Summary, Analysis & Review of Jon Meacham's Thomas Jefferson by Instaread Preview: Jon Meacham's Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power is a biography that focuses on Thomas Jefferson's abilities as a practical politician. Meacham argues that Jefferson was a pragmatist who was willing to adjust his philosophical principles as necessary to preserve the United States. Thomas Jefferson was born in 1743 to Peter Jefferson, a wealthy, influential Virginia planter, and Jane Randolph, also of an influe