3. THOMAS JEFFERSON (I did not have sex with that woman, Sally Hemmings.)
Born: April 13, 1743, Albemarle County, Virginia
Died: July 4, 1826, Monticello, Virginia
Term: March 4, 1801- March 4, 1809
Political Party: Democratic- Republican
Vice President(s): Aaron Burr, George Clinton
First Ladies: Martha Jefferson Randolph/ Maria Jefferson Eppes (Jefferson’s daughters, his wife died in 1782)
Before the Presidency: Thomas Jefferson grew up in an affluent family. As such, he was well educated, attending the William and Mary College during the 1760s. He dined with the important people of the day in Virginia, including Governor Fauquier. He was admitted to the Virginia Bar in 1767.
He started his legal career simply enough, practicing as a country lawyer. He was elected to the Virginia Houses of Burgesses in 1769. He vaulted into the national spotlight five years later when he wrote, the Summary View of the Rights of British America. It marked him as one of the more articulate radicals of the period and, as such, was sent to Philadelphia in 1776 for the Second Continental Congress. It was there that he was called upon to draft a document known as the Declaration of Independence. Though a biting attack on King George III was edited out, the document met with great approval and the Unanimous Declaration of the 13 United States of America was established on July 4, 1776.
The idealistic declaration would be enough to put Jefferson among the mythical founding fathers that included George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and James Madison (Note: that of the five founding fathers, only Franklin was never President).
Like most of the early delegates, Jefferson never actually fought in the war. Instead, he served in the Virginia House of Delegates. Jefferson, along with Madison, was a staunch advocate of the separation of church and state. He also believed in compulsory education, at least for white men. He would also serve as Governor of Virginia for two years as the Revolutionary War played out. He was forced to flee Richmond, the Monticello, his home, to avoid capture by the British. Because of those circumstances, he was branded a coward in some political circles and was something he had to fight in all of his subsequent political campaigns.
After the war, Jefferson retired to Monticello where he began to write again after the death of his wife. He could be controversial by today’s standards as he believed blacks to be inferior to whites (the common thought of the time sad to say). Later he served in the Confederation Congress and, in 1785, was appointed as America’s minister to France, a post he held for four years. He also secretly began a relationship with Sally Hemmings, a mulatto slave, and the daughter of his father in law. During this period, he kept in touch with James Madison to keep up with the goings on in the States.
Upon his return from France, Jefferson was called upon to serve as President Washington’s Secretary of State. Though well liked by Washington, the early divide in Government was becoming more obvious with Alexander Hamilton, who was, more or less, Washington’s closet adviser, supporting a centralized government, while Jefferson was more of the Libertarian type. Indeed, in some ways, you could argue that Thomas Jefferson was the first true American Conservative and is one of the first names mentioned within the Republican Party when they talk of great Presidents.
Summary of offices held:
1769-1774: Virginia House of Burgesses
1776: Second Continental Congress
1776-1779: Virginia House of Delegates
1779-1781: Governor of Virginia
1783-1784: Member Confederation Congress
1785-1789: Minister to France
1790-1797: Secretary of State
1797-1801: Vice President of the United States
What was going on: War with Tripoli, Louisiana Purchase, Burr- Hamilton duel, Lewis and Clark expedition, the National Road,
Scandals within the administration: Aaron Burr was a scandal. He had a conspiracy named after him and, of course, the duel where he killed Alexander Hamilton. And of course, there was the affair with Sally Hemmings, which would have been pretty scandalous had it been known at the time.
Why he was a good President: Expansion for all extensive purposes began under Jefferson with the Louisiana Purchase. As President, he noted the importance of the separation of powers. He was also something of an idealist. Though he would use his executive powers when necessary, he used the powers sparingly. He was also known for his eloquence and was able to articulate the ideals of limited governmental powers.
Why he was a bad President: He had a hard time controlling his scandals, or, more to the point, his Vice President, Aaron Burr, who not only shot Jefferson’s Secretary of the Treasury, but would also be up for treason. He was also accused of hypocrisy not only for owning slaves of his own and never emancipating them but allowing the expansion of slavery in the south and west.
What could have saved his Presidency: The question is what he could have done to improve his Presidency as Jefferson is considered by historians as one of the truly great Presidents. I’d go with addressing the slavery issue more forcefully. If he could have stopped the expansion of the slave trade (and he did end the exportation of new slaves to be fair), maybe the inevitable Civil War decades later could have been averted. Maybe he could also have been more active at trying to nip issues in the bud with Britain. It was during the second term of his administration where the impressing of Americans into the British Navy became an issue.
