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The Anglo-American synecdoche? Thomas Jefferson’s British legacy 1800–1865

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Journal of Transatlantic Studies Aims and scope

Abstract

This article is focused on one of the behemoths of American history, Thomas Jefferson. Unlike most studies, however, it removes the Virginian statesman from his familiar American context in order to illustrate his significance as a British icon. It considers the use of his image in British discourse between 1800 and 1865 to demonstrate the resonance of his name for British people of the period. In doing so it examines the uses of Jefferson’s image with reference to democracy and slavery to illustrate how the ambiguity and seeming contradictions in the deployment of his image are indicative of a broader debate in nineteenth century Britain about the meaning of the USA. Furthermore it demonstrates, through the use of Jefferson’s image, the steady but uneven process of disillusion with American politics and society among British reformers.

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Notes

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  1. Department of Humanities, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK

    Peter O’Connor

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Correspondence to Peter O’Connor.

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Peter O’Connor has recently completed his Ph.D. at Northumbria University with a thesis entitled ‘The Inextinguishable Struggle Between North and South’: American Sectionalism in the British Mind, 1832–1863. His research explores the meaning of the USA in nineteenth century Britain with an emphasis on the use of America in political discourse. He also has an interest in the American presidency and is the author of a book chapter on the political legacy of John Quincy Adams. He was recently awarded an Eccles Centre Visting Postgraduate Fellowship to begin a project examining the effects of the 1812 Anglo-American war on British perceptions of US democracy.

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O’Connor, P. The Anglo-American synecdoche? Thomas Jefferson’s British legacy 1800–1865. J Transatl Stud 13, 154–174 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1080/14794012.2015.1022371

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