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Thomas Jefferson Born: April 13, 1743 Died: July 4, 1826 Political Party: Democratic-Republican Terms: 1801—1809 (2 terms) Vice President: 1st term Aaron Burr 2nd term George Clinton

Thomas Jefferson had big shoes to fill following George Washington and John Adams. Thomas Jefferson deserves a B because he reduced national debt, wanted less government, giving the states more power, and he was willing to compromise his political ideas for the good of the country.

Thomas Jefferson had many goals. Like President George Washington, he realized the importance of keeping the new nation out of another war. Jefferson tried hard to accomplish this goal, but in the end he ended up getting into a war with the Barbary Pirates. Another goal of Jefferson was to lower the national debt. He accomplished this goal very well lowering the debt from $80 million to $57 million. Jefferson wanted the central government to have less control and the states’ governments to have more. He reduced the national army to just state militia. Which in the end after the Barbary Pirates, he realized that America needed to have a stronger navy.

As Thomas Jefferson was coming into office for the first time the Federalist controlled Congress tried to derail his first term by passing the Judiciary Act of 1801. This was an attempt to keep the Supreme Court in the Federalist’s hands and limit his opportunity to make change. This demonstrates the opposition party didn’t care for Thomas Jefferson. Then in 1802 the Republican controlled Congress repealed the Judiciary Act of 1802.

The most important action that Thomas Jefferson did during his presidency was the Louisiana Purchase. This ensured two things for America, the first it ensured that American farmers in the Ohio Valley could ship their goods down the Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico, and the second thing it ensured was doubling the size of the nation. In making sure that the American farmers could ship their goods into the Gulf of Mexico, it ensured the farmers’ economic well-being. Although the purchase expanded the country, Thomas Jefferson was against expanding the country, but he did, so that the farmer’s economy stayed stable. The most negative thing Thomas Jefferson did was the Embargo Act. This act banned all trade with other countries. Jefferson did this because France and Britain had their guns pointed at America; if American ships went into British ports the French would be against America. And if American ships went into French ports, the British would be against America. Jefferson thought that by banning them from American ports it would make the two countries respect America’s neutrality. This plan ended up back firing on him because it devastated the American economy.

One decision that Thomas Jefferson made that influenced future presidents was using the United States’ navy to enforce foreign policy. Jefferson sent the navy out to cut off a country so that America wouldn’t have to pay bribes for safe shipping. This has influenced many future presidents because many of them have used the navy to enforce foreign policy such as John F. Kennedy in the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The country was better off after Thomas Jefferson’s presidency. He reduced the national debt, he doubled the size of the country and gained access to the Gulf of Mexico for trading, and he helped establish the young nation as a world power with countries like France and England. All of these reasons support Thomas Jefferson’s grade of a B.

“3. Thomas Jefferson 1801-1809.” __The White House.__ 11 February 2010. [] “Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826).” __Miller Center Public Affairs.__ 11 February 2010. []