Summary of Joseph J. Ellis's American Sphinx

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.

Sample Book Insights:

#1 Jefferson was a tall and slim young Virginian who was constantly singing. His hair and his singing were his two most distinctive characteristics. He sang whenever he was walking or riding, and sometimes when he was reading.

#2 Jefferson was a extremely serious young man, and he brought this attitude to the study of law. He was also extremely well prepared, and gained a reputation in the Williamsburg court as an extremely well-prepared barrister.

#3 Jefferson’s political career was not very successful. He opposed all forms of parliamentary taxation, and supported nonimportation resolutions against British trade regulations. He seemed to most of his political contemporaries a hovering and ever-silent presence.

#4 Jefferson was not elected to the original Virginia delegation in Philadelphia in 1774. He was chosen as a potential substitute for Edmund Randolph in anticipation of Randolph's decision to abandon his post at the conference.