in an All-Rachmaninoff program. The Piano Concerto No. 3 was completed in 1909 and was written specifically to be debuted in the composer’s American tour, at another time of unrest and upheaval in Russia. Trifonev is well-equipped to take on what is considered among the most technically difficult piano pieces. This program also includes Symphonic Dances, a work encapsulating many ideas and much nostalgia.

Keep ReadingShow less
James H. Fox

SHARON — James H. Fox, resident of Sharon, passed away on May 30, 2025, at Vassar Brothers Hospital.

Born in New York, New York, to Herbert Fox and Margaret Moser, James grew up in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. He spent his summers in Gaylordsville, Connecticut, where he developed a deep connection to the community.

Keep ReadingShow less