Jefferson (1977), statement, “a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical”, clearly demonstrates that he supported revolution (p.417). During the time that Jefferson was penning down this statement there was wide dissent by revolutionary war veterans owing to the failure of the government to enact the necessary reforms. Most of the veterans had not been paid for the service they offered in the fight for independence. There was heavy taxes imposed by the states and those who could not be able to pay their taxes had their farms seized by the government. Most of the veterans in Massachusetts had ganged up against the government in a mini-revolt that came to be known as the “shays’ rebellion”. Considering the hardship that Americans were experiencing, Jefferson thought that a revolution was inevitable. There are three revolutions which we can visit to explain Jefferson views on revolution: the American Revolution (declaration of independence), election of Jefferson to presidency (what he referred to as a ‘revolution of the 1800’) and the French revolution. Jefferson was the instrumental author in declaration of independence that actually brought down the British rule. From the time he published a political pamphlet, Jefferson was considered radical. Jefferson became too critical of the George Washington administration. He regretted that the ills they had fought too much to liberate Americans on were rife in Washington administration. Of particular concern to him were the antidemocratic ideals of the secretary of state, Alexander Hamilton (Jefferson, 1977). When finally Jefferson was elected president, he had considered this as a revolution. He believed that all t... ... middle of paper ... ...he case, change is inevitable. This is the concession that Jefferson had when he declared that the people of America supported the French revolution. Although he regretted the French situation, he lamented that the steps taken by the French, such as disposing their king, were indeed necessary (Jefferson, 1977) In his view of revolution, Jefferson was ultimately persuasive. The manner in which he captured the Americans ideals in his writing was indeed awesome. He was eloquent and had good writing skills. His ability to speak in more than five languages added into his great oratory skills. It’s out of his persuasiveness that he was able to climb the ladder of political leadership up to its apex. Some of Jefferson quotes continues to fascinate scholars even to date, two centuries later. He is regarded as one of the most famous presidents in Americans times.
Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States of America, and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. He was governor of the state of Virginia between the years of 1779 and 1781. He was a founding father who believed in individual and estates rights. Many people admire him for having been a person who firmly believed in the ideals of democracy, equality and freedom. However, at the same time, he kept slaves, and made other contradictory decisions and this made other people to question his beliefs. Jefferson both, made good decisions for the country, but also made some bad decisions that were harmful to the US.
However, the author 's interpretations of Jefferson 's decisions and their connection to modern politics are intriguing, to say the least. In 1774, Jefferson penned A Summary View of the Rights of British America and, later, in 1775, drafted the Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms (Ellis 32-44). According to Ellis, the documents act as proof that Jefferson was insensitive to the constitutional complexities a Revolution held as his interpretation of otherwise important matters revolved around his “pattern of juvenile romanticism” (38). Evidently, the American colonies’ desire for independence from the mother country was a momentous decision that affected all thirteen colonies. However, in Ellis’ arguments, Thomas Jefferson’s writing at the time showed either his failure to acknowledge the severity of the situation or his disregard of the same. Accordingly, as written in the American Sphinx, Jefferson’s mannerisms in the first Continental Congress and Virginia evokes the picture of an adolescent instead of the thirty-year-old man he was at the time (Ellis 38). It is no wonder Ellis observes Thomas Jefferson as a founding father who was not only “wildly idealistic” but also possessed “extraordinary naivete” while advocating the notions of a Jeffersonian utopia that unrestrained
This paper is organized to support the argument he makes in the introductory paragraph, starting with insurrection and its causes, after which he destabilizes rebuttals against his statements. Jefferson debunks the
His presidency, as the third president of the United States, started with the Revolution of 1800, the first time political parties sent candidates and campaigned. In his inaugural address, he attempted to unify the two competing political parties: “Every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle… We are all Republicans; we are all Federalists.”[3] This quote his reflects Jeffersonian republicanism, which was his views of government. Jefferson implied that in order to best suit the needs of the people, we needed a simple government and to simplify all conflicts in the government. Jefferson held that the common people should control the government. Jefferson had performed the most important act of his presidency in accordance with these beliefs; purchasing the Louisiana territory from France. In 1803, Jefferson doubted whether the Constitution gave him the power to purchase the land Napoleon offered to sell to him. He bought the Louisiana territory, contrary to his own beliefs of strict interpretation of the Constitution,. This more than doubled the size of America, giving America the opportunity to create many more states. The Louisiana Purchase decreased the power of the federal government by increasing the quantity of state governments. Another one of his major accomplishments was clearing the Revolutionary debt the United States incurred. One of Jefferson’s goals as president was to pay off that
Jefferson did keep his word to have a “Republican Revolution” by helping the average farmer as he made the Louisiana Purchase. The Louisiana Purchase was a purchase Jefferson made to buy the land from Napoleon because Napoleon being at war saw the land useless to defend. Desperate to get rid of the land, Napoleo...
