# Thomas Jefferson question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thomas-jefferson-question/132865>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 18, 2002, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thomas-jefferson-question/132865 "2002-10-18T18:45:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2002, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thomas-jefferson-question/132865/1 "2002-10-18T18:45:24Z")

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In the movie “Swordfish” John Travolta’s character makes the claim that “Thomas Jefferson once shot a man on the White House Lawn for treason.” Anyone ever heard of this before or can provide specifics about the alleged incident? I’d never heard of this before and was wondering what the real story is

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**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2002, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thomas-jefferson-question/132865/2 "2002-10-18T18:59:02Z")

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The real story is, it never happened. Nothing similar ever happened. And we shouldn’t look to stupid action movies to get valid history lessons.

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**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2002, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thomas-jefferson-question/132865/3 "2002-10-18T19:31:14Z")

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I didn’t say it did happen…I had never heard of it either, I was just wondering. That doesn’t mean I’m looking to action movies for valid history lessons. It means I heard something that sounded odd to me and was wondering if there was any truth to it.

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**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2002, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thomas-jefferson-question/132865/4 "2002-10-18T20:34:30Z")

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The only **vaguely** comparable incident in real life occurred when Jefferson ordered the prosecution of former vice president Aaron Burr for treason, in connection with Burr’s organization of an armada on the Western frontier. Jefferson publicly averred his belief in Burr’s guilt before and during trial, which was rather inappropriate for a chief executive. Burr was nonetheless acquitted and lived to a ripe old age.

A far cry, indeed, from shooting a man on the White House lawn.

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**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2002, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thomas-jefferson-question/132865/5 "2002-10-18T21:06:06Z")

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Just for snoring!

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**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2002, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thomas-jefferson-question/132865/6 "2002-10-19T01:14:28Z")

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This was asked many times last year.

[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=74588](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=74588)

[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=85204](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=85204)

[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=89407](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=89407)

[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=98535](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=98535)