Rhetorical Analysis Of Thomas Jefferson's Inaugural Address By Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson, in his inaugural address, stated that America was, “A rising nation, spread over a wide and fruitful land, traversing all the seas with the rich productions of their industry…advancing rapidly to the destinies beyond the reach of mortal eye...” He was a strong believer in the progressive nature of morality and held an optimistic view of the nature of humanity and human ability. Jefferson believed that all people were equally naturally endowed with the ability to determine right and wrong. This strong belief in even the common man’s ability to make judgements, gave him a foundation for his support of democracy. Jefferson believed that since all men had this judgement naturally gifted to them, they were capable of selecting

Jefferson advocated that the farmers were the “chosen people of God”, and served as a protection against political corruption. Farm life was far more independent than city life due to the ability to be self-sufficient, and he believed that this allowed farmers to act without corrupt outside influence. He rejected the Federalist idea of using the federal government to influence manufacturing and trade, but instead believed that the free market that agriculture presented best represented democratic principles. He opposed the idea of putting the power over the federal government in the hands of the few elite businessmen, as the Federalists had suggested, and instead supported the idea of leaving power to the state governments, so that power was closer to the farmers and in the hands of the many. The physical separation that existed between farms prevented men from infringing upon one another’s rights. In cities he believed that men, who lived in such close quarters and were dependent on government, would be forced to compromise their reason under the oppression of those around them. Jefferson’s belief and support of the common man protected the right of popular sovereignty for all