Thomas Jefferson was an agrarian soul who favored popular rule. He placed his trust in the land and the people who farmed it and desired that America would remain a nation of farmers. He emphasized liberty, democracy, and social welfare and believed that the main purpose of government was to assure freedom of its individual citizens. He had a fear of tyranny and distrusted centralized power, especially from an aristocracy or a moneyed class. Thomas Jefferson favored the spread of power ranging from the federal level to state and local levels. Jefferson stated, ?I have never observed men?s honesty to increase with their riches.';
Thomas Jefferson has served many roles during his life in America. He is considered a founding father, an author of Declaration of Independence, and also president of the United States. Through all of his roles in the United States he produced his ideals and ways of handling situations by blending many types of philosophies such as; Christian ethics, liberalism, republicanism, and Scottish morality mostly from David Hume. The two philosophies he based his governance and stances on came from Classical Republicanism and Lockean Liberalism. Jefferson was not crippled to one ideal, he used both Classical Republicanism and Lockean Liberalism in certain aspects in America. Jefferson decided he would use both Classical Republicanism and Lockean Liberalism
“Hamilton feared anarchy and loved order; Jefferson feared tyranny and loved liberty” (Tindall & Shi, 2010). Jefferson had an agricultural background due to his family. Unlike Hamilton who favored industrialism and manufacturing to make the United States a rich nation, Jefferson favored agriculture and felt that the states themselves and the common people should carry more power than the federal government. Hamilton was seen an elitist, who despite his poor background, saw the common people more as a means to an end. He considered them as the workforce and the base of income by levying taxes. In his opinion only rich and educated people should be a part of the government and that the federal government should carry all the power. Thomas Jefferson was appalled by Hamilton’s willingness to demonstrate military force against common people who were standing up for their rights.
Thomas Jefferson was an educated, articulate and accomplished man from a well-respected family. He had a great understanding of farming and of the relationship between man and his environment, working diligently to balance the two for the best interest of each. He “considered himself first and always a man of the land” (Jewett, 2005). His vision of the New World was of true, idealistic freedom with limited government involvement; an educated farmer, a moral man who would sustain himself off of the very land his freedom was based.
Thomas Jefferson has been a household name and has been greatly known by everyone in the United States since the late 1700’s. Not only was he present and play a crucial role in the American Revolution, but he also wrote the Declaration of independence and was also the third President of the United States. During his time as president his views and beliefs really countered the views of famous federalists of that time. (George Washington and John Adams) Jefferson had very passionate beliefs that favored the rights of the people and really gave the people and the states a lot more power than the Federalist Party believed they should have. “Jefferson’s political platform called for shrinking the infant
Mr. Jefferson was considered to be a gifted writer, but he was not a public speaker. He wrote his support for the patriotic cause in the House of Burgesses and the Continental congresses but he did not give any speeches. He was a silent member, and as such, drafted the Declaration of Independence. He became the first Secretary of State under George Washington, but resigned the post in 1793. His resignation was due to political conflicts with Alexander Hamilton and his sympathies for the French Revolution. As political differences grew in the new nation, two parties began to form; Jefferson became the leader of the Jeffersonian Party, which later evolved into the Democratic-Republican Party. He opposed a strong central government and was a champion for states' rights.
...th of these ideas were significant, they did not truly change how the nation operated as a whole. For all his talk, Jefferson did little to change the Federalist policies established by his predecessors and ultimately ended up embracing many of them. Yes, the election represented change, but was the election was really the “Revolution of 1800”, as claimed by some? Perhaps the greatest proof against this idea is that the national government has more or less existed in the same form since it was established by the Constitution.
Thomas Jefferson was the third American President. Due to the fact that he was such an early President, he influenced our political system greatly, both in the short and long term with his seemingly quiet approach to congressional matters. During his presidency, many things happened that changed the United States as we know it. He coordinated the Louisiana Purchase, assisted in implementing the twelfth amendment, formed the character of the modern American President, and cut the U.S.’s war debt by a third.
Thomas Jefferson was a strong supporter and spokesman for the common man and self-government. He strongly believed that the purpose of American government is to look after and support the common interests of the people. He was against anything that he felt would hurt the common man such as the Bank of the U.S. and big government. Jefferson believed the Bank was hurting the common man and became a damaging monopoly. "It would swallow up all the delegated powers [of the states], and reduce the whole to one power..."-Jefferson referring to the Bank. He was strongly against big government and felt it would oppress the common man. "I am not a friend of a very energetic government...it places the governors indeed more at their ease, at the expense of the people." Jefferson was also a strong supporter of the Bill of Rights, which protected the rights of the people. "A bill of rights is what the people are entitled to..." He felt the Bill of Rights would clearly state and protect people's rights, "freedom of religion, freedom of the press, protection against standing armies, restriction of monopolies, the eternal and unremitting force of the habeas corpus laws, and trial by jury...." It was based on Jefferson's suggestions that Madison proposed a Bill of Rights. Jefferson did everything he could to help the common man.
Jefferson’s use of strategies and language is ineffective in making his points and persuading readers of his arguments. Using hasty generalization, begging the question, and insulting language in his analysis is a huge flaw which lessens the credibility of his argument and offenses his readers. Jefferson should use other argumentative strategies and prevent himself from using insulting language in order to convince readers of his arguments.