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"The Greatest of All Gamblers is the Farmer": Thomas Jefferson's Republican Conception of White Poverty in the Early Republic.

  • Published In: Virginia Magazine of History & Biography, 2024, v. 132, n. 2. P. 75 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: VAJDA, ZOLTÁN 3 of 3

Abstract

This article examines Thomas Jefferson's perspective on poverty in early America. Jefferson believed that poverty was a problem that needed to be addressed and that capable individuals had a responsibility to assist the needy. However, his definition of poverty was limited to white male laborers, excluding women, children, slaves, and Native Americans. Jefferson supported localized poor relief systems and viewed beggars as immoral and outside the organized charity system. He recognized the challenges faced by farmers and planters who struggled to make ends meet. Despite his optimism about the American poor-relief system, poverty remained a persistent issue in the country. [Extracted from the article]

Additional Information

  • Source:Virginia Magazine of History & Biography. 2024/04, Vol. 132, Issue 2, p75
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Social Sciences and Humanities
  • Publication Date:2024
  • ISSN:0042-6636
  • Accession Number:177826367
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Virginia Magazine of History & Biography is the property of Virginia Historical Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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