Let Them Eat Cakes: Ho Chi Minh & Thomas Jefferson

History Improv’ed

What impact did the philosophical writings of Thomas Jefferson have on Vietnamese independence leader Hồ Chí Minh? How would Jefferson, a slave-owner and Francophile, have counseled Hồ in dealing with French colonizers? And would they have bonded over a love of pastries?

After this episode, History Improv’ed will be taking a hiatus but we’ll be back with more great topics and improvised anachronisms. So stay subscribed and stay tuned!

Links To Further Yer Book-Learnin’

Hồ Chí Minh, born Nguyễn Sinh Cung (1890–1969), was a Vietnamese communist revolutionary, nationalist, and politician. His leadership was challenged at times, but all his rivals eventually cried Uncle.

The third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) was a statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, Founding Father, and a wee bit of a hypocrite. You know, that whole all men are created equal but having over 600 slaves himself thing. Even expert podcast guests aren't quite sure how to handle those teaching moments.

Sarah "Sally" Hemings (1773–1835) was enslaved by Thomas Jefferson, whom she met in France at 14 as the servant of his daughter. Sally only agreed to return to Virginia and resume her life in slavery if she would get special privileges and all their children would be freed when they came of age. In that society, Hemings actually would've been seen as a sly negotiator.

Võ Nguyên Giáp (1911-2013) served as Hồ’s military counterpart during Vietnam’s struggles and continued to be active in its policies and politics well into the 21st century. He literally wrote the book on guerilla warfare in his country. Enduring a long life full of personal loss, he had an axe to grind with the French.

The Vietnam conflict can be traced directly back to the Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I. Hồ’s letter to the powers that be at the Paris Peace Conference was ignored. Even Jefferson’s words probably couldn’t have reached those tone-deaf ears.

Not to be deterred, Hồ typed another letter some 27 years later to US President Harry Truman arguing for independence. Once again he was ignored. Keeping the caps lock on apparently didn’t make a difference.

Bánh mì started as the baguette introduced to the region by France during their colonization, and was then modified slightly to accommodate fixings that would transform it into the bánh mì sandwich that we know and love today. Adding jalapeños was definitely not a French idea.