The Guidance of a Government
opinionated Essay
1005 words
People have their own perspective of a government that they envision for their people. Thomas Jefferson has been the president of the United States and ruled under a monarch. Jefferson couldn’t tolerate the abuse from a monarch, so he rebelled against the British crown. In 1776, Thomas Jefferson wrote The Declaration of Independence, and declared the colonies were free from British rule. Before he became the author of The Declaration of Independence, Jefferson was established “ as an ardent republican and revolutionary” (Jacobus 77). Jacobus states Jefferson is, “one of the most versatile Americans of any generation” (Jacobus 78). In The Declaration of Independence, Jefferson and the founding fathers envisioned a government that would govern the people, and the people would be free. The people must be governed with rights, Jefferson implies it’s the government’s duty to guide and secure the people, therefore, he believes the government’s obligation to the individual is more important than the individuals obligation to the state. It’s the state’s obligation to give their citizens the rights under a fair trial. Under the monarch rule, the colonist were convicted before a trial, but most of the time there wasn’t any trials. In the colonies, the colonist were misrepresented by lawyers because they were uneducated compared to the English lawyers. The British authorities didn’t provide equal laws to the colonists, so if they were falsely accused they were punished. Furthermore, Jefferson states, “For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of a Trial by Jury” (82). The colonist weren’t trialed fairly, and Jefferson believed a government should give their citizen a fair trial. Each citizen should have an equal judgment because the... ... middle of paper ... ...secure the people, and it’s the people’s obligation to obey by the laws instituted to them. He had envisioned a government that wouldn’t abuse the rights of the people. The government can control the people, but the people have a say in how the government should govern them. It was his vision to allow the people to be governed, but still be free. If it wasn’t for Jefferson and his Declaration of Independence, then there wouldn’t have been a democrat government. The United States wouldn’t be what it is today, a government for the free people. Works Cited Jacobus, Lee A. Ed. A World of Ideas: Essential Reading for College Writers. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010. Print. Jefferson, Thomas. “The Declaration of Independence.” A World of Ideas: Essential Reading for College Writers. 8th ed. Ed. Lee A. Jacobus. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010. 77-83. Print.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how thomas jefferson rebelled against the british crown and wrote the declaration of independence. he was an ardent republican and revolutionary.
- Explains that under the monarch rule, the colonist were convicted before a trial, but most of the time there wasn't any trials.
- Explains that the government has the obligation to implicate fair laws and a justice system to their citizens.
- Opines that people need the government to guide and control them, for freedom. jefferson believes it's the people’s right to vote and place laws into effect that are going to benefit the free people.
- Opines that people have to follow the laws and guidelines set by the government to feel safe and secure.
- Opines that jefferson implies the government's role is to govern the people and the citizens' role to follow government’s laws. if government didn’t guide people, there would be chaos.
- Analyzes how jefferson envisioned a government that wouldn't abuse the rights of the people. jefferson's declaration of independence allowed people to be governed but still be free.
Related
- explanatory
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- argumentative
- What Are Thomas Jefferson Contributions To Americaexplanatory essayThe foundation of America is based on the people, a democracy. Jefferson contributed to the "beliefs and the values of the American system and government"(Para.4) all of which are still practiced. In 1776(table) The Declaration of Independance was written and was greatly influenced by Jefferson, he "can be seen as a true miniser and prophet of those ideals"(Para.4). He knew that the people had to be taken into account and that made him strong. Jefferson once said "When the people fear the government there is tyranny, when the government fears the people there is liberty."
In this essay, the author
- Opines that abraham lincoln, george washington, and thomas jefferson were america's first presidents and contributed much needed leadership, functionality and a voice for the citizens.
- Explains that jefferson contributed to the "beliefs and the values of the american system and government" in 1776. he knew that the people had to be taken into account.
- Explains that thomas jefferson served as the third president during the years 1801-1809 (table). his contributions to america are written in a list, there is no doubt he was strong.
- Explains that jefferson had a thirst for knowledge that was virtually unquenchable. he contributed to the freedom of religion without being under the rule of the government.
- Opines that jeffersons list of accomplishments is worthy to study and admire among everyone. jefferson's freedom, structure, expansion of america, and push for education helped shape america to be the wonderful country it is today.
