Thomas Jefferson

The third president of the United States, a diplomat, statesman, architect, scientist, and philosopher, Thomas Jefferson is one of the most eminent figures in American history. No leader in the period of the American Enlightenment was as articulate, wise, or conscious of the implications and consequences of a free society as Thomas Jefferson. He is remembered in history not only for the offices he held, but also for his belief in the natural rights of man as expressed in the Declaration of Independence and his faith in the people's ability to govern themselves. However, Thomas Jefferson’s involvement in politics is not entirely overshadowed by his construction of the Constitution. On the contrary, between 1789 and 1820 his political horizon spanned much further than Constitution. He left an impact on his times equaled by few others in American history.

In 1790, Thomas Jefferson initially established himself in political affairs under president Washington’s Cabinet as first secretary of state. Much of his time as head of the State Department was spent abroad and negotiating with the Spanish and the Indians over the territory what was to become territory delineated by the Louisiana Purchase; in general he played a relatively inactive role in the government. Nevertheless, his time was not frittered away. This period marked the development of his democratic beliefs and gave him the opportunity to survey the upsurge of federalists’ power in the government. Fearing the possible tyranny of a strong federal government, he was in constant conflict with Alexander Hamilton, then secretary of treasury and head of the Federalists Party. Jefferson helped organize the Democratic-Republican Party in opposition to the Federalists. Jefferson disagreed with Hamilton’s plan to encourage shipping and manufacturing, as well his proposal for a national bank. He believed that Hamilton’s financial policies exceeded the powers delegated to the central government by the Constitution, that they were contrary to the interests of the majority of the people, and that he symbolized a threat to republican institutions. Republicans virtues were saturating the young Virginian’s mind and methods of reform were being devised.

He held the position as secretary of state until December 31, 1793. For the next two years he became a severe critic of Washington and the Federalists. When the presidential election of 1796 came up, Jefferson offered himself as the Democratic-Republican candidate and received sixty-eight of the electoral votes, becoming Vice-President to John Adams. One of his first accomplishments was The Manual of Parliamentary Practice, which outlined the decorum and behavior expected during congressional meetings, providing Jefferson with a taste of leadership. The United States of America was now controlled by a Federalists Congress, and undermined by the Democratic-Republican, Vice-President Thomas Jefferson. In order to prevent further growth of the Republican Party, Adams enacted the Alien and Sedition Acts. The latter, particularly applied to Federalists judges, who often exercised their power by stifling the Democratic-Republican criticism of the government. James Madison and Thomas Jefferson wholeheartedly believed these acts had violated the first amendment and therefore could be deemed unconstitutional. As a means of circumventing direct confrontation, the two politicians, argued in the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions of 1798-1799. Due to the opposing viewpoints of Adams and Jefferson, they went through an endless cycle of undoing one another’s work. Jefferson would not allow the liberties of the individual to be suppressed and the voice of people to be effaced. The theme of consensus is reinforced by Jefferson himself when he says, “I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man”(Coates).

The decade ended with the defeat of the Federalists in the election of 1800. It was groundbreaking in the development of the new nation; politics was sharply schismatic, conducted with intense discord, and pervaded with political fragmentation over divergent principles. Jefferson regarded Hamilton as a hazard to republican government; Hamilton regarded a ‘demagogic radical’ (The New Encyclopedia, 325). Hamilton’s view of government encompassed a vision of national opulence and splendor, as opposed to Jefferson’s view of government, which encapsulated the protection of the individual’s rights to “life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness” (Malone, 19). Jefferson refrained from becoming too ideological in his beliefs, so as not to weaken the infrastructure of republican government. His values enthralled the masses and prompted the American people to remember the true objective of the government: to serve the people. This theme remains a popular notion in today’s government.

