{"id":74843,"date":"2025-02-08T02:06:50","date_gmt":"2025-02-08T02:06:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/american-history\/thomas-jeffersons-beloved-dick\/"},"modified":"2025-02-08T02:06:50","modified_gmt":"2025-02-08T02:06:50","slug":"thomas-jeffersons-beloved-dick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=74843","title":{"rendered":"Thomas Jefferson’s Beloved Dick"},"content":{"rendered":"


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How he loved that bird!<\/strong><\/em>\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

Margaret Bayard Smith wrote that Thomas Jefferson \u201ccould not live without something to love.\u201d This sentiment captures his devotion (or obsession) with so many pursuits\u2014from collecting mastodon bones to inventing the whirlygig chair<\/a> to developing the finest wool<\/a> in America. But Smith was referring in particular to Jefferson\u2019s love of mockingbirds, specifically his favorite pet mockingbird, Dick.<\/p>\n

In this episode we look at Jefferson\u2019s study of birds and love for mockingbirds, and what that tells us about his personality. We\u2019ll also explore just how wrong Harper Lee was she said mockingbirds were innocent, and why it\u2019s not just a sin to kill a mockingbird\u2014it\u2019s also a federal crime.<\/p>\n

Listen to the episode now:<\/p>\n