I LOVE biographies. Even as a child, I could often be found devouring biographies of famous early Americans. So, when Our Country's Presidents showed up, I was excited to get right into it. While I loved most of it, there were also a few parts that disappointed me.
Our Country's Presidents recounts snippets of all the United States presidents, including President Biden. I was surprised to see him in there because this book was just shipped to me last week and the election was only a few months ago. Wow, National Geographic, way to hustle!
I've loved reading about the presidents, their wives and families, their successes and also their failures. The photos and pictures were amazing and each time I've sat down with this book it seems like time just flies by, I get so involved in it.
However, there were some parts about the early presidents that disappointed me. Specifically, the emphasis placed on any Virginia presidents slave owners.
Nat Geo writers, have you ever researched the legal difficulties Virginia slave owners had in freeing their slaves? As in, for most of their lives it was ILLEGAL for them to free their slaves. Did you know that Thomas Jefferson's slaves cried when he died (I don't have a citation for this because it was one of the many things I learned about Jefferson when I visited Monticello)? That Martha Washington, upon realizing that George had instructed for their slaves to be freed upon her death, freed them sooner, instead?
Yeah, I get that none of these people should have owned slaves in the first place. Also, in no way am I condoning the slavery of any person. At all. Slavery has been and always will be wrong. Period.
But, instead of pointing out that Jefferson was a hypocrite by declaring that all men were created equal in the Declaration, it would have been more fair to also tell readers that he tried to end slavery, but was overruled by others.
Also, speaking of Thomas Jefferson, this book specifically pointed out that he died in debt because of his supposed extravagant lifestyle. But it failed to explain that he had incurred most of his debt from deceased father-in-law and it never talked about how many people just showed up at his house, expecting to be entertained (a common trial Washington went through, as well) and that he had spent so much time trying to construct a country, that he had neglected his own home.
K, let's talk about the things I enjoyed in this book.
I loved the interspersed snippets that shared fascinating details such as people who wrote letters to presidents, learning about the presidents who died in office, how conventions have paved the way for presidential nominees, and the weight put upon polling.
While I don't agree with everything in this book, I still feel like it's a great addition to my family's library. I think my kids and I will have some great discussions regarding what we read in here!
Book Breakdown:
224 pages with mostly full-color artwork
Best for ages: 10-adult
Educational factor: medium-high
Moral content: I was disappointed this book didn't take into account the culture of the times each of these men lived in
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