467 wordsRead More - Thomas Jefferson's Arguments In The Declaration Of Independenceanalytical essayThomas Jefferson defines that a government should be instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. A government exists to secure certain unalienable rights—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; to provide safeguards for the protection of the people. A government rests its groundwork on such principles and arranges its power in such forms that best seem most likely to effect the people’s safety and happiness. The best form of government is a limited, representative government. Thomas Jefferson makes these arguments for how a government should be, by saying the many things a government should do; conclude peace, levy war, contract alliances, establish commerce, and do all the other things which independent states may have the right to
In this essay, the author
- Argues that jefferson's arguments revolve around two main british actions that the colonies could no longer tolerate; britain’s exploitation and control
- Explains that thomas jefferson defines that a government should be instituted among men, deriving its just powers from the consent of the governed. a government exists to secure certain unalienable rights—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
- Explains that jefferson defines that a government should not be tyrannical or destructive; it should never abuse its power.
- Agrees with jefferson's arguments for how a government should be limited and operate for the good of the people.
485 wordsRead More - Response To Jefferson's Declaration Of Independenceanalytical essayJefferson expressed his concerns and disagreements with the king in the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson's main points focused on the lack of natural rights the colonists were granted. With the natural rights of the people removed the people and the government would not be able to function. When the king eliminated freedoms that colonists once had he stripped them of their grounds for life. Jefferson also focused on equality. He stated that all men were created equal and by equality he meant that all men (and women) rich or poor all had God given rights that no person should be able to restrict them from having.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the american declaration of independence has affected the foundation of the united states more than any other event or document in american history.
- Analyzes how jefferson's text was extremely taboo without the support of a reputable country. jefferson used the words in the preamble - life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, in which he uses happiness to mean property.
- Analyzes how jefferson expressed his concerns and disagreements with the king in the declaration of independence. jefferson's main points focused on the lack of natural rights the colonists were granted.
- Analyzes how jefferson defines independence because it states the terms on why the colonies need to be free from the control of the king.
- Defines independence as having no association to someone or a group of people that have influence or support to any aspect of another individual or multiple person's life or lives.
- Opines that jefferson's definition of independence differs from theirs because they believe that cutting ties off with another party is liberating.
- Explains that people have the right to modify the government or, in the event of extreme oppression, overthrow those in power.
- Analyzes how jefferson considers king george a tyrant because he has removed the rights of freedom from the american people.
- Analyzes how jefferson's logic, although genuine, had a flaw. he believed in the equality of humans but condoned slavery and had slaves himself.
- Opines that jefferson believes that the function of government is to serve the people. man-made governments are to protect our natural rights, not to interfere with them.
- Analyzes how jefferson's text and language is difficult to understand in regards to his feelings on the female half of the population.
- Analyzes how jefferson's letter to the king uses parallelism to intensify the subject and exaggerate the meaning of each statement by giving each argument its own line.
- Opines that the tyrannical nature of the people in power and the lack of a voice the colonists have is the most important aspect of the declaration of independence.
- Analyzes how jefferson writes with such force and presence and uses a courageous tone. the assembly of words and capitalization on the words lives, fortune, and honor demonstrate that jefferson stands by his words.
- Analyzes how the king's desire for stable government interferes with jefferson' s sense of independence because he has a completely different outlook on the situation.
1755 wordsRead More - The Declaration of Independence: America's Foundationanalytical essayOne argument favoring “The Declaration of Independence” serving as the foundation for many laws and documents is that it defines the rights of the American citizens. The document states that “governments exist only through the power of the people that they represent” (Jefferson, 1776). This means that the citizens chose their government because it is the people that rule themselves not government because “only consent legitimates or authorizes rule” (Sorenson, 2007). The citizens can, therefore, choose to abolish the current government if it, according to Thomas Jefferson’s “The Declaration of Independence,” shows sign of being tyrannical. Also, because the document states that the citizens can chose their own government that means that each state can elect a representative that will become the voice for the people in that state. This example shows how the Declaration of Independence has helped to establish the citizen’s righ...
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the declaration of independence helps define america's nationhood. it declared the colonies' independence from great britain, which was the beginning of a new free nation.
- Argues that the declaration of independence does not define america's nationhood. they argue that it is the constitution that defines the rights of the people and powers given to government.
- Explains that the declaration of independence gave way to the constitution, which includes equal protection of the law and due process.
- Explains that even if the declaration of independence is not a legal document, it is still the foundation of the united states and has helped shape many laws that benefitted the citizens rather than oppress their voices.
- Explains that the declaration of independence clarifies the united states identity as a free nation, but it has generated intense controversy.
