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Thomas Jefferson

April 13, 1751 in Shadwell, Colony of Virginia – July 4, 1826 in Charlottesville, Virginia

Political Party: Democratic-Republican

Terms March 4, 1809 – March 3, 1817

Vice President: First term - Aaron Burr in 1801-1805; Second term - George Clinton in 1805 – 1809

Thematic Context The American Identity continued to flourish while Jefferson was in office. Having gotten past the stages of its turbulent infancy, it was __#|now__ underway with its government system. After Jefferson’s election, the country was somewhat restabilized after bitter partisanship between the Federalists and Republicans. After having their minds on politics and government issues for so long, the Americans were starting to shift their focus from Washington D.C to the west. Jefferson’s presidency marked the beginning of a long westward expansion. And with the country’s expansion came that of the American Identity. It moved away from its focus on the 13 original states, and started looking at the great expanse of land that was to the west of them. Soon the Americas would not be categorized as simply a coastal country, but a vast expanse of land and exploration. This new, adventurous American Identity was later egged on by the explorations of Lewis and Clark and the National Road, which was the first federally funded highway. Jefferson undoubtedly took the fresh American attitude into account when he made the __#|rash__ decision to double the size of the country by purchasing the Louisiana territory from Napoleon. Had the American Identity remained unchanged from it’s Washington-era days, the opportunity for new land might not have seemed quite as appealing.

Not only was the American Identity shifting towards physical expansion, it was expanding its individuality. There was a growing sense of independence and pride in the country, and many were willing to take up arms for it. Military interest in the colonies was growing, which may have contributed to Jefferson’s confidence in battling the Barbados pirates. Shortly after this victory, West Point and the United States Military Academy were opened. Jefferson and the his administration were undoubtedly swayed during the expanding American Identity at this time. The Americans were proving to the rest of the world that they were not just a hodgepodge of diversity located on the east coast, but that they were a growing culture of their own who had the power to fend for themselves while outspreading across the continent.

Thesis Thomas Jefferson and his administration deserve a B- for their time in office. Jefferson’s election was the rise of Republicanism over Federalism, and he did away with the dictatorial Alien and Sedition Acts and other Federalist policies. His first term as president was marked with great successes. In the Tripolitan War under Jefferson’s leadership, the new and weak navy held their own against the Barbados pirates. Likewise, Jefferson took a great leap by agreeing to the Louisiana Purchase without it being constitutionally approved. This was a bold move that could’ve easily backfired into rebellion or impeachment, but Jefferson had the foresight to realize that it was a golden opportunity to expand the country. His presidency and administration took a turn for the worst during the second term when Jefferson signed the Embargo Act, thinking that cutting off American trade would force Britain and France to cede to American desires. By signing this act, he actually crippled the economy and lost millions in revenue for the country. Thomas Jefferson deserves credit for being thrown into a very turbulent time period, when a lot of change and evolution requiring strong leadership was required. He is commended for handling important decisions well during the first half of his presidency, and criticized for other acts that greatly affected the country in a negative way. For these reasons he deserves a B-.

Goals In Thomas Jefferson’s first inaugural address, he voiced a lot of goals that he would like to get accomplished. He spoke of the prevailing will of the majority, and said that it was not fair to opress the minority. Especially stressed was the Bill of Rights. He talked about the unfair limits to freedom of speech imposed by the Sedition Acts, and implied that he wanted to get them repealed. Jefferson also spoke a lot about unity, and is famous for saying “we are all Federalists, we are all Republicans.” By this he meant that everyone had the same core principle, to be united under a federal government and to have representation of common people, regardless of different levels of severity or differing opinions on specific issues. He goal was to have a “wise and frugal government” that protected its citizens without interfering too much in their lives. Jefferson did not meet all of these goals. He did allow the Alien and Sedition Acts to expire, but later he tried Federalist newspaper editors for treason. Jefferson’s presidency, and even his entire life, was full of contradictions. He wanted a government controlled by checks and balances, but he later tried to impeach a Supreme Court Justice who spoke poorly of him. Though he spoke of strictly upholding the Constitution in his inaugural speech, he later violated the constitution by going through with the Louisiana Purchase. In terms of his goal of unity under common principles, he did try to keep his Congress united by hosting dinners and social gatherings, but he was met with only limited success over all. Party divisions remained quite deep, and the Federalists still had a significant amount of power. However, Jefferson did expand the territory of the Republicans during his presidency which led to the growth of the party.

Relationship with Congress Jefferson’s relationship with Congress was dominated by control. Jefferson was not the type of person to reach across the aisle and make compromises. He had a very strong will, and would rather manipulate his congress than work with it. He held social functions that were non-political in nature on the surface, but were very political underneath the surface. They were his way of controlling and unifying his Congress. His influence over Congress worked well during his first term. He was able to explain the purchase of Louisiana with the “common good” principle without too much opposition in the Senate. However, when his influence guaranteed him the passing of his famed Embargo Acts, the result was disastrous. Jefferson had a strong influence over his Congress, which enabled him to do most of the things he wanted. This turned out to be both a good and a bad thing. The good things that he got Congress to approve, like the Louisiana Purchase, ended up being shadowed by the terrible Embargo Act, which pulls his presidency down to a B-.

