Thomas Jefferson

Examples of Thomas Jefferson in the following topics:

• Jefferson, Slavery, and Race

  • Thomas Jefferson, though an advocate of freedom and equality, owned and fathered slaves.
  • Thomas Jefferson was born into the planter class of a "slave society" in which slavery was the main means of labor production and elite slaveholders were the ruling class.
  • In 1768, Thomas Jefferson began to use his slaves to construct a neoclassical mansion known as Monticello.
  • Some historians have claimed that, as a Representative to the Continental Congress, Thomas Jefferson wrote an amendment or bill that would abolish slavery.
  • Evaluate Thomas Jefferson’s changing views on slavery in the United States

• The Declaration of Independence

  • Each state in the congress had drafted some form of a declaration of independence, but ultimately, Thomas Jefferson was asked to write a final one which would represent all the American colonies.
  • Adams persuaded the committee to select Thomas Jefferson to compose the original draft of the document, which congress would edit to produce the final version.
  • Explain the major themes and ideas espoused by Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence

• Religious Freedom

  • Freedom of religion is also closely associated with the separation of church and state, a concept advocated by Thomas Jefferson.
  • Thomas Jefferson, Founding Father and 3rd President of the United States
  • Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States, who advocated for separation of church and states.

• The Republican Alternative

  • The Democratic-Republican Party, was an American political party founded around 1791 by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.
  • The Republican Party, usually called the Democratic-Republican Party, was an American political party founded about 1791 by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.
  • In 1801, the Democrat-Republicans came to power with Jefferson's election to president.
  • The Democrat-Republican Party produced three presidents: Thomas Jefferson (1801–1809), James Madison (1809–1817), and James Monroe (1817–1825).
  • During the contest, Hamilton wrote a frenzy of letters to Federalists representatives arguing that they should support Jefferson over Burr (Hamilton considered Jefferson the lesser evil of the two) and his campaign led to Jefferson's election to the presidency.

• The Jefferson Presidency

  • Thomas Jefferson was a Democratic-Republican, and his election in 1800 marked a shift in power from the previous Federalist administrations.
  • Perhaps Jefferson’s most lasting legacy is his vision of an “empire of liberty.”
  • Jefferson also believed in fiscal austerity.
  • Thomas Jefferson, a Democratic-Republican, was the third president of the United States.
  • Summarize the main developments in domestic and foreign policy during Thomas Jefferson's two terms as president

• Deism

  • American Founding Fathers, or Framers of the Constitution, who were influenced by such philosophy include Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Cornelius Harnett, Gouverneur Morris, and Hugh Williamson; their political speeches show distinct Deistic influence.
  • Other notable Founding Fathers may have been more directly Deist, such as James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Ethan Allen, and Thomas Paine.
  • Thomas Jefferson, Founding Father and Third President of the United States
  • Though the influence of Deism on Jefferson's thought is debated, some of his writings on religion contain Deist ideas.

• The Election of 1796

  • When incumbent President George Washington refused a third term in office, Vice President John Adams became a candidate for the presidency on the Federalist Party ticket, with former Governor Thomas Pinckney of South Carolina as the next most popular Federalist.
  • Their opponents on the Democratic-Republican ticket were former Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson and Senator Aaron Burr.  
  • Adams supporters also accused Jefferson of being too  supportive of France; this accusation was underscored when the French ambassador embarrassed the Democratic-Republicans by publicly backing Jefferson and attacking the Federalists right before the election.
  • In the election, Federalist John Adams defeated Democratic-Republican Thomas Jefferson by a narrow margin of only three electoral votes.
  • It caused much discord between Adams and Jefferson, with Jefferson leveraging his position as vice president to attack President Adams' policies and Adams alienating Jefferson from all cabinet and policy decisions.

• Conclusion: Early Trials

  • The election of 1800 marked the influential shift in power from the Federalists to the Democratic-Republicans, when Thomas Jefferson was elected president of the United States.
  • Over the course of Jefferson's two terms as president—he was reelected in 1804—Jefferson reversed the policies of the Federalist Party, promoted agriculture, and promoted his lasting vision of a rural empire consisting of land-owning white men.
  • Both the administrations of Jefferson and Madison undertook actions against the Barbary States at different times.
  • Though Jefferson had wanted to avoid what he called “entangling alliances,” staying neutral proved impossible.
  • Thomas Jefferson’s victory in 1800 signaled the ascendency of the Democratic-Republicans and the decline of Federalist power.

• The Election of 1800 and the Federalist Legacy

  • In the presidential election of 1800, incumbent President John Adams and his fellow Federalist candidate, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, challenged the Republican duo of incumbent Vice President Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr.
  • While Democratic-Republicans were firmly aligned behind Jefferson and Burr, the Federalists began to fracture.
  • Jefferson also had strong support in the free states; only New England solidly supported Adams.
  • An unexpected glitch occurred, however, that led to a tie between Jefferson and Burr.
  • It was only after dozens of ballots that Federalist Alexander Hamilton finally threw his support to Jefferson—viewing Burr as unsteady, unscrupulous, and the lesser evil of the two—and Jefferson was officially elected president.

• The Republican Victory

  • In the end, Jefferson won a narrow victory over Adams (73 to 65 electoral votes) with New York casting the decisive vote.
  • Other decisive factors in the Jefferson victory were Jefferson's popularity in the South, and the effective campaigning of Aaron Burr in New York State, where the legislature (which selected the electoral college) shifted from Federalist to Democratic-Republican and cast the deciding vote.
  • While Democratic-Republicans were firmly aligned behind Jefferson and Burr, the Federalists began to fracture.
  • The members of the House of Representatives balloted as states to determine whether Jefferson or Burr would become president.
  • During the contest, Hamilton wrote a frenzy of letters to Federalist representatives arguing that they should support Jefferson over Burr (Hamilton considered Jefferson the lesser evil of the two) and, his campaign led to Jefferson's election to the presidency.