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Contributions of Thomas Jefferson
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Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, brought the United States to a greater economic level. This Democratic-Republican lead the nation between 1801 to 1809. He was known to be very intelligent, and he used to his mind to improve the economic system from the inside. His promoted free speech to improve the government. Among his many As the president, Thomas Jefferson made many contributions, which improved the nation. He encouraged congress to stop following the Alien and Seditions Acts. Soon after, he focused on reducing the nation’s debt, unlike certain Federalists. He decreased the size of the army and made other major cuts to navy and parts of the administration. He also removed taxes on stamps, land, and alcohol. By the end of his presidency, Thomas Jefferson shrunk the nation’s debt by $33 million dollars. In 1803, Jefferson acquired the Louisiana Territory, which brought in numerous amounts of benefits in the United States. Besides the fact the the nation expanded, more people …show more content…
After his presidency, he collected thousands of books and established a library named Monticello in Virginia. This land was given to him by his father and was also used as a plantation. He continued to collect books, and eventually he had the largest collection in all of America, after the British burned down the Capitol building and the Library of Congress. Soon after he sold it to Congress. When he remodeled Monticello in 1793, he drew out the plans and measurements himself. Thomas was possibly the best architectural drawer of his time. He also used Monticello as a laboratory to perform experiments on plants. Jefferson was also trained to play the violin and cello, which he practiced during his youth. Thomas Jefferson’s interests and passions made him become the leader who he was. He was ambitious to expand his mind and led to America becoming a diverse
Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were both strong presidents who kept a stabile nation, but they differed in their methods of doing so. Adams was a federalist so he helped establish a stable government by focusing on forming a strong central government. Jefferson being a democrat-republican worked to establish stability in the US government by promoting state’s rights. They both worked for stability in different but successful ways. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson brought many different viewpoints and strengths after the establishment of the Constitution but they both put the nation’s stability first and wanted to preserve the wellbeing of the people first by Adams ending the Quazi war and Jefferson making the Louisiana Purchase.
Thomas Jefferson was a strong supporter and spokesman for the common man and self-government. He strongly believed that the purpose of American government is to look after and support the common interests of the people. He was against anything that he felt would hurt the common man such as the Bank of the U.S. and big government. Jefferson believed the Bank was hurting the common man and became a damaging monopoly. "It would swallow up all the delegated powers [of the states], and reduce the whole to one power..."-Jefferson referring to the Bank. He was strongly against big government and felt it would oppress the common man. "I am not a friend of a very energetic government...it places the governors indeed more at their ease, at the expense of the people." Jefferson was also a strong supporter of the Bill of Rights, which protected the rights of the people. "A bill of rights is what the people are entitled to..." He felt the Bill of Rights would clearly state and protect people's rights, "freedom of religion, freedom of the press, protection against standing armies, restriction of monopolies, the eternal and unremitting force of the habeas corpus laws, and trial by jury...." It was based on Jefferson's suggestions that Madison proposed a Bill of Rights. Jefferson did everything he could to help the common man.
The longer Jefferson was in office, the more the Democratic Republicans started to go against their own principles. The acquisition of the Louisiana territory, in 1803, was the most notable achievement of Jefferson's presidency, yet it showed the inconsistency between his actions and his beliefs. Jefferson realized that there was no time for strict constructionalism due to the slow process of the amendment. This purchase violated his constitutional morals and his belief in a weak central government.
The year of 1803 significantly changed our nation eternally. It stunned many people. In no way, shape or form, did we ever believe that our nation would expand so rapidly. What started with the small purchase of New Orleans led into the substantial purchase of the Louisiana Territory. This was a purchase that will make Thomas Jefferson a man to be remembered. Although, he wasn’t the only man who impacted the United States during this time period. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark are the two men that are greatly known for their expedition across the Louisiana Territory. These two subjects, the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark Expedition, altered our nation immeasurably.
... a few years to complete discovered various plants, animals, and Native American Tribes that were undisturbed and forgot about before that time. This purchased benefited both sides in the form of money to the French and land going to the United States to continue the growth of their respective countries. Many great things come from the Louisiana Purchase such as the California Gold Rush in the 19th century. It also led to a split in the nation between the north (free states) and the south (slave states) in the form of which of the new states would be free or slave. These different views eventually led to a civil war, but if it wasn’t for the Louisiana purchase, no economical or geographical growth would have occurred. If it wasn’t for the Louisiana Purchase led by Thomas Jefferson, the United States may only still be the 13 colonies we had at first in my opinion
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.
