What makes Thomas Jefferson so controversial? - Frank Cogliano

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

He was part of America's fight for freedom and equality.

他是美國為自由平等奮戰的一份子。

But were his enlightened principles outweighed

但他開明的原則是否因為

by participation in a greater injustice?

他涉入更大的不公正而被忽視？

Find out on History versus Thomas Jefferson.

來《歷史 vs. 湯瑪斯‧傑佛遜》 一探究竟。

Order! Order! Hey, that’s one of the guys from Mt. Rushmore.

注意秩序！嘿，那是 拉什莫爾山的其中一個人。

Ahem. This is Thomas Jefferson,

嗯哼。這位是湯瑪斯‧傑佛遜，

founding father of the United States of America

美國的國父，

and primary author of the Declaration of Independence.

也是獨立宣言的主要作者。

The document that established the US as a democratic republic

美國之所以能成為以 「人皆生而平等」原則

為基礎的民主共和國， 靠的就是這份文件。

on the principle that everyone is created equal.

If by “everyone” you mean property-owning white men.

如果「人」指的是 擁有資產的白種男性。

At the time Jefferson was writing,

傑佛遜在撰寫的時候，

one fifth of the colonies’ population was enslaved.

殖民地人口中有五分之一 是被奴役的人。

Surely he couldn’t be expected to single-handedly overturn

當然，不能預期單單靠他一個人

就推翻奴隸制度吧？

the institution of slavery?

Couldn’t he have just written that into the Declaration?

他不能把它寫入到宣言中就好了嗎？

It wasn’t that simple, Your Honor.

沒那麼簡單，庭上。

Jefferson was one of five authors,

傑佛遜是五位作者之一，

and the document had to be ratified by the Continental Congress.

且該文件必須要經過大陸會議批准。

He included a clause opposing the slave trade,

他納入了一條反對奴隸交易的條文，

but state delegates removed it.

但州代表將它刪除了。

Nevertheless, Jefferson recognized slavery as an immoral institution

儘管如此，傑佛遜認為 奴隸制是不道德的制度，

and condemned it throughout his life.

且一生都在譴責它。

But Jefferson’s words never came close to matching his actions!

但傑佛遜根本言行不一！

As Virginia’s governor, he did nothing to change the state slave laws.

身為維吉尼亞州州長， 他對改變該州的奴隸法毫無作為。

And in his personal life, he held over 600 people in slavery.

他一生擁有超過六百名奴隸。

Furthermore, he believed Black people were intellectual inferiors who,

此外，他認定黑人的智力比較差，

if emancipated, should return to their countries of origin.

如果解放他們，

他們就應該回到祖國去。

Frankly, there’s no argument that Jefferson did anything significant

坦白說，沒有任何論據證明

傑佛遜對抗奴隸制 有任何重大作為。

to combat slavery.

It’s true, Your Honor.

沒錯，庭上，但傑佛遜 確實有其他重要貢獻，

But Jefferson did make important contributions

to religious, financial, and gender equality.

在宗教、金融、性別平等上都有。

He led the charge for separating church and state,

政教分離是他帶的頭，

removing government funding for Virginia’s Anglican Church,

他抽掉政府給維吉尼亞 聖公會教堂的資金，

and paving the way for our modern understanding of religious freedom.

並為我們所認識的宗教自由舖路。

Jefferson also drafted laws that weakened the power of inherited wealth

傑佛遜也起草法律 削減繼承財富的力量，

and pushed for the state-funded education of boys and girls.

還推動由州資助男孩及女孩的教育。

All valuable reforms, but you’re avoiding the fundamental issue here.

都是很有價值的改革，

但你在閃躲這裡的根本議題。

None of this benefited enslaved people or Indigenous Americans,

這一切的受惠者都不包含 奴隸或美國原住民，

and it’s ridiculous to argue that Jefferson was pursuing equality

主張傑佛遜追求平等是非常荒謬的，

when his policies frequently harmed non-white groups.

因為他的政策經常會 傷害到非白人族群。

Policies such as authorizing the military

舉例來說，授權軍隊

to exterminate Indigenous communities during the Revolutionary War.

在獨立戰爭期間 可以消滅原住民部落。

Objection! Those Northwestern tribes were allied with the British.

抗議！那些西北的部落和英軍結盟。

In peacetime, Jefferson did his best to avoid conflict with Native Americans

在和平時期，傑佛遜有盡全力

避免和美國原住民的衝突，

and believed they could be equal to whites.

也相信他們能和白人一樣。

“Could be equal”? Listen to yourself!

「能一樣」？聽聽你自己！

Are you defending his attempts to forcibly assimilate Indigenous communities?

你是在為他試圖強迫同化 原住民部落的行為辯護嗎？

Jefferson’s recommendations even formed the basis

傑佛遜的建議甚至成了數年後

for the Indian Removal Act years later.

印地安人遷移法案的基礎。

Recommendations? Why not laws?

建議？為什麼不是法律？

Thomas Jefferson served as a diplomat and Secretary of State

湯瑪斯‧傑佛遜曾當過 外交官及國務卿，

before being elected as Vice President under John Adams in 1796.

