Jefferson : Character in Time : The US Presidents [Paperback]

R. David Cox (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 4, 1997

Jefferson and some compatriots

attempt to manage, manipulate and

break the electoral tie between

Jefferson and Aaron Burr. The

House of Representatives has taken

35 votes and each has ended in a tie.

Jefferson has to use his influence,

his intelligence, and his political

power to force the deadlock open in

his favor. In so doing, he attempts

to elicit help from his arch

philosophical and political

opponent, Alexander Hamilton.

This play dramatizes the political

acumen of one of our most

complex leaders.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

R. David Cox was born and raised in Indiana and completed both undergraduate and graduate work at the University of Colorado in English and theatre. He spent much of his professional life in and about New York, NY as a writer, professor and college dean. His writing ranges from four texts in his joint fields as well as newspaper columns, essays, and plays. His plays and other dramatic pieces have been performed on television and stage, largely on the eastern seaboard and in New York. Cox's interest in the historical drama grew from the patriotic fervor of 1976 and has continued to this day as demonstrated by the four plays under his name in the Character in Time series and which served as the impetus for the formation of The History Project, Inc. The interest in playwriting grew not only from his academic work, but experience as an actor and director in the theatre as well. Cox has a weekly column on the Internet.

Product Details

• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: The History Project, Inc. (August 4, 1997)
• ISBN-10: 192940302X
• ISBN-13: 978-1929403028
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,986,310 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, informative and very readable, August 20, 2001

By 

Ed Fitzgerald (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jefferson : Character in Time : The US Presidents (Paperback)

The plays in the History's Project's "Character in Time: The US Presidents" series are interesting and informative and, above all, very readable. People unfamiliar with reading plays should not be put off by the format -- after a few minutes time, it seems perfectly natural to read dialogue instead of normal prose. Students, especially, will appreciate the playwright's artful distillation of the subject's ideas and philosophy, as well as the lively presentation of his character -- there's really a lot of information packed into these small volumes.

5.0 out of 5 stars American History Comes Alive!, August 7, 2001

By 

Ellen "StitchEllen" (Upstate NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jefferson : Character in Time : The US Presidents (Paperback)

After reading this brief one-act play, I envy today's high school and college students whose teachers elect to use this gem as a teaching strategy. Cox adroitly weaves the many complex facets of Jefferson through the warp of late 18th century and early 19th century American political history and sets the stage for subsequent history. He grabs adolescent prurient interest and attention by kicking off the drama with a hearty ditty that satirizes Jefferson's relationship with his slave Sally Hemings. What student could nap after that?

The play covers a time frame of a few hours between House of Representatives debate about selection of a president to break an electoral tie between Jefferson and Burr and Jefferson's ultimate victory. However, the dialog covers a wealth of concepts from which the teacher can select to base his/her focus for one class session or a series of sessions.

For many if not most high school and college students, history is a necessary evil, an ordeal to be lived through with no expectation that it will be fascinating or that it will leave a lasting impression beyond a grade on a transcript. Through this deceptively simple dramatization, Cox raises the possibility that interest in history can be stimulated early and form the basis for continued lifelong interest.

Pauline Ellen Lee, EdD, RN

5.0 out of 5 stars American History Comes Alive!, August 2, 2001

By 

Ellen "StitchEllen" (Upstate NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jefferson : Character in Time : The US Presidents (Paperback)

After reading this brief one-act play, I envy today's high school and college students whose teachers elect to use this gem as a teaching strategy. Cox adroitly weaves the many complex facets of Jefferson through the warp of late 18th century and early 19th century American political history and sets the stage for subsequent history. He grabs adolescent prurient interest and attention by kicking off the drama with a hearty ditty that satirizes Jefferson's relationship with his slave Sally Hemings. What student could nap after that?

The play covers a time frame of a few hours between House of Representatives debate about selection of a president to break an electoral tie between Jefferson and Burr and Jefferson's ultimate victory. However, the dialog covers a wealth of concepts from which the teacher can select to base his/her focus for one class session or a series of sessions.

For many if not most high school and college students, history is a necessary evil, an ordeal to be lived through with no expectation that it will be fascinating or that it will leave a lasting impression beyond a grade on a transcript. Through this deceptively simple dramatization, Cox raises the possibility that interest in history can be stimulated early and form the basis for continued lifelong interest.

Reviewed by Pauline Ellen Lee, EdD., RN