As the crafter of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson is widely viewed as the creator of America. His vision of human rights forms the basis for the Declaration, and his early years formed his vision of the world. By looking at Jefferson’s childhood and early adulthood we can learn what shaped the man who shaped America.
Thomas Jefferson was born in Virginia on April 13, 1743 (Miller, 13) and was the oldest son of a family with 8 children (Jefferson, 4). His father, Peter, had little formal education but self educated himself to the point that he was selected to create the first map of Virginia (Jefferson 3). Although his father passed away when Thomas was 14 (Brodie, 38) the desire to learn had already been passed down from father to son (Brodie, 35). Thomas began his formal education at age five, being tutored at “the English school” on the plantation where he lived (Brodie, 49). At age nine he was sent to another school and began learning languages, although he was dismissive of his teacher’s abilities (Jefferson, 4). His father also insisted that Thomas be comfortable in the wilderness around the family home, encouraging him to ride horses, hike, swim and hunt (Brodie, 35).
After his father’s death Jefferson began meeting men who would influence him for the rest of his life. He studied classical languages and history under the Reverend James Maury; a foundation that allowed him to read classical literature his entire life (Miller, 14). He then went on to William and Mary College in 1760, where he studied under Dr William Small, a man who influenced young Thomas Jefferson so strongly that Jefferson later stated he “fixed the destinies of my life” (Jefferson, 4). Dr Small introduced Jefferson to George ...
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... of his views are so well laid out in the Declaration of Independence that it is easy to look at that document as a standalone work, but it should be viewed for what it is. The Declaration of Independence is a culmination of Thomas Jefferson’s life and experiences which have shaped America like nothing else could.
Works Cited
Brodie, Fawn M. Thomas Jefferson An Intimate History. New York: W.W. Norton and Company Inc., 1974. Print.
Burstein, Andrew. The Inner Jefferson Portrait of a Grieving Optimist. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1995. Print.
Jefferson, Thomas. Jefferson Autobiography, Notes on the State of Virginia, Public and Private Papers, Addresses, Letters. New York: Literary Classics of the United States, Inc., 1984. Print.
Miller, Douglas T. Thomas Jefferson and the Creation of America. New York: Facts on File, Inc., 1997. Print.
First is Jefferson’s introduction to the National scene between 1775-1776. Afterward, he served on a diplomatic mission to Paris (1784-1789), and it was during his stay with the French that he bore witness to the beginning of the French Revolution. Subsequently, between 1794 and 1797, the man resided in Monticello in semi-retirement before finally serving as the President of the United States between 1801 and 1805. Eventually, Ellis covers the last ten years of Jefferson 's life; thus completing the mentioned propitious
Chapter two describes “The Dinner”, hosted by Thomas Jefferson at his residence in New York City about June 20...
Jefferson had made promises to Americans, some of his promises in particularly the increase of land for the yeoman farmer and promised not kept were decreasing National debt and Federal power. Jefferson’s presidency was to a certain extent a “Republican Revolution” but at the same time it had also become a continuation of Federalists policies. While making decisions for the best interests of Democratic Republicans, Jefferson had chosen the same path of the Federalist in order to keep his promises, and had to sacrifice some of the ideals and promises of the “Republican Revolution.”
Thomas Jefferson has an amazing role in our lives today from the hard work and time he spent to make an easier future for all of us. There are days that some of us could not thrive as the people we are without the appliances he made to make challenging tasks easier for us. Some people look up to him because he never stopped doing great things and never stopped showing unselfishness. Thomas Jefferson revolutionized the world of the 18th century and centuries to come. Thomas Jefferson was one of the most influential people of the 18th century because he was one of the founding fathers of America, he was the founder of the University of Virginia, and he was the creator of many life changing inventions, which drastically changed the world.
Thomas Jefferson was an educated, articulate and accomplished man from a well-respected family. He had a great understanding of farming and of the relationship between man and his environment, working diligently to balance the two for the best interest of each. He “considered himself first and always a man of the land” (Jewett, 2005). His vision of the New World was of true, idealistic freedom with limited government involvement; an educated farmer, a moral man who would sustain himself off of the very land his freedom was based.