後來在 1796 年，他被選為 約翰‧亞當斯的副總統。

A role in which he undermined the President’s authority.

在當副總統時，他反而 顛覆了總統的職權。

Jefferson argued that states should have the power

傑佛遜主張，州應該有權否決

to overrule federal laws they deemed unconstitutional—

它們認為不符憲法的聯邦法律——

an argument some Southern states would cite while seceding

七十年後，當南方的州要脫離 聯邦時就會引用這個主張。

from the Union 70 years later.

I think it’s a little unreasonable to lay the entire Civil War at Jefferson’s feet.

我認為把整個內戰都推給 傑佛遜有點不太合理。

Besides, his defense of states’ rights was motivated

此外，他為州的權利 辯護背後的動機是

by the president’s overreaching central government.

因為總統太超過，染指到中央政府。

As part of Adams’ preparations for war with France,

亞當斯為和法國打戰所做的準備

he signed legislation that tightened restrictions on immigrants

包括簽署立法，加強對移民的約束，

and limited criticism of the government.

並限制對政府的批評。

Jefferson was just trying to protect the public.

傑佛遜只是想要保護大眾。

And ultimately, his efforts were so popular that he was elected

最終，他的作為很得民心， 讓他被選為下一任總統。

as the next president.

A dubious victory.

讓人懷疑的勝利。

He only won because states were allowed to count enslaved people

他能贏只是因為各州被允許 把奴隸算在人口數裡面，

towards their population without giving them voting rights.

卻不給他們投票權。

This system gave states that held people in slavery additional voting power

到南北戰爭之前，這種體制 一直讓掌控奴隸的各州

in the Electoral College until the Civil War.

在選舉人團中有額外的投票權力。

Be that as it may, Jefferson was a popular president.

儘管如此，傑佛遜 仍然是個受歡迎的總統。

He worked to prevent the country from taking on too much debt,

他努力讓美國不背負太多債務，

and successfully led the US through the Napoleonic and the Barbary Wars.

並成功領導美國度過 拿破崙戰爭和巴巴里戰爭。

Plus, he dramatically expanded the country’s territory

另外，他大大拓展了美國的領土，

through the Louisiana Purchase.

買下路易斯安那。

Where he once again failed to stop slavery from taking hold.

而他同樣也沒有能夠阻止 奴隸制度在該州扎根。

I’ll remind you that President Jefferson signed a law

我要提醒你，1807 年，傑佛遜總統

forbidding the importation of enslaved people in 1807.

簽署了禁止進口奴隸的法律。

And yet he continued to enslave those already on American soil—

但他仍然持續奴役 美國領土上的人——

including his own flesh and blood.

包括他自己的骨肉。

Pardon?

你說什麼？

Following his wife's death,

在妻子過世之後，傑佛遜 開始和他同父異母的妹妹

Jefferson began a relationship with her half-sister and maid, Sally Hemings.

及女僕莎莉‧海明斯發生關係。

Jefferson fathered six children with Hemings

傑佛遜和海明斯生了六個孩子， 且完全不公開這段關係，

and kept the entire relationship secret,

while continuing to publicly denounce the personhood of Black Americans.

同時持續在公開場合 抨擊美國黑人的人格。

Jefferson freed several members of the Hemings family,

傑佛遜解放了海明斯的數名家人， 包括他和莎莉生的孩子——

including his children with Sally—

While refusing to free anyone else.

但卻拒絕解放任何其他人。

Despite enslaving over 600 people, Jefferson only freed 10.

儘管奴役了超過六百人，

傑佛森只解放了十個人。

Five during his life and five in his will—

在世時解放了五個， 五個是寫在他的遺囑中——

all members of the Hemings family.

全都是海明斯的家人。

Even I have to admit, this seems indefensible.

就連我也得承認，這似乎無可辯解。

It’s true, Your Honor.

的確，庭上。

Despite pursuing what he believed to be equality,

儘管一直在追尋他所相信的平等，

Jefferson failed to uphold his own ideals.

傑佛遜卻沒能實踐他的理念。

Ultimately, he was a man of his time—

畢竟，他是那個時代的人——

living in an economy that relied on exploitation and enslaved labor.

他所處的經濟，仰賴的 就是剝削和奴役勞力。

That’s hardly a defense when many of Jefferson’s contemporaries

那算不上是辯護，因為 許多和傑佛遜同時代的人

opposed slavery and took action to abolish it.

反對奴隸制度 且採取行動去廢除它。

Even if some people considered him a great man in his time,

即使有些人認為 他是那個時代的偉人，

he doesn’t have to be an icon in ours.

他也不見得會是我們時代的偶像。

Well, I hear Mount Rushmore has a problematic past, too.

嗯，我聽說拉什莫爾山 也有段很有問題的歷史。

Can we judge historical figures by modern standards?

我們能用現代的標準 來評斷歷史人物嗎？

And what responsibilities do powerful people have to the future?

有權勢的人又對未來有什麼責任？

Answering these questions is all part of putting history on trial.

回答這些問題，正是 讓歷史接受審判的一部分。