Positive Event Most would agree that the Louisiana Purchase was the most positive thing to come out of Thomas Jefferson’s presidency. Jefferson brought the vast Louisiana region from Napoleon for a mere $15 million dollars. The Louisiana region included what is now Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. In this way, Jefferson is responsible for the development of fifteen out of our fifty states. He seized the opportunity to purchase the land from Napoleon at such an inexpensive price, and by doing so violated his own principle of strictly obeying the constitution; there was no specified power in it for the president to buy land. This territory doubled the area of the United States. This single act had a huge effect on the country. First and foremost, it gave the country much more land, and by association, much more power. Though the full effects of the purchase were not felt until much later, it proved to be enormously beneficial. It widened the expanse of the country and encouraged exploration. Explorers like Lewis and Clark explored the land, making new scientific findings and sparking interest to move westward in the rest of the country. Though the country was already expanding westward, the new land heightened its ability to do so. It gave people a chance to spread out, develope different cultures, and grow in number. More land meant more resources. The crops, minerals, and rivers for trade that the land provided facilitated American families to grow, be prosperous and procreate. Without the Louisiana Purchase, the domain of the United States may never have extended past the Mississippi. The country might never have become as powerful, expansive, and diverse as it is now. This is a great contribution that the Jefferson administration made to the country, and it is the main positive factor in his grade of a B-.

Negative Event The action with the most negative outcomes of Jefferson’s administration was the Embargo Act. It was brought about by the abuse that American trade ships were receiving from both France and England. If the American ship was bound for an English port, it would be attacked by a French ship, and vice versa. The boiling point was reached when the Leopard, a British warship, shot at the American Chesapeake, boarded, and forced four of its crew to join the English forces. Jefferson’s solution to these issues was to pass the Embargo Act, which outlawed American ships from sailing to foreign ports and foreign ships from dropping off cargo at an American port. He did this thinking that France and England would suffer and want to reconcile their differences, but instead it had the reverse effect. This act single-handedly caused the unemployment of hundreds of people, people like sailors, dock workers and others involved in the oceanic trade. It affected farmers who could not trade their extras overseas, and merchants who couldn’t import foreign goods to sell within the country. Although it did boost home manufacturing, overall the economy was greatly worsened by this piece of legislation. It is estimated that it cost the US $16 million in lost customs duties and taxes alone. This act proved not only ineffective, but disastrous as well and is the main reason that Jefferson deserves the low score of a B-.

Influential Decision One influential decision that Jefferson made during his presidency was to sign into law the Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves. It outlawed the importation of slaves starting in the year 1808, which the Constitution had outlined as the earliest date it could go into effect. It made the US trans-atlantic slave trade illegal. Even though it was not consistently well-enforced, it greatly reduced the numbers of slaves entering the country. The smuggling of slaves continued all the way up to the Civil War, but this act was a necessary step towards the freeing of slaves in the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. If Jefferson had stalled the passing of this legislature, it could have had a huge affect on road towards abolishment, black suffrage, and even civil rights movements. It could have severely delayed the progression of all of these important steps, resulting in today’s society being far less integrated and diverse than it is today. In these ways this act was both influential and positive.

Conclusion Jefferson’s entire presidency was a balancing act. He had good ideas, but contradicted them with poor actions. He had a huge positive action during his presidency in the Louisiana Purchase, but it was greatly depreciated by the vast impediment that was the Embargo Acts. Consequently, the position that the country was left in after his presidency was a contradiction as well. In the short-term, the country was worse off after Jefferson left office. It had been on the rise financially, and the Embargo Acts significantly wounded the economy. Instead of teaching France and England a lesson, they caused unemployment, loss in tax revenue, and a decline in the profits of both merchants and farmers alike. However, in the long term, the country was better off after Jefferson’s presidency. When Jefferson came into office, the country was half the size it was when he left. This act would have the greatest influence on generations to come. He had enforced the expansionary attitude that the people had when he came into office by providing them with a giant amount of lands to explore. The Louisiana purchase was a huge victory for the United States in the long term, which ultimately overshadows the failing Embargo Acts. All of the other actions he took are small in comparison to these huge turning points. Because his presidency was detrimental in the short-term but beneficial in the long term, Jefferson deserves a score of a B-.

Works Cited 1800, 1793 Europe was embroiled in another war. Napoleon Bonaparte as the new leader of the Republic of France planned a new French empire in the Americas with Louisiana as its centerpiece (Wall p. 80). In. "Louisiana Purchase: Historical Perspectives, 1682-1815." LSU Libraries. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2013. . "Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia."Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2013. . DeGregorio, William A.. The complete book of U.S. presidents. New York: Dembner Books :, 1984. Print. "Thomas Jefferson: First Inaugural Address. U.S. Inaugural Addresses. 1989." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online -- Quotes, Poems, Novels, Classics and hundreds more. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2013. <http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres16.htm