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1801-1809 Thomas Jefferson During the election in 1800 Jefferson and his running mate, Aaron Burr had tied, thus sent the selection of the president to the House of Representatives. A decision was reached in favor of Jefferson. Vice President was Aaron Burr. Thomas Jefferson's First Inaugural Address Thomas Jefferson's Second Inaugural Address
Could Thomas Jefferson get elected today? During the Jefferson era equality was a leading slogan and the man in the street believed firmly that he was as good a man as his employer. The wash-woman strongly believed that she was equal to any man anywhere. Thus thinking was typical for the Jefferson years. Yet on the other side many of the people who preached equality owned slaves and were not going to let go of their power over those. During the purchase of the Louisiana Territory Jefferson interpreted the Constitution his own way to permit such a purchase in the "Jefferson-way." 1801 Adams makes last minute appointments of federal judges. 1803 Chief Justice John Marshall rules on Marbury vs. Madison. 1803 Louisiana purchase is concluded with France. 1804-1806 Lewis and Clark explore the Northwest. 1804 Aaron Burr kills Alexander Hamilton in a duel. 1807 American warship "Chesapeak" is fired on by the British "Leopard." 1808 Slave trade (import) is ended. Thomas Jefferson's greatness reflects in him having written the Declaration of Independence. 1)Summary of his accomplishments: He wrote the Declaration of Independence, he founded the University of Virginia and he wrote the Bill separating Church and State. Thomas Jefferson also repealed the Alien Act and the Sedition Act. Not to forget Jefferson hired the best French chefs de cuisine and he liked to wine and dine his friends all at his own expense. Beside Jefferson's grande affair with the French I feel he was the reason for French cuisine to get early established in America. Beside French food, Jefferson gave the American people Louisiana for 4 cent an acre, doubling the size of the 1803 United States. Thomas Jefferson is also known as an explorer, he sponsored the Lewis & Clark expedition. The Jeffersonian Democracy emphasized freedom of choice for the individual and was to have far reaching effects of American political thinking. 2)Critique: Thomas Jefferson probably had an affair with a slave (*). He also was from the beginning against paying the old war debts, and also was against a National Bank. Thomas Jefferson did the Louisiana purchase without asking for any permission. Jefferson never freed any slaves during his life time and his outlook on natives was not much better than Jackson's Well-meaning Jeffersonians did not intend to exterminate the Indians. The president talked about creating a vast reservation beyond the Mississippi River. He planned to turn the Indians into Yeoman farmers. 3)From a modern media perspective could he get elected today? No! Based on his views and actions regarding non-whites Thomas Jefferson would not stand a chance to get elected in today's America. He would not be a suitable presidential candidate in our days for several reasons. One being his controversial affair with at least one of his slaves. Second having slaves doesn't go to well. No! I don't think that Thomas Jefferson stood the slimmest of a slim chance to get elected to be president of the U.S. at the turn of the 21st century. About his private life: Would anyone have listened to any young woman if Thomas Jefferson would have had a casual affair with her? *Very unlikely, for somebody must have known about him and Sally Hemings. An article by Robert Lee Hotz (Los Angeles Times) reports about DNA evidence linking Jefferson to have fathered at least Sally Heming's last son. As we know today Jefferson freed very few slaves during his days of "equality" and he never was a father to his son Eston Hemings Jefferson. The affair with a woman from a lower class, such as a slave had very little if any impact on the official life in those days. "Equality" however was a slogan spreading like wildfire, it was what the people wanted. However just imagine how Jefferson's slaves at Monticello felt when they got to stand on the auction block, after their master's death? What thoughts might they have had to the meaning of equality?
3 Thomas Jefferson Born: April 13, 1743, Albemarle County, Virginia. Died: July 4, 1826. Party: Democratic-Republican. Age when inaugurated: 57. Term: 1801-1809. Jefferson approved the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, which nearly doubled the size of the U.S. Famous Fact: Considered the most brilliant President, he wrote the Declaration of Independence, founded the University of Virginia, and was an architect, a farmer, and a scientist.(Source: scholasticnetwork.com)
last updated 02/19/07 |
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