Thomas Jefferson is most noted as being the author of the Declaration of Independence as well as our third president. He was also a diplomat, an architect, a musician, and scientist. His last act of public service was the founding of the University of Virginia in 1819. He valued this accomplishment as much as his authorship of the Declaration of Independence. However, his presidency left great legacies that touch the lives of all Americans still today. He will forever be associated with the Supreme Court decision in the case of "Marbury v Madison," the greatest land transaction in history, the Louisiana Purchase, and with the ratification of the Twelfth Amendment to the Constitution. Mr. Jefferson is firmly entrenched alongside George Washington and Abraham Lincoln as one of the truly great Americans.
Thomas Jefferson is a man who really needs no introduction. He was recognized as a luminous writer who was appointed to draft the Declaration of Independence. Congress formally approved the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Jefferson owned many slaves that worked for him. He would often even sell his slaves to buy others. Why then would he write in the Declaration of Independence, “all men are created equal”? Is it possible that Thomas Jefferson was a hypocrite and only wrote what the population wanted to see? Did Thomas Jefferson enjoy owning slaves just as his other wealthy peers did? Neither one of those is true. Thomas Jefferson thought slavery was morally wrong and he thought that it should be abolished. We will take a closer look at Thomas Jefferson and his days of slave ownership. We will discuss how Jefferson would come to own slaves, how he tried to help them overcome slavery, and what he would do while in office or politics to set them free.
Thomas Jefferson was and still is an individual who has made an impact in our country. His character was so intrigued and different that people are still attempting to discover many new points about Thomas Jefferson. In this paper, I will be mentioning few points regarding Thomas Jefferson which I found to be interesting.
“As a boy, Thomas Jefferson’s was shy and often tongue-tied…Preferred the company of books to that of most people.” (Wilmore, 1) These were words to describe the young Jefferson; his childhood would prove to be a key in shaping the man, who through his words would change a nation. Jefferson was born on April 13th 1743, in Shadwell Virginia. During his childhood he would spend 15 hours each day reading and writing, this would prove to make his writing skills at a high level (1). As he grew into an adult he would study law in his home of Virginia at the William and Mary College at Williamsburg (Bottorff, 15). During this time he would become a member of the Whig party and would advocate for the rights and liberties of mankind (Peterson, 1). It was in his childhood and as turned into an adult which he learned how to write and how to express his political views through words. “For Thomas Jefferson, the pen truly was mightier than the sword. From his pen flowed some of the worlds most famous and influential words.” (Wilmore, 1) Truer words could not have been spoken about Jefferson’s because it was through his words which adv...
The American Revolution, perhaps the most momentous war-related milestone in American history, would not have been possible without the strenuous efforts of the courageous men we call Patriots or otherwise known as the Founding Fathers of America, who gave their all in the fight for freedom against the British. Many names of great men come to mind when we think “founding fathers,” such as Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, or Samuel Adams. Yet there is still one great patriot and founding father who seems to stand out above the rest, and that man is Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson is widely known as being the author of the Declaration of Independence and the Louisiana Purchase that bought more than 20% of the U.S. However, what most people seem to overlook is his vast knowledge of mathematics and science, and his strong position and belief in Republicanism.
Guided by his fervent and unwavering commitment to reason and the principles of natural law and natural rights, Thomas Jefferson crafted his own unique political and social vision for the United States of America which, excluding a few notable omissions, has survived to become an important contribution to the cornerstone of American democracy. His vision was of an agrarian and populist nation of citizens with access to general and widespread education, whose rulers are chosen on grounds of their individual merits and talents rather than on basis of birth and inheritance, and governed by a decentralized system of government, whose main duty is to safeguard the unalienable natural rights and freedom of the individual, and the general well-being and happiness of the citizen, as well as the unimpeded enforcement of the general will of society at large. This vision is the result and culmination of his personal beliefs on the topics of universal liberty and political philosophy, weighed and viewed through the discerning and logical lens of reason.
Kaplan, Lawrence S. Thomas Jefferson: Westward the Course of Empire. Wilmington, DE: SR, 1999. 284. Print.
Brodie, Fawn M. Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate History. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1974.
Wilentz, Sean. "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Thomas Jefferson." The New Republic Mar 10 1997: 32-42. ProQuest. Web. 17 Jan. 2014 .
Jefferson’s use of strategies and language is ineffective in making his points and persuading readers of his arguments. Using hasty generalization, begging the question, and insulting language in his analysis is a huge flaw which lessens the credibility of his argument and offenses his readers. Jefferson should use other argumentative strategies and prevent himself from using insulting language in order to convince readers of his arguments.