- Cites farber, daniel a., jefferson, thomas, and sorenson, leonard r. on "one hard nut to crack": the declaration of independence.
1228 wordsRead More - Johnanalytical essayJefferson in the beginning of his presidency was a man with Democratic-Republican blood running through his veins. He lived only by the Constitution’s words, giving the states the power and having no debt or unreasonable excises, but as his presidency went on his philosophies merged with those of Federalists, and he had to do what he thought was best for his country. He did things he desperately needed to, accepting unconstitutional purchases of land, placing injustice acts upon his citizens, and enlarging the navy. If he had stuck to his Democratic-Republican ideas and not taken necessary actions, America would not have ever come as far along as it did during Jefferson’s presidency.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how thomas jefferson, a democratic-republican at heart, played key roles in the beginning of the united states government from the time he first wrote the declaration of independence to when
- Analyzes how thomas jefferson despised the british government system and influenced his ideas of a republican government. he pardoned those who were convicted under the alien and sedition acts.
- Analyzes how jefferson's philosophies slowly merged with those of federalists, going against his once strict, state-powering ideas. jefferson was a pacifist, but fought with the barbary states of north africa.
- Analyzes how jefferson ignored the constitution, and accepted the louisiana purchase for the good of america. he was abusing his power by initiating laws that were unconstitutional.
- Explains that jefferson was a man with democratic-republican blood running through his veins. his philosophies merged with those of federalists and he had to do what was best for his country.
913 wordsRead More - Dbq The Enlightenmentexplanatory essaySpecifically, the idea that man is endowed with certain liberties that were granted by God and/or nature was advocated by the Enlightenment thinkers. Many people took aim at arbitrary governments and the “divine right of kings.” John Locke in return offered principles of constructing a constitutional government, a contract between rulers and the ruled. In Document 7, John Locke in The Two Treatises of Government stated that men consent to enter society in order to preserve their natural rights such as life, liberty, and property. The government should protect people's natural rights and if not, then the people can remove their consent because the government derives its power from the consent of the people. John Locke wrote during the time period of the Enlightenment; therefore, his thoughts were based on the emerging idea of individualism furthermore man's inherent rights and powers. Thomas Jefferson wrote in The Declaration of Independence (Document 9) that are all men are created equal and that they are endowed with certain natural rights. The Declaration of Independence was written because of England's tyrannical rule over the American colonies thus, the citizens felt that their natural rights were being abused by the English government. Individualism was indeed formed in response to the skepticism of the Church as
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the enlightenment was the time period that followed the scientific revolution and was characterized as the "age of reason".
- Explains that the idea of progress, specifically the perfectibility of man and society, was a pivotal theme in the age of enlightenment.
- Explains that skepticism against the church was created by the scientific revolution's idea of reason, which showed that there was no need to rely on classical authority.
- Explains that individualism was a core subject during the enlightenment because of the revival of human's natural rights and how they must be protected.
- Explains that the enlightenment was an intellectual movement that emphasized reason and logic rather than tradition. it ushered in a new era of thinking.
962 wordsRead More - The Presidency of Thomas Jeffersonanalytical essayBy far, the most enduring aspect of Jefferson is the philosophies he held. These philosophies were brought up during his contentious debates against Hamilton during Washington’s presidency. At first, Hamilton prevailed and saw his philosophies become policies. Though, later, Jefferson was able to implement his philosophies himself. These famous philosophies of Jefferson were simple. He envisioned an agrarian democratic society, where the states had an upper hand in terms of federal-state power, and the Constitution was read in a strict sense (i.e. not permitting anything not specifically stated). In terms of foreign relations, Jefferson favored the French. This was not a long-lived love, though, with the many horrible things that happened between the U.S. and the French. These opinions held by Jefferson were opposite Hamilton, and both managed to be the foundations of their own parties: the Democratic-Republicans and the Federalists, respectively. He also hated the thought of the president holding a sense of nobility, as will become evident during his presidency.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how thomas jefferson, the third president of the united states, fits these contradictory descriptions so well by examining his presidency and the relationship between his executive actions and his philosophies.
- Explains that jefferson's philosophies were brought up during his contentious debates against hamilton during washington’s presidency. he envisioned an agrarian democratic society, where the states had an upper hand in terms of federal-state power, and the constitution was read in strict sense.
- Explains that jefferson was elected to be president in 1800. his opponents during the electoral run were adams, the second president, and burr, a fellow democratic-republican.
