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**Thomas Jefferson**  (3 April 1743-4 July 1826)   Democratic Republican (Republican)   1801-1809 (2 terms)   Vice Presidents: Aaron Burr and George Clinton, respectively Thomas Jefferson served the still infant nation admirably throughout his presidency, accomplishing a number of things which helped to both expand the country tremendously and help the nation move forward in various ways. Through a number of unfortunate events turned happy accidents, Jefferson helped establish precedents for future presidents while keeping the nation on track towards a brighter future. Jefferson’s presidency is filled with great successes and gains, as well as losses and mistakes that had effects which lasted longer than Jefferson’s presidency. Jefferson was an avid lover of nature and the environment as well as the sciences in general, so it is only fitting that so many events developed this aspect of the new nation during his time in office. In a literal sense, Jefferson broadened the nation’s view of the environment, more than doubling the land area of the United States through his purchase of the Louisiana territory from France. He also pushed for environmental care, saying that forests should be conserved and new wood should be chopped down sparingly. Jefferson loved nature and wanted Americans to be able to enjoy the rich lands provided for them via the Louisiana Purchase and also helped create the sense of pioneering interest in the West which would help lead to the homesteading movement later on. One unfortunate result of Jefferson’s presidency in relation to the environment is the introduction of a huge number of invasive species that decimated the native plants of much of the West. Thomas Jefferson was an enthusiastic agrarian as well as a lucid Enlightenment thinker, and he wanted to apply his vast knowledge to improve and restructure the flawed farming system of the time. This unfortunately led to the destruction of the topsoil and an increase in erosion and sedimentation for much of the land on which Jefferson’s farming principles were applied. The effects of this widespread destruction of the land can still be seen today in the prairies of the west as well as in the presence of many of the invasive species which Jefferson so zealously introduced in his attempts to build the better agricultural mousetrap. But in this as well as in other endeavors, Jefferson had only the best intentions and the well-being of the American people in mind. In his first inaugural address, Jefferson seems to be stating a desire to unite the nation as one, in reaction to the bitter rivalries and vitriol that took place during the election. Jefferson appears to have wanted to reconcile the schism between the Federalists and the Republicans that had developed since the forming of the United States. He also looks to cancel some of the more Federalist policies that his predecessors implemented in their administrations. Jefferson entered his presidency with relatively few problems. In his first term, he was very popular because he accomplished two notable and admirable things: the purchase of the Louisiana Territory and the defeat of the Barbary Pirates in the Tripolitan War. With the first, Jefferson doubled the size of theUnited States for a measly 3 cents an acre. This massive parcel would, in time, comprise all or part of 15 different states. In the Tripolitan War, Jefferson fought off the Barbary Pirates in an admirable display of naval force, ending a long history of bribery with the Mediterranean pirates. Jefferson did not get rid of all of the Federalist laws that he wanted to; based on far-sighted and prudent recommendation from his treasury he did not dismantle the national bank or do away with federal taxation or the military. He did, however, manage to reunite the nation as a whole, and improved foreign relations with Europe, especially those with France. In addition, Jefferson created a clearer division between Church and State. In his second inaugural address, Jefferson expressed a rather naïve desire to teach the Native Americans agriculture as well as educate them in the Western fashion and a more admirable desire to create more equality between blacks and whites. During his second term, Jefferson fell out of popular favor due mainly to his passing of the Embargo Act, which, though passed with the intention of establishing American neutrality in trade, only served to plunge the country into a state of economic depression due to a lack of European commerce. The Embargo Act debacle was one particularly unpopular event in Jefferson’s administration. However, in 1807, Jefferson outlawed the slave trade, which was met with more enthusiasm. This law was ignored and circumvented right up until the Civil War by Southern plantation owners who still profited from the illicit buying and selling of African slaves and who did not want to give up their main source of labor and profit, but it was also met with approval by some of Jefferson's fellow abolitionists. Jefferson had a rather amicable relationship with his Congress. This was most likely due to the fact that Jefferson’s party, the Democratic Republicans, had a substantial majority in both the House and Senate throughout his administration. While Jefferson did not veto any bills during his time in office, he did let the Alien and Sedition Acts that he thought were unconstitutional expire. Jefferson’s purchase of the Louisiana Purchase caused some stirring as to whether such a large purchase was constitutional, but was in general widely