What could have destroyed his Presidency: Well, the downside of the Louisiana Purchase, while great for America, was that it wasn’t so great for Europe as Napoleon now had more funds to wage his wars with. Had we known the horrors of what was going on in Europe then (not sure even how much Jefferson knew, or if he really cared), maybe that would have hurt Jefferson from a historical standpoint. He also may have had to deal with more flak had the slavery issue been more on the front burner like it would be about thirty years later.
Election of 1796: With President Washington retiring. The next election would be something of an open field and it was this election where you saw the split in political philosophies and the forming of parties. In one corner, you had the Federalists, which supported John Adams and Thomas Pinckney while the opposition Democratic- Republicans supported Jefferson and Aaron Burr. It was a heated election aided by some tomfoolery by Federalist Alexander Hamilton, who tried to push Pinckney to woo southern electors. In the end, the ploy backfired, but Jefferson would still lose by three Electoral votes and have to preside as Vice President for the next four years.
Election of 1800: Once again, the President would be elected by a group of appointed electors with little input from the few men who actually had a right to vote as well as the 60% of each eligible black man (Not sure what part was not allowed to vote, the head and torso or the legs and feet). In any event, thank to the Alien and Sedition acts in particular, President Adams was not a very popular man, and he faced an uphill battle in his quest for re-election. He had proven the flaws of having a centralized Government though more good than bad would come out from that concept, which other Presidents would utilize (Lincoln, FDR, LBJ, etc). Jefferson, essentially a moderate Libertarian, was the opponent Adams all but dreaded.
And though the Federalists were split on issues such as with relations with France, they were united in trying to beat Republican Jefferson to a pulp. It was a nasty campaign from the Federalists side as they lambasted Jefferson as godless among other things (Jefferson was essentially a believing agnostic). It was worse for Adams as he not only had to contend with the Republicans, he had to deal with a faction in his own party, led by Alexander Hamilton. There were also rumors planted (by the Republicans) that Adams planned to marry one of his daughters off to royalty. And, in the end, Adams unpopularity was so profound, he ended up finishing a distant third in the election.
Instead, the front runners ended up being between two Republicans, Jefferson and Aaron Burr. And guess what? In the well though out brainstorm of the Electoral College idea, Jefferson and Burr tied with 73 electoral votes each, thus the runoff would be decided by the House of Representatives. This was another well though out brainstorm of someone who didn’t trust the American voter (and maybe with good reason at times). It wasn’t decided by the majority of each House member. No, it would be decided by the majority of states that each congressman represented. Thus, for example. If three Representatives from Maryland voted for Jefferson and two voted for Burr. It would be considered as one vote for Jefferson. No three fifths vote here. It also needed a majority, something neither candidate could muster for 35 ballots. (The Federalists decided to back Burr while the Democratic- Republicans stayed loyal to Jefferson). Finally, the great Machiavellian, Alexander Hamilton, was able to convince a few Federalists to switch their vote for Jefferson and he would become the nation’s third President.
Two things would come out of this circus of an election. Most importantly, an Amendment would be ratified to ensure that the President and Vice- President would be elected separately instead of just a vote for President. The electors would also be elected by way of popular vote in each state and, in general, The President and Vice President of the winning party (They would now run together as opposed to against each other like before). Not perfect but still a lot better than the shenanigans that were the 1800 election.
The other thing would have more tragic consequences as Hamilton’s involvement in the House election would cause bad blood between him and the ambitious Aaron Burr, who was not a happy camper at having to settle for being Jefferson’s VP.
First term: Though tensions with the French were dying down, The United States, already a player in global politics, had to deal with a declaration of war from Tripoli. The war never went beyond a couple of well publicized skirmishes but in the end, Tripoli got their butts proverbially handed back to them.
Again, relations with France were mended as Jefferson had supported the goals of the French Revolution. This opened up an opportunity as France, who had recently been ceded the part of the territory called Louisiana that they didn’t already own from Spain, needed money to support the wars Napoleon was waging all over Europe. Napoleon, needing the funds badly, sold the territory cheap, for $15 million as a matter of fact. Not a bad deal considering the fertile land the United States would now inherit. Despite some constitutional concerns (by Jefferson himself as a strict constitutionalist) and charges of hypocrisy by the more activist Federalists, the Senate happily ratified the purchase in October 1803 and the size of the US more than doubled. It would also be the last time large swaths of land were gained without force. (Yeah, I know, there’s the Gadsden purchase and Alaska but tell the Mexicans that- they didn’t sell us California after all. Okay, so they did, but only under force).
Jefferson also signed the Enabling act which made it easier for a territory to vote to become a state. Ohio would take advantage of the new law and it was admitted as a state in 1803.
But now we get to the worst moment in the Jefferson administration. Jefferson himself was widely popular after the Louisiana Purchase and people were eager to stake their claims on newly acquired lands (or, more to the point, lands they could legally take from the natives by any means necessary). The economy was booming, and people were happy.