The Federalist candidates undoubtedly lost the presidential election of 1800, but under the electoral system then prevailing neither of the Republican candidates, Jefferson and Aaron Burr, could claim victory. The Constitution had not provided the electors with the means to differentiate between president and vice-president, which caused controversy as the two candidates had the same number of votes. Therefore, presidency was to be decided by the House of Representatives. Since, Hamilton and many other members of Congress considered Burr untrustworthy, they felt it was safer to choose Jefferson. His inaugural address was March 4, 1801. This day signified radical change Democratic-Republican power. His highest priority coming into office was to restore the balance in the government. He dismissed several customs officers and bestowed the vacant positions in the treasury and judicial offices to Republicans. This was to increase republican representation in Congress. His goal was to have a unified central government, by the systematic removal of Federalists from office, which would in turn cut back on internal taxation (i.e. the excise tax on whiskey). Also with the Federalists threat alleviated, military spending was slashed and diplomatic missions at The Hague and Berlin were shut down (Norton, 220). The Alien and Sedition Acts detracted from his authority, so he allowed those to expire instead of renewing them, and excused those who were indicted under the acts. He also repealed the Naturalization Act, which previously mandated immigrants to wait fourteen years before they could receive citizenship. He felt this was a blatant violation of human rights, and reduced the years of residency compulsory for citizenship from fourteen to five in the 1802 act. This policy would not change until the Twentieth Century. This act also entailed constitutional fidelity and the abandonment of foreign allegiance and titles (Norton 229). Jefferson had broken down the Federalists front and they were down to their last line of defense.

There was only one barrier blockading Republican domination in Congress, the Federalist judiciary stronghold. In order to make immediate vacancies on the bench, he and the preponderance of the Republican Congress annulled the Judiciary Act of 1801, which had previously reduced the number of justices on the Supreme Court and created fifteen new judgeships. Jefferson impeached Judge John Pickering and attempted to do the same with Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase but failed. The claim was insufficient and Chief Justice of the United States John Marshall upheld the Federalist iron grip in the judiciary department. Jefferson appointed three new Supreme Court justices during his term. Although judiciary remained in the hands of the Federalists they were destabilized and outnumbered. The Republicans were running the show now, and the Federalists had to take the back seat. Jefferson pioneered uncharted political boundaries, to set the foundation for republicanism and the general idea of doing what is best for the people.

Jefferson also believed vehemently that the government as a whole could not do anything that was not prescribed in the Constitution. In other words, Jefferson believed in a strict interpretation of the Constitution. He was forced to go against his beliefs when it came to the Louisiana Purchase. This was one of the major achievements of his presidency. The right to purchase lands was not given to the president in the Constitution, but Jefferson saw a great opportunity to expand this great nation. The acquisition of the Louisiana territory was of incalculable significance, nearly doubling the size of the United States. By pouncing on Napoleon’s offer he removed a major foreign power from the continent, thereby increasing national security. Not only did it provide protection, but also supplied reservoir of land for settlers and economic advantages through the gateway of the Mississippi River and port of New Orleans. This would later become a lifeline between the East and the West from a commercial point of view. He went beyond the Constitution because it was for the benefit of the country and the people. The land gained in the Louisiana Purchase makes much of what is today known as the Midwestern Territory.

Jefferson’s final major achievement to the American people during his tenure was the Embargo Act of 1807 that shut down exports from the U.S.. The act was initially intended to penalize the British for the impressments of American sailors and the attack on the American frigate U.S.S. Chesapeake, but instead it hurt the American people more than it hurt the British. This proved to be devastating to the North at first, for their main form trade involved imports and exports, but over time industry developed especially in New England. Northern states became self-sufficient, which would later lead to confrontation with the South slave-based agricultural economy. Today many industrial centers lie on the East coast (i.e. Boston and New York).

Thomas Jefferson was one of the founding fathers of this nation. Jefferson strongly believed in a democratic form of government. Where the people could participate and be governed as they see fit. The easiest way to make your point heard is to be governed by a smaller government like our states and towns. The individual has an easier avenue to change their government if it is smaller. This is why Jefferson believed that as many issues as possible should be left up to the states. Jefferson being the great man he was could also see that uniting all the states in one "confederation" would benefit all the states and the people. Through his belief that the government is in place to better the lives of the people over which it rules came his belief that government should not do more than is outlined in the Constitution, in order to keep it in check. The government should know its limits and not intrude on the rights of the people by reaching beyond its limits. Jefferson was an eloquent advocator of the rights of people and their role in government as well as the government's role in society.Those who do are presentists, cynics, and nay-sayers who are simply looking for a way to criticize one of the greatest Americans who has ever lived. Though he is not flawless, given Jefferson's contributions to American society, it is almost impossible to find him to be morally weak and coarse. He has truly defined true American culture as it is today and has shaped the lives of many Americans both of his time and our time alike.

