Podcasts on the Threat of Debt

We've all heard that Jefferson died over $100,000 in debt. But how much is that in today's money? In an excerpt from a talk he gave in 2007, Professor Herbert Sloan addresses the difficulties one faces in translating historic values into modern terms. The full talk on Jefferson's shopping habits and his debt can be found here.

 

   

On January 15, 1827, Thomas Jefferson's estate sale began at Monticello, resulting in the sale of more than 100 enslaved men and women. The impetus for the sale was simple: Jefferson’s enormous debt