In 1819, author of the Declaration of Independence and third President Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia (UVA). In both its curriculum and layout the new school stood out from its peer colleges. For example, it offered no course of study in divinity and was laid out around a library rather than a church. In many other ways, however it was–and remains–typical of other quality universities.
Like most of the other founders, Jefferson was an educated man, especially considering his time. But none of the others took education so seriously that they went on to found a university (though James Madison and James Monroe both served on UVA’s original governing body). What led Jefferson to take this usual initiative?
In answering this questions, historians cite a number of specific practical factors, but none of these get at the core of Jefferson’s dedication to education. That dedication is, for me, best summed up in a passage from his Notes on the State of Virginia, where he wrote that “Reason and free inquiry are the only effectual agents against error.” My hunch–and I am admittedly no historian–is that Jefferson believed so strongly in this proposition that he set out to create an institution that could support and further the positive forces set free and protected by the First Amendment’s right to free speech.
Just as Jefferson sought to further higher education, EnCiv is dedicated to furthering the kind of education that occurs when citizens engage in collaborative discussion.