- Analyzes how jefferson kept hamiltonian policies, such as the national bank, tariffs, and the promise that the federal government would assume the debt of states. he instituted a new economic policy called laissez faire, which was in favor of the free market.
- Explains that thomas jefferson and his democracy: crash course us history #10 by cbs and jon meacham.
- Describes the websites of thomas jefferson, including http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/thomasjefferson.
522 wordsRead More - Jeffersonian and Jacksonian Democracyanalytical essayThomas 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.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that jeffersonian and jackson's views and goals as presidents are the same. both are in favor of the common man and support states rights.
- Explains that thomas jefferson was a strong supporter of the common man and self-government. he was against the bank of america and big government.
- Explains that andrew jackson was the first president to be chosen by the people and his background was not that of a typical president. he favored the general public rather than the wealthy.
- Explains that jefferson strongly opposed the alien and sedition acts, which violated the states first amendment right of free speech and press.
- Explains that jackson supported states rights in his first inaugural message. although jefferson was not passionate about state rights, he still supported the states.
- Analyzes how jefferson and jackson shared almost identical views on minorities. both men supported the idea of moving native americans from their home, taking their lands, and moving them to a different part of the country.
- Opines that jefferson and jackson should be considered racists because they shared the same beliefs as the majority of people did in regards to minorities. they both support states rights and agree on the role of the federal government.
1470 wordsRead More - The Evolution of the Power of the Presidencyexplanatory essayThomas 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 Louis...
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the views of the first sixteen presidents varied widely, but all of their actions set precedents for their successors to use, expand, or even curtail the power.
- Explains that george washington was the first president of the united states of america and set many precedents that are still followed by executives today.
- Explains that thomas jefferson was the third president of the united states and viewed the office of president as strictly constructed by the constitution.
- Explains that john q. adams won the presidency in the 1824 election. he advocated internal improvements such as better roads, canals, schools, and a better army and navy.
- Opines that andrew jackson was one of the most influential presidents in history. he believed that government had a social obligation to the people and that it was democratic.
- Explains that james k. polk was the first dark horse candidate to win the presidency. he believed in being a steward of the people and maintaining strong executive power.
- Explains that abraham lincoln was the last president in the 19th century to further expand the power of the presidency.
- Explains that the jackson administration's veto power altered the balance of power between the legislative and executive branches. this set a precedent for future presidents to push legislation such as "the new deal"
694 wordsRead More - Comparing the Philosophy and Presidency of Jackson and Jeffersonargumentative essayJeffersons philosophy was based upon freedom of a nation, the voice of the common man being heard and acted upon, the Constitution being upheld, and freedom maintained through education. Being that Jefferson was one of the primary authors of The Declaration of Independence, he had a strong desire to expand territories within the United States to solidify independence from Britain with a democratic-based governmental system. His purchase of the Louisiana Territory from France enabled Americans to have control of the Mississippi River for the use of ...
In this essay, the author
- Compares the presidencies of andrew jackson and thomas jefferson. both believed in the common man having a voice in government and opposed too much power being given to the federal government.
- Explains that jefferson's philosophy was based on freedom of a nation, the voice of the common man being heard and acted upon, and freedom maintained through education.
- States that jefferson conceded that foreign affairs and national defense were best controlled by the power of a large central government, but stood by his convictions that domestic affairs should be handled at the state level, and common people should have power over their state governmental policies.
- Explains that the controversy of how he can side with the common man's rights, and yet be a slave-owner is justified by his belief that african people did not know how to survive without the white man, their differences of culture and lack of independence would make living in americas white society difficult
- Explains jefferson's belief that education was an important factor in attaining freedom. he founded the university of virginia, which compounded his belief.
- Analyzes how jackson rallied for the common man, but his ambitions stemmed from a more selfish quest of achieving wealth and military notoriety for himself.
- Explains that jackson, like jefferson, did not feel that minorities were equal to white men, he was a slave-owner, and his signing of the indian removal act compounded his racist beliefs.
- Explains that jackson vetoed the re-charter of the second bank of united states, which led to anger in the whig party, who opposed his philosophy and supported a strong legislature.
- Opines that jefferson and jackson's philosophies pertained to the good of the common white man and restrained the corrupt powers of wealthy and elite citizens of america.
- Cites boyer, p, clark, c, kett, j, salisbury, n, sitkoff, h & woloch.
1228 wordsRead More