Thomas Jefferson: A Role Model To Our Nation

“In 1815 Jefferson sold his 6,700-volume personal library to Congress for $23,950 to replace books lost when the British burned the U.S. Capital, which housed the library of Congress, during the war of 1812” (A+E Networks, 5). Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743 in Shadwell, Virginia. He went to William and Mary College in 1760 until April of 1762. He was the third president to the united states and the first Secretary of State. He was an overall leader and a role model to our nation. Thomas Jefferson, an American Founding Father and the Father of absolute freedom, wrote the Declaration of Independence, established the Democratic-Republican Party, and among many other things, he made the Louisiana Purchase. In June of 1776, Congress assigned 5 men the task of drafting a formal statement to justify their reasons for wanting to separate themselves from Great Britain. Thus on July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved with its principal author being thomas jefferson. It announced the separation of the 13 colonies with Great Britain and is a current day symbol for freedom and direct democracy. “Despite his many later accomplishments, Jefferson’s principal legacy to the united states arguably remains the Declaration of
independence, the eloquent expression of liberty, equality, and democracy upon which the country was founded”(History staff,9). The Declaration was the first document to openly talk about what it was exactly that the people wanted. Jefferson proved his role in being a leader in this document by acting as the voice of and for his people. His most well known verse in the Declaration is the preamble which is said every morning in many classes in the United States. “We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed” ( Jefferson,2). It was in this preamble that Thomas Jefferson had promised to give our country what it had been stripped of before it had even been a mere thought to its people, freedom, equality, and human rights. Along with our rights, we were given the right to be opinionated and the right to choose who we follow. The federalist party was led by Alexander Hamilton and revolved around the idea of a strong central government which was first introduced by George Washington. Critics of this party were known as the Democratic-Republican Party, also known as the Jeffersonian Republicans, led by Thomas Jefferson. Not long after the war of 1812, the Federalist Party came to a downfall. With the war came the election of 1812, differences in the Democratic-Republican Party concerning this election caused the one party to split, thus forming the National Republican and Democratic Party. The strength that the Democratic-Republican Party had over the people was seen as they dominated National politics for over 25 years and as they ran the Federalists out of office. “The whigs eventually dissolved and the Democratic Party survives today”(Sonia,6). Thomas Jefferson understood that not all men shared an equal viewpoint on a strong central government and not only did he stand up for what he believed in but he revolutionized our current day government. Jefferson put his beliefs and turned them into actions as he organized our government, he did not focus on a certain class but rather on the ordinary patriot. “Democratic-Republican Party policies represented the interests of common free men, particularly U.S. farmers, craftsmen, and laborers. Its economic policies reflected the needs of small businesses and individuals rather than of wealthy merchants and large commercial ventures” (Sonia,3). Unlike the Federalists who believed that a industrial and manufacturing economy would best promote growth domestically and economically , Republicans believed in protecting the interests of the working classes by keeping an agricultural economy. the Democratic-Republican Party also believed that a national Bank was unconstitutional and showed their support for expansion of the US through the Louisiana Purchase. The state of Louisiana was once known as “Territory of Orleans,” and was made up of 15 different states. In 1762, France ceded French Louisiana to Spain which was later retroceded in 1801 under a secret treaty, the Treaty of San Ildefonso. “ Livingstone mission was to try to discourage Napoleon from damaging relations with the United States by acquiring Louisiana,” (Thompson,*).
Fearing that France would soon try to dominate the Mississippi River and access to the Gulf of Mexico, Jefferson sent the then US minister of France to negotiate for New Orleans and Florida. France closing its ports to US ships would stop commerce and was a problem to western settlers. Thomas Jefferson thought it was very inconvenient for everyone and showed his ambition and ingenuity as he set up the ordeal himself. The deal for only 2 states was denied but seeing as France was close to war with Britain and the French treasury was in desperate need of money, France offered all of Louisiana territory for only $15 million. They signed this treaty in 1803 and the territory was renamed in 1812. Thomas Jefferson doubled the size of the United States and kept his belief in an agricultural economy, the Louisiana Purchase gave the US control of the Mississippi River and New Orleans which allowed farmers to sell their crops and get paid. Thomas Jefferson accomplished many things in his lifetime, all of which had a purpose, a goal that would benefit generations to come.
Freedom began with the Declaration of Independence, that to this day is still strongly believed in and followed to keep order. The Declaration included freedom of speech, this was practiced when Thomas Jefferson questioned and spoke out against his overly powered government. He made decisions based off of what he knew was fair and took his people into consideration when making big decisions, for example, the Louisiana Purchase. Jefferson’s books may have formed the foundation of Congress’ rebuilt library but he formed the foundation for which this country was built
upon.