The third president of the United States, a diplomat, statesman, architect, scientist, and philosopher, Thomas Jefferson is one of the most eminent figures in American history. No leader in the period of the American Enlightenment was as articulate, wise, or conscious of the implications and consequences of a free society as Thomas Jefferson. He is remembered in history not only for the offices he held, but also for his belief in the natural rights of man as expressed in the Declaration of Independence and his faith in the people's ability to govern themselves. However, Thomas Jefferson’s involvement in politics is not entirely overshadowed by his construction of the Constitution. On the contrary, between 1789 and 1820 his political horizon spanned much further than Constitution. He left an impact on his times equaled by few others in American history.

In 1790, Thomas Jefferson initially established himself in political affairs under president Washington’s Cabinet as first secretary of state. Much of his time as head of the State Department was spent abroad and negotiating with the Spanish and the Indians over the territory what was to become territory delineated by the Louisiana Purchase; in general he played a relatively inactive role in the government. Nevertheless, his time was not frittered away. This period marked the development of his democratic beliefs and gave him the opportunity to survey the upsurge of federalists’ power in the government. Fearing the possible tyranny of a strong federal government, he was in constant conflict with Alexander Hamilton, then secretary of treasury and head of the Federalists Party. Jefferson helped organize the Democratic-Republican Party in opposition to the Federalists. Jefferson disagreed with Hamilton’s plan to encourage shipping and manufacturing, as well his proposal for a national bank. He believed that Hamilton’s financial policies exceeded the powers delegated to the central government by the Constitution, that they were contrary to the interests of the majority of the people, and that he symbolized a threat to republican institutions. Republicans virtues were saturating the young Virginian’s mind and methods of reform were being devised.

He held the position as secretary of state until December 31, 1793. For the next two years he became a severe critic of Washington and the Federalists. When the presidential election of 1796 came up, Jefferson offered himself as the Democratic-Republican candidate and received sixty-eight of the electoral votes, becoming Vice-President to John Adams. One of his first accomplishments was The Manual of Parliamentary Practice, which outlined the decorum and behavior expected during congressional meetings, providing Jefferson with a taste of leadership. The United States of America was now controlled by a Federalists Congress, and undermined by the Democratic-Republican, Vice-President Thomas Jefferson. In order to prevent further growth of the Republican Party, Adams enacted the Alien and Sedition Acts. The latter, particularly applied to Federalists judges, who often exercised their power by stifling the Democratic-Republican criticism of the government. James Madison and Thomas Jefferson wholeheartedly believed these acts had violated the first amendment and therefore could be deemed unconstitutional. As a means of circumventing direct confrontation, the two politicians, argued in the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions of 1798-1799. Due to the opposing viewpoints of Adams and Jefferson, they went through an endless cycle of undoing one another’s work. Jefferson would not allow the liberties of the individual to be suppressed and the voice of people to be effaced. The theme of consensus is reinforced by Jefferson himself when he says, “I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man”(Coates).

The decade ended with the defeat of the Federalists in the election of 1800. It was groundbreaking in the development of the new nation; politics was sharply schismatic, conducted with intense discord, and pervaded with political fragmentation over divergent principles. Jefferson regarded Hamilton as a hazard to republican government; Hamilton regarded a ‘demagogic radical’ (The New Encyclopedia, 325). Hamilton’s view of government encompassed a vision of national opulence and splendor, as opposed to Jefferson’s view of government, which encapsulated the protection of the individual’s rights to “life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness” (Malone, 19). Jefferson refrained from becoming too ideological in his beliefs, so as not to weaken the infrastructure of republican government. His values enthralled the masses and prompted the American people to remember the true objective of the government: to serve the people. This theme remains a popular notion in today’s government.