approved and most were excited about the new addition to America. Jefferson’s administration dealt well with domestic affairs, but the foreign policy that he passed was met with more discontent. His administration passed the act to outlaw importation of slaves from Africa, which, though in actuality was rather impotent, was an important step towards the abolition of slavery. Jefferson accomplished much in his presidency and his relationship with the Senate and the House was largely beneficial for the American public as well as policy-making. The most positive and most well-known event of Jefferson’s time in office is definitely the Louisiana Purchase and its subsequent exploration by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. This purchase added a piece of territory that stretched from the Mississippi River to the Rockies, thereby doubling the size of the United States. While its purchase was met with some suspicion, Jefferson assured the public in his second inaugural address that it was for the best, and that it was better for the land to be in the hands of Americans than in the hands of foreigners. This parcel of land would prove to hold vast treasures, including wildlife, huge forests, and mighty rivers. The effects of Jefferson’s eventual surveying and plotting of the vast Louisiana territory would last for centuries; in fact, evidence of Jefferson’s methodical and rectilinear plotting of the west can even be seen today in its highways, irrigation canals, and county lines. The most negative event in Jefferson’s presidency was the Embargo act, which ended up being quite the fiasco. Jefferson wanted to ensure America’s neutrality at sea and prevent European nations like Britain and France from pushing American ships around. Jefferson hoped that a loss of American trade would hinder the European nations and discourage them from bullying American traders. Instead, the European nations seemed not to notice the difference, and the states floundered in a depression as docks, shipyards and ports closed and those who had depended on sea trade fell into unemployment. The Embargo Act ended up costing the United States over $16 million during the 14 months before Jefferson passed the Non-Intercourse Act to reduce the hated embargo. Several precedents were set during Jefferson’s administration, including that of Executive Privilege and the passing of the Twelfth Amendment in regards to election of a vice president. In the treason trial of Aaron Burr, Jefferson displayed only those certain papers which he chose to present, and did not show up for the trial, even though he was subpoenaed to testify, thus setting the precedent of Executive Privilege. In Jefferson’s first election, Aaron Burr protested against the decision of the House of Representatives to elect Jefferson as president, even though it had been clear during the election that Burr was running for vice president. The Twelfth Amendment stated that in cases where the House voted on a president, they would vote for the president and vice president separately. The Louisiana Purchase, the Abolition of the Slave Trade and the Embargo Act all had lasting effects on the American people. The Louisiana Purchase would come to be colonized during the great homesteading period and various parts of the vast western wilderness would be set aside for either public or private use in years to come. The Abolition of the Slave trade basically only served to bring the slave trade underground, but it set a precedent for the division between the North and the South regarding how the issue of slavery should be dealt with. The economic depression caused by the failed Embargo Act put many out of a job but also boosted domestic trade in that American merchants no longer had to compete with European traders for business. Thomas Jefferson has been ranked as one of the great presidents of American history, and he deserves this title. Even though he made some mistakes and sank America into a recession with the Embargo Act, his accomplishments towards the abolition of slavery as well as the acquisition of the Louisiana territory are very significant. The doubling in size of the United States is nothing to sneeze at, and this massive accomplishment eclipses the more negative events of his presidency. Jefferson deserves an A because the United States was better off geographically if not economically, and because Jefferson helped move America forward. He made the best of the circumstances he was given, and did the best that he could with the knowledge he had at the time.
 * Theme**
 * Goals**
 * Jefferson and Congress**
 * Positive and Negative Events in Jefferson’s Administration**
 * Precedents**
 * Conclusion**

DeGregorio, William A., and Sandra Lee. Stuart. "Thomas Jefferson." // The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents //. 7th ed. Fort Lee, NJ: Barricade, 2009. 37-51. Print. Ling, Peter. "Thomas Jefferson and the Environment | History Today." Editorial. // History Today // Jan. 2004. // History Today | The World's Best History Writing //. Web. 14 Sept. 2011. Thomas Jefferson:"Inaugural Address," March 4, 1801.Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley,//The American Presidency Project//. Thomas Jefferson:"Inaugural Address," March 4, 1805.Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley,//The American Presidency Project//. "The 6 Most Environmental Presidents: Thomas Jefferson | MNN - Mother Nature Network."//Environmental News and Information | MNN - Mother Nature Network//. Mother Nature Network. Web. 14 Sept. 2011.
 * Works Cited**