Thomas Jefferson and the Boisterous Sea of Liberty

"The boisterous sea of liberty is never without a wave." — Thomas Jefferson 
 
In this one-man performance, Thomas Jefferson revisits the most perilous political storm of his lifetime: the Election of 1800. What he called "the Revolution of 1800" was the first peaceful transfer of power between rival parties under the Constitution — a moment Jefferson believed completed the American Revolution. Yet it nearly destroyed it. 
 
Through personal stories and political reflection, Jefferson introduces a distinction he believed essential to the survival of any republic: the difference between those who argue in good faith and those who act in bad faith. He recalls his fierce disagreements with John Adams and Alexander Hamilton — men he opposed passionately, yet trusted as honest participants in the American experiment. In contrast stands Aaron Burr, whose ambition and opportunism Jefferson, Hamilton, and Adams all saw as a far greater threat than any principled opponent. 
 
Jefferson then expands the lesson across history. Julius Caesar, Cleon of Athens, and Napoleon Bonaparte become warnings of what happens when bad-faith ambition overwhelms public virtue, and when personal power replaces devotion to the common good. Republics do not collapse because citizens disagree — they collapse when bad-faith actors exploit those disagreements. 

 
The heart of Jefferson's message is both sobering and hopeful: the defense of liberty does not lie in defeating those who differ from us, but in standing with them — when they act in good faith — to restrain those who do not. Self-government survives only when honorable rivals recognize their shared responsibility to protect it. 

 
Drawing upon the ideas of Locke, Hobbes, and Montesquieu, and upon two thousand years of human struggle for liberty, Jefferson offers not a partisan answer, but a civic one: a call for courage, restraint, and trust across division. 
 
The Boisterous Sea of Liberty is a powerful meditation on how democracies endure — not by avoiding conflict, but by choosing integrity over ambition, and hope over despair. 

As with every program offered by Steve Edenbo, Thomas Jefferson concludes by answering the audience's questions about his life, experiences, decisions, and ideas. 

This event is part of the JES's USA 250 Event Series. 

Location: Jefferson Educational Society - 3207 State St, Erie, PA 16508

Date/Time: Wednesday, Feburary 11, 12-1:30PM

Admission: $15, $25 with guest. $5/person for an optional lunch.

Additional Fees: Amusement Tax, Processing Fee 

*If purchasing a lunch, please register 48 hours in advance. Vegetarian option available. Thank you! 

If you do NOT receive a letter from info@jeserie.org within 24-48 hours regarding your registration, please check your spam or junk folder. Thank you!