But let’s face it. His Vice President was an A-hole. And he had it in for Alexander Hamilton, a former Secretary of the Treasury. In some ways Burr admired Hamilton as the only gentleman out of the many who were critical of him. It is speculated that was the reason it was Hamilton whom Burr challenged to a duel. Hamilton was reluctant at first, out of concerns for his family and his financial interests, but he relented as he couldn’t recant his criticisms of Burr.
So the two dueled off in Weehawken, New Jersey. Hamilton intentionally missed and that should have been the end of it.
But, like I said, Aaron Burr was an A-hole and he shot Hamilton in the abdomen. It was a fatal wound.
And with Hamilton gone, the Federalists died with him. Meanwhile, Aaron Burr suffered the curse of surviving, and his political career was all but over. Indeed, he would have to go on trial for treason three years later and though he was acquitted, his place in American history would be forever tarnished.
Election of 1804: Despite Aaron Burr, President Jefferson remained a popular figure, and, with new rules in place, was given a running mate more to his liking, George Clinton of New York. The Federalists, meanwhile, nominated Charles Pinckney of South Carolina. This time, the election would be less personal (though they did try to expose the affair with Sally Hemmings) than 1800 had been and more issue oriented, the Feds criticizing the Louisiana Purchase as unconstitutional and the Republicans comparing the Federalists to something of an aristocracy.
It didn’t matter very much come election day though as Jefferson won in a landslide, losing only Connecticut, Delaware, and two electors from Maryland. Jefferson was happy that the nation, despite all its differences, could still come together at times. And indeed, until recently anyway and with the exception of the Civil War perhaps, the Nation has always come together in times of crisis (the world wars, the Great Depression, even 9/11, etc.)
Second Term: This was an era for exploring as Jefferson had dispatched Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the Louisiana territory and beyond all the way to the Pacific Coast which was still controlled by Britain. The Tripoli war officially ended.
On the downside, there was concern about a war with Spain as Jefferson wanted Florida and then there was the adventures of his former Vice President, Aaron Burr. He arrived in New Orleans with a plan to create his own country and invade Mexico. This would lead to charges of treason. Burr would be acquitted but it had to be an embarrassment to the Jefferson administration, faultless as they were in the matter.
There was also the problems brewing overseas. France and Britain were at it once again and this time the US was right in the middle of it. Both nations were capturing Americans in order to impress them into their navies. This forced President Jefferson to stop trade with all European countries in the short run with the Embargo of 1807. This problem would only get worse, and it would lead to another war with Britain, a major one, that Jefferson’s friend and successor would have to deal with.
Overall, though, good things came out of the second term. Jefferson, despite having his own controversies owning slaves himself, stopped the slave trade in America (though slavery itself survived). The National Road project was also established under the Jefferson administration. In the end, Jefferson, who refused to run for a third term, left as a very popular President.
Post Presidency: Jefferson handpicked his successor, James Madison, who he was close friends with. Madison would be elected easily, and Jefferson retired to his plantation at Monticello. An intellectual by nature, Jefferson reveled in retirement by continuing his studies science and natural history. He was President of the American Philosophical Society until 1815. He also helped to found the University of Virginia.
He also forged a friendship with his onetime nemesis, John Adams and the two enjoyed a friendly mail correspondence until both died in 1826.
Jefferson lived an extravagant lifestyle, and it would cause some financial hardship for him. He had to use many of his 150 slaves as collateral and he sold much of his library to the Federal Government after the British had burned Washington during the War of 1812. Despite this, Jefferson remained wildly popular, even as he became terminally ill in early 1826. It is said he succumbed on July 4, 1826 after he was told he had made it to that day, a wish of both his and John Adams’, who would die just hours later.
Odd notes: From
https://www.bostonteapartyship.com/t...efferson-facts
Jefferson’s grave is inscribed with the three things of which he was most proud. Being President wasn’t one of them.
President Jefferson was known to greet his guests while wearing slippers (The Presidents- History Channel)
Final Summary: I can’t help but think he would have been so better off without the baggage that was Aaron Burr. And, of course, he was flawed, and politically, I’d probably be more in line with the Federalist policies of Alexander Hamilton.
But the impact he made on the history of the United States is indisputable. He doubled the size of the nation and did it peacefully. Though maybe inadvertently but with good intentions nonetheless, he started the ball rolling on the abolition of slavery when he ended the import of slaves into the United States. And he certainly has to rate as one of the more intelligent men ever to hold the office even if his personal financial acumen was , well, a little faulty.
Most importantly, he was one of the few Presidents who could keep a divided nation fairly united, especially in a time of relative peace. If that doesn’t make him one of the great Presidents, I don’t know what does.
Overall rating: A-
https://millercenter.org/president/jefferson