Scherr's interpretation is intriguing, . . . compelling, and a useful counter to recent scholarship. . . .When studying a figure as complex as Thomas Jefferson, each new volume adds a bit to the puzzle. Scherr has made a contribution and a helpful correction.
Journal of American History
[The author] brings work in Haitian history into conversation with ... Read morethe history of the early American republic and its troubled relationship with France. Much of the value of this book lies in its meticulous scholarship. In his close reading of his sources—namely letters, diplomatic documents and periodicals—he has done some intricate detective work, not just in terms of Franco– American–Haitian relations, but in terms of what evidence exists that suggests the options and motives of key players such as Jefferson and Madison in both diplomacy and domestic politics. Thus, the book also reflects how closely intertwined the foreign and the domestic were.
Journal of the Early Republic
Scherr’s well-researched and well-written monograph should appeal to US and Latin American scholars as well as graduate students interested in knowing more about Thomas Jefferson’s views on slavery and Haiti.
The International History Review
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