Page 62 - All About History - Issue 34-16

Hero or Villain?
THOMAS JEFFERSON

Thomas
Jefferson died on
the same day as John
Adams, his opponent
in two presidential
elections

Jefferson’s
likeness is familiar
to many as one of
the four faces on
Mount Rushmore

the Redcoats. Had the author of the Declaration of wanted a strong, central, national government. “His ideas signalled a
Independence been imprisoned by the British, it They became known as the Federalists. Jefferson
would have been a huge propaganda victory for the was alarmed by the mounting power of central questionable attitude
colonial masters. government; instead he wanted greater rights for
With the end of the war, Jefferson was again sent the individual states in the union. Like-minded to other races”
to Congress. The delegates were building a new individuals began to gather around him and became
country, and as one of the United States of America’s known as the Republicans. by the states, and that the over-arching power of
most renowned Founding Fathers, Jefferson was Jefferson was unable to prevent the Federalists Congress could “necessarily drive these states into
given a special task – dispatched as minister to from dominating government and stepped down in revolution and blood.” Jefferson was raising the
France to solidify relations between the two nations. 1793, stating a desire to return to family life. However, possibility of rebellion against the government of
Jefferson spent four years in Paris until he was when George Washington declined to stand for a which he was vice-president. Had his authorship of
recalled in September 1789, just as the French third term as president in 1796, the new country lost the resolutions been uncovered, he could have been
Revolution was gathering pace, having witnessed the its unifying leader. Jefferson returned to the front impeached for treason.
storming of the Bastille. line of politics, standing on a Republican platform in Jefferson stood against Adams for a second time in
Jefferson was a firm supporter of the French the presidential election, but lost out to his former the 1800 presidential election, this time beating him
Revolution and intended to return to France as soon revolutionary colleague and now Federalist opponent and becoming the third president of the United States
as possible, but his plans changed when the new John Adams. The rules then in force stated that as he of America. Jefferson resided in the White House for
president, George Washington, asked him to serve was the candidate with the second-highest number two terms, between 1801 and 1809, a period during
as the first secretary of state. It was here, at the very of votes, Jefferson would become vice-president. which the United States expanded beyond the
heart of American politics, where Jefferson hoped to Jefferson was still unable to prevent Federalist original 13 colonies. Under the Louisiana Purchase,
influence the future shape of his country. policies from being passed, however, and took the 828,000 square miles were bought from France
Although the American Revolutionaries were dramatic step of writing the Kentucky and Virginia for $15 million, doubling the size of the country.
united in their opposition to colonial rule from Resolutions with his fellow Republican leader Westward expansion also began, with Jefferson
London, they were not in agreement as to how and political ally James Madison. They kept their approving the Lewis and Clark expedition to the
the new United States should function after authorship secret – for good reason. The resolutions Pacific coast.
independence. Two factions began to develop. One, they had penned declared that Congress could not Back in Washington, DC, Jefferson was finally
led by Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, exercise powers unless they were specifically granted able to dismantle much of the Federalist system
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