The Louisiana Purchase was the most important event of President Thomas Jefferson's first Administration. In this transaction, the United States bought 827,987 square miles of land from France for about $15 million. This vast area lay between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains, stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian Border. The purchase of this land greatly increased the economic resources of the United States, and cemented the union of the Middle West and the East. Eventually all or parts of 15 states were formed out of the region. When Jefferson became president in March 1801, the Mississippi River formed the western boundary of the United States. The Florida's lay the south, and the Louisiana Territory to the west. Spain owned both these territories.
Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States and viewed the office of the president to be strictly constructed by the constitution. He, like Washington, believed his power as president derived directly from the constitution and the affection of the people. Although he had a Whig theory, he made the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, which the president had no authority according to the constitution to do; the congress has control of the purse strings according to the constitution.... ... middle of paper ...
Despite his many compromises however, Thomas Jefferson’s intent to dissolve the national debt was to a great extent unvarying. Jefferson and his Treasury Secretary Albert Gallatin honestly feared a large federal deficit as a threat to Republicanism. To avoid this threat, the President sought to diminish the role of the federal government, and decreased the national budget. These budget cuts substantially diminished the size and resources of the American army and navy. When criticized, Jefferson defended these military cuts as being consistent with Republican policies in that a smaller U.S. Army would be seen as less of a threat to other nations and reduce the risk of provocation, resulting in the ultimate promotion of peace.
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.
The Louisiana Purchase helped the economy by reopening the ports. By opening up the ports the Western farmers could get their products to the market while Eastern merchants prospered from trade (American Passages). When the United States started expanding westward hundreds of acres would guarantee that the economy would remain the primarily agricultural for decades. (Louisiana Purchase. Dictionary of American History) By buying Louisiana the United States gained greater security for the border. Also we gained a better power and self-
Jefferson came into office on March 4, 1801 and left office on March 4, 1809. His first term’s vice president was Aaron Burr, and his second term’s vice president was George Clinton. He ran with the Democratic-Republican Party and heavily opposed the Federalist Party. Prior to his election, he had already held many positions in public office; vice president and secretary of state . Because he was preceded only by John Adams and George Washington, Jefferson played a large role in the formation of the character of the American President. For his first inaugural address, according to a reporter, “His dress was, as usual, that of a plain citizen without any distinctive badge of office.” This casual nature showed the American public that he was not a king, but a normal citizen who was there for the people, he was even known as the “Man of the People”. Many other American Presidents used that same style in order to appeal to the public.
In 1803 the United States would make the largest and possibly most controversial land purchases in American history, the Louisiana Purchase. During the years leading up to this event the United States was still trying to solidify a national identity. There were two subjects that were causing for division of the new national identity, one being westward expansion. The Northern states and Federalists opposed the idea of westward expansion while the Southern States and the Jeffersonians backed this purchase. Although there was a struggle for a single national identity and this controversial purchase did not aid in finding that single identity, it was still the right decision for the United States. By purchasing this land from the French the United States would not share a colonial boundary with the French who were continuing to gain power under Napoleon. Purchasing the Louisiana Territory would prove to be beneficial for the United States for more reason than one.
It has been said that his particular taking of office had lead to the simplest speech stating that "essential principals" would guide his administration and would support all states with "equal and exact justice to all". And the actual changes of administration were the most peaceful of all, nothing like those previously. Jefferson’s accomplishments were most greatly seen by the ability to simplify the Republican government in the new capital by cutting back the unnecessary branches and less useful positions while replacing Federalists with Republicans. And by the year 1808, Republicans held almost all the government offices. At the same time, Jefferson fought to keep the size of the government from continuously growing.
Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743 in Shadwell, Virginia. Jefferson had seven siblings, one brother and six sisters. From a young age Jefferson loved to read. He had a passion for knowledge, reading and writing. Young Jefferson got some of the best education in the States as well as in Europe. At the young age of sixteen Thomas Jefferson was attending school at William and Mary College. This was not common for a young boy to pursue education let alone this level. While attending William and Mary College he was taken under the wing of George Wythe. George Wythe became a mentor to Jefferson and taught him how to become a successful lawyer as well as taught him about many other topics in politics that were going on at the time. It is said that Wythe helped shape Jefferson and his ideals and political views. One ideal they shared was that all men are created equal. Later Wythe would also sign the Declaration of Independence along side of Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson graduated William and Mary College in 1762 and was practicing law in 1767. After Jefferson became a lawyer he became a member of the House of Burgesses. The Hi...