The sentence here clearly represents the thoughts of the average man of the time towards any other civilization (or lack thereof). The majority of Americans at the time believed that their civilization was far superior to the Native Americans as Jefferson speaks of here. Here, Jefferson states that it is the formal education that sets them apart and makes the "indigenous neighbors" barbarous and less-civilized. I enjoy the fact that Jefferson values education so much to the point that he finds it such a separating factor; however, it is clear that he is degrading and looking down upon the natives simply because they do not practice the same customs or traditions or have remotely the same culture. With this all being said, it cane said that today, there are many people who still see cultures who are different from their own as inferior.

The way that Jefferson writes about the importance of the "centrality to the white population" as well as other clearly racist or unjust situations comparing white and black men reminds me of my engagement class, Doing Fieldwork. In this class, I am working on a project that analyzes the language of UVa's Title IX and sexual assault policies and how the University communicates these things to first year students. The language of a text is so important when it comes to communicating with an audience. Jefferson was clearly writing this document with the intention that it would only be read by (educated) white males. It is also interesting to see the almost euphemistic language that is used when talking about how the University will be for white men and white men only. With this language, it almost makes this document and Jefferson's demographic ideals seem normal.

In Jefferson's time, a large focus of education was not so much on the mathematics and science, but on the liberal arts education--studying history and english and the arts. However, as Jefferson point out, there are several benefits from learning about these subjects including societal advancements and individual enlightenment. It is especially interesting how he notes that learning about maths and sciences will "advance the arts" because today, we think of these two branches of learning as so separate. While many universities, including UVa, are still liberal arts schools, there has been an ever-increasing emphasis on STEM as opposed to the histories and literacies. I am impressed with Jefferson's ability to see the two branches as equally important in a student's education, which creates a cohesive and well-rounded education.

As my fellow students have mentioned, Jefferson is obviously intending only for white, male students to reap the benefits of higher learning from the University of Virginia. African-Americans, in Jefferson's eyes, did not have a place in higher education. Further exemplifying this is the comparison of the Rockfish Gap Report and Jefferson's Notes on the State of Virginia, specifically Query 14. In this section, Jefferson makes a very paradoxical argument. He says that African-Americans cannot integrate into white society, yet he "extend[s] to them [his] alliance and protection." Jefferson's racism and injustice are prominent in both documents, which is something that as a community we must acknowledge and talk about. We all know Jefferson as a key writer of the Declaration of Independence and founder of our University, yet I believe we must not forget that he did not always do the "right" thing.

Unlike other institutions of higher education at the time where a church was the central building, Jefferson wanted a library to be the central building of the University of Virginia--a place for students to learn and study. Jefferson's intention of the University to be centered around learning is further evidenced later in the Rockfish Gap Report when he mentions that all religions are placed on the same level, with no one religious sect higher than the next. The College of William & Mary for example, was founded with the intention that the Christian faith would be central to students and learning. The Royal Charter contains several phrases such as "by the grace of God" and "our well-beloved in Christ" that clearly state the intended role of religion in the College. I find the fact that Jefferson did not choose a church for the central building to be quite advanced for the time and view it as a positive step towards further separating church and state.