The Federalist candidates undoubtedly lost the presidential election of 1800, but under the electoral system then prevailing neither of the Republican candidates, Jefferson and Aaron Burr, could claim victory. The Constitution had not provided the electors with the means to differentiate between president and vice-president, which caused controversy as the two candidates had the same number of votes. Therefore, presidency was to be decided by the House of Representatives. Since, Hamilton and many other members of Congress considered Burr untrustworthy, they felt it was safer to choose Jefferson. His inaugural address was March 4, 1801. This day signified radical change Democratic-Republican power. His highest priority coming into office was to restore the balance in the government. He dismissed several customs officers and bestowed the vacant positions in the treasury and judicial offices to Republicans. This was to increase republican representation in Congress. His goal was to have a unified central government, by the systematic removal of Federalists from office, which would in turn cut back on internal taxation (i.e. the excise tax on whiskey). Also with the Federalists threat alleviated, military spending was slashed and diplomatic missions at The Hague and Berlin were shut down (Norton, 220). The Alien and Sedition Acts detracted from his authority, so he allowed those to expire instead of renewing them, and excused those who were indicted under the acts. He also repealed the Naturalization Act, which previously mandated immigrants to wait fourteen years before they could receive citizenship. He felt this was a blatant violation of human rights, and reduced the years of residency compulsory for citizenship from fourteen to five in the 1802 act. This policy would not change until the Twentieth Century. This act also entailed constitutional fidelity and the abandonment of foreign allegiance and titles (Norton 229). Jefferson had broken down the Federalists front and they were down to their last line of defense.

There was only one barrier blockading Republican domination in Congress, the Federalist judiciary stronghold. In order to make immediate vacancies on the bench, he and the preponderance of the Republican Congress annulled the Judiciary Act of 1801, which had previously reduced the number of justices on the Supreme Court and created fifteen new judgeships. Jefferson impeached Judge John Pickering and attempted to do the same with Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase but failed. The claim was insufficient and Chief Justice of the United States John Marshall upheld the Federalist iron grip in the judiciary department. Jefferson appointed three new Supreme Court justices during his term. Although judiciary remained in the hands of the Federalists they were destabilized and outnumbered. The Republicans were running the show now, and the Federalists had to take the back seat. Jefferson pioneered uncharted political boundaries, to set the foundation for republicanism and the general idea of doing what is best for the people.

Jefferson also believed vehemently that the government as a whole could not do anything that was not prescribed in the Constitution. In other words, Jefferson believed in a strict interpretation of the Constitution. He was forced to go against his beliefs when it came to the Louisiana Purchase. This was one of the major achievements of his presidency. The right to purchase lands was not given to the president in the Constitution, but Jefferson saw a great opportunity to expand this great nation. The acquisition of the Louisiana territory was of incalculable significance, nearly doubling the size of the United States. By pouncing on Napoleon’s offer he removed a major foreign power from the continent, thereby increasing national security. Not only did it provide protection, but also supplied reservoir of land for settlers and economic advantages through the gateway of the Mississippi River and port of New Orleans. This would later become a lifeline between the East and the West from a commercial point of view. He went beyond the Constitution because it was for the benefit of the country and the people. The land gained in the Louisiana Purchase makes much of what is today known as the Midwestern Territory.

Jefferson’s final major achievement to the American people during his tenure was the Embargo Act of 1807 that shut down exports from the U.S.. The act was initially intended to penalize the British for the impressments of American sailors and the attack on the American frigate U.S.S. Chesapeake, but instead it hurt the American people more than it hurt the British. This proved to be devastating to the North at first, for their main form trade involved imports and exports, but over time industry developed especially in New England. Northern states became self-sufficient, which would later lead to confrontation with the South slave-based agricultural economy. Today many industrial centers lie on the East coast (i.e. Boston and New York).

Thomas Jefferson was one of the founding fathers of this nation. Jefferson strongly believed in a democratic form of government. Where the people could participate and be governed as they see fit. The easiest way to make your point heard is to be governed by a smaller government like our states and towns. The individual has an easier avenue to change their government if it is smaller. This is why Jefferson believed that as many issues as possible should be left up to the states. Jefferson being the great man he was could also see that uniting all the states in one "confederation" would benefit all the states and the people. Through his belief that the government is in place to better the lives of the people over which it rules came his belief that government should not do more than is outlined in the Constitution, in order to keep it in check. The government should know its limits and not intrude on the rights of the people by reaching beyond its limits. Jefferson was an eloquent advocator of the rights of people and their role in government as well as the government's role in society.Those who do are presentists, cynics, and nay-sayers who are simply looking for a way to criticize one of the greatest Americans who has ever lived. Though he is not flawless, given Jefferson's contributions to American society, it is almost impossible to find him to be morally weak and coarse. He has truly defined true American culture as it is today and has shaped the lives of many Americans both of his time and our time alike.