Negro President: Jefferson and the Slave Power
November 12, 2003
About This Video
Run time: 67 minutes
Mr. Wills was interviewed about his book, "Negro President": Jefferson and the Slave Power, published by Houghton Mifflin Company. In the book, the author examines the influence of slavery on the election and presidency of Thomas Jefferson, as well as on the early politics of the United States. President Jefferson was referred to by some as the "Negro President" because the electoral votes he received in the election of 1800 as a result of the slave populations in southern states forced the House of Representatives to choose the president. Professor Wills talked about the politics behind the election, the Louisiana Purchase, the political influence of the South prior to the Civil War, and related issues.