Who was thomas jefferson?
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 - July 4 1826) was an American Founding Father, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776), and the third President of the United States (1801–1809). At the beginning of the American Revolution, he served in the Continental Congress, representing Virginia, and then served as a wartime Governor of Virginia (1779–1781). He became the United States Secretary of State in 1785 under the presidency of George Washington. He rigidly opposed Alexander Hamilton's Federalism, Jefferson and James Madison, his close friend, organized Democratic-Republican party and later they resigned from Washington's cabinet.
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Jefferson was keenly interested in science, invention, architecture, religion, and philosophy. Considered an important architect in the classical tradition, he designed his home Monticello and other notable buildings. Jefferson was keenly interested in science, invention, architecture, religion, and philosophy. He contributed by being an active member of American Philosophical Society discovered by Benjamin Franklin. His studying about other languages made him eligible to find the University of Virginia.
After her wife's death, Martha Jefferson, in 1782, he kept his promise that he would not remarry, However many historians generally believe that after the death of his wife, Jefferson had a long-term relationship with his slave, Sally Hemings, and fathered some or all of her children. Until death Jefferson opposed the slavery, yet he had owned hundreds of slaves and gave freedom to only some of them. Thomas Jefferson is being rated as one of the great presidents of the United States, however he is criticized by many Historians and Scholars regarding the issue of racism and slavery.
After her wife's death, Martha Jefferson, in 1782, he kept his promise that he would not remarry, However many historians generally believe that after the death of his wife, Jefferson had a long-term relationship with his slave, Sally Hemings, and fathered some or all of her children. Until death Jefferson opposed the slavery, yet he had owned hundreds of slaves and gave freedom to only some of them. Thomas Jefferson is being rated as one of the great presidents of the United States, however he is criticized by many Historians and Scholars regarding the issue of racism and slavery.
What was his presidency like?
Jefferson's intentions ( republican agrarianism)
Thomas Jefferson wanted to give "life, liberty and . . . pursuit of happiness" to the United States of which he had written in the Declaration of Independence. Only America, he believed, provided fertile earth to the true citizenship necessary to a republican form of government. Jefferson envisaged a nation of small family farms clustered together in rural communities- an agrarian republic. His major intentions were to oppose the Federalists. Jefferson's vision of an expanding agrarian republic remains to this day on of the most compelling ideas about America's uniqueness and special destiny. However, expansionism contained some negative aspects.
Expansionism caused damage of environment, particularly soil exhaustion- a consequence of abandoning old land, rather than conserving them and moving on to the new ones. Jefferson's expansionism encouraged the spread of plantations, called westward movement, plantation was based on slave labor in the south which resulted in abundance slave trade.
Expansionism caused damage of environment, particularly soil exhaustion- a consequence of abandoning old land, rather than conserving them and moving on to the new ones. Jefferson's expansionism encouraged the spread of plantations, called westward movement, plantation was based on slave labor in the south which resulted in abundance slave trade.
Alien and Sedition Act (1798)
His other intentions were to oppose Federalist leaders and their actions, especially George Washington and John Adams. Alien and Sedition acts of 1798 promoted by John Adams suggested to control the immigration into the United States which decreased the rate of unemployment in America, however Jefferson gaining the control of government repealed the Alien and Sedition acts which increased the population growth of America and as an outcome, unemployment rates started inclining. Act also promoted the idea of freedom of press and right of people to vote.
Reduced the Size of Naval Force and Military = First Barbary War 1801-1805
Another major intention of Thomas Jefferson was to reduce the size of military and naval force because Jefferson believed that states should get more political powers then the federal government. Reducing the Naval force was the biggest factor that led United States to lose the First Barbary War. First Barbary War was the first of two wars fought between the United States and the Northwest African Barbary States. Barbary pirates with (similar intentions like Today's Somali Pirates) were the biggest threat to the government. The war was fought because Thomas Jefferson refused to pay the high tributes demanded by the Barbary states and because they were seizing American merchant ships and enslaving the crews for high ransoms. It was the first military conflict authorized by Congress that the United States fought on foreign land and seas. Thomas Jefferson sends marines to the shores of Tripoli. After not succeeding to overthrow the government of Tripoli Barbary states, Jefferson realized that without the large military and naval force, nation is at risk. Because of failed government overthrow, America paid $60,000 in ransom. So reducing the naval and military size led United States to lose the First Barbary War of 1801-1805 under Thomas Jefferson's Presidency.