Customer Reviews

Jefferson : Character in Time : The US Presidents

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
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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.

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

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