Thomas Jefferson Essay

Total Length: 968 words ( 3 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 3

Page 1 of 3

Thomas Jefferson

He was one of the strongest proponents of the aspirations of the American people in new America. Throughout his life, he wore many hats; in addition to being a public official, he was also a philosopher and historian. This text concerns itself with Thomas Jefferson. In so doing, it looks at his life and times and outlines some of his major accomplishments. The text will also briefly highlight some of Thomas Jefferson's blunders that led to his being branded a hypocrite.

Early Years

Described by Freidel and Sidey as a "powerful advocate of liberty," Thomas Jefferson was the United States' third president. He "was born in 1743 in Albemarle County, Virginia, inheriting from his father, a planter and surveyor, some 5,000 acres of land, and from his mother, a Randolph, high social standing" (Freidel and Sidey). His mother came from one of the most distinguished, respected, and revered families in Virginia - the Randolph family. To some extent, Jefferson's background, upbringing, and education had a great impact on the direction his life took -- and eventually, on his participation in politics. With regard to his education, Jefferson attended "the College of William and Mary" (Freidel and Sidey). At the age of 29, he met the love of his life, a lady by the name Martha Wayles Skelton, whom he married, and with whom they had six children.
Martha passed on ten years later.

Political Career

Prior to joining politics, Jefferson had a brief stint as a civil servant when he served as a magistrate in the local government. It was after his election to the House of Burgesses that his political ambitions started becoming apparent. Although he was not particular a vocal member, his "silent" contribution to the committee, i.e. via his writings, effectively made him indispensible (Blakesley and Hoogeveen 737). In 1775, Jefferson became an alternate selectee as a delegate to the Continental Congress. He played a crucial and pivotal role in the 1776 drafting of the declaration of independence, and as Blakesley and Hoogeveen further point out, this document has been regarded one of Western civilization's most important documents (737). Four-year later, he was elected Governor of Virginia -- replacing Patrick Henry, his predecessor. After the end of his term, Jefferson declined re-election as governor and instead chose to retire to Monticello from where he devoted most of his time to agriculture and writing. Shortly after the death of his wife (in 1782), Jefferson was recalled by Washington as minister to his county, a post he never assumed as the peace (with Great Britain), for which he was to negotiate, was secured before he could assume the said….....

Show More ⇣


     Open the full completed essay and source list


OR

     Order a one-of-a-kind custom essay on this topic


Related Essays

President Thomas Jefferson and Servant Leadership

people and building community. The main purpose of this paper is to portray the different characteristics that make President Thomas Jefferson a servant leader. President Thomas Jefferson Profile Thomas Jefferson was the third President of the United States of America, with his presidential reign lasting from 1801 to 1809. Prior to becoming President, Jefferson served as the vice president of America under the administration of President John Adams from 1979 to 1801. More importantly, Thomas Jefferson is also considered to be a founding father in this role of authoring the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson was also a supporter of democracy and the rights of every individual and inspiring American… Continue Reading...

U.S. Presidents 1789 to 1840

more outstanding mark and legacy. As a Founding Father and author of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson undoubtedly deserves recognition as one of the most important presidents in the entire history of the country. As a slave owner who believed in a small central government, Jefferson also set a precedent for what would become a series of contentious compromises between Americans who supported racism and the slave trade and those who recognized the ways slavery contradicted the underlying principles of the democracy. Likewise, James Monroe carried on the American legacy of compromise, and is remembered most by the Monroe Doctrine and the Missouri Compromise. The… Continue Reading...

Marbury V Madison Impact

that are the core of the national government's function. In 1800, Thomas Jefferson, a Democratic-Republican, beat John Adams, a Federalist in becoming America's third president. Right before Adam's retirement, he introduced new positions in the judiciary, which he gave to his political partners. After Jefferson became president, James Madison, the State Secretary, refused to submit the commissions responsible for allowing judges to go back to work. Some of those who had been appointed, in inclusion of William Marbury, took petitions to the Supreme Court. They asked for Madison to be forced into delivering those documents. John Marshall, the Chief Justice, wrote… Continue Reading...

The American Revolution and Enlightenment Thought

Thomas Jefferson to Ben Franklin to George Washington to Alexander Hamilton all relied upon the Enlightenment philosophers to justify their actions. The Declaration of Independence, signed by Founding Fathers, used the words and thoughts of John Locke to justify the Revolutionaries’ pursuit of Life, Liberty and Happiness and their right to overthrow the King of England since he refused to acknowledge their right to rule themselves as he saw fit. Such rebellion would never have been allowed in the Old World during the Age of Faith: it would have been… Continue Reading...

How to Become a U.S. Citizen Essay

Thomas Jefferson James Madison James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay wrote the Federalist Papers. The U.S. Constitution was written at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. People at the Constitutional Convention decided how the government should work. Then James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay wrote the Federalist Papers. The Federalist Papers explained the new government. They said that the new United States needed the Constitution. Newspapers all over the United States published the Federalist Papers. 3. What stopsonebranch of government from becoming too powerful? checks and balances 4. Nameonebranch… Continue Reading...

Letter from a Birmingham Jail Analysis Essay

Augustine to Thomas Jefferson. In terms of scholarship it is a masterful document and one would think that he crafted it from within the depths of a university research library rather than within the narrow quarters of a jail cell. The document demonstrates that King’s mind was an exceedingly rich place and one where he was able to gather the most inspiring quotations and philosophies from some of the greatest thinkers the human race has ever encountered. The letter shows how King is able to very artfully redirect the criticism that has… Continue Reading...

The Meaning of American Identity

philosophers like Thomas Paine provided the guidance for Americans during the Revolutionary War and Thomas Jefferson laid out the complaints of the colonists against the King in the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Since then two ways in which the American identity has changed are: (a) the idea of being independent, and (b) the idea of being free. Today, we are entangled in endless foreign wars, have long-standing alliances with countries (like Saudi Arabia and Israel) who probably do not have our best interest at heart. Our independence is not at all like it once was and the American identity is now focused not… Continue Reading...

Reason for Supporting the American Revolution

and the pursuit of happiness” as they stated in the Declaration of Independence. I would have stood with Thomas Jefferson who wanted the Crown of the business of the colonies as they had their own forms of government, their own ideas, each one uniquely driven by the character and will of their people. The colonies were not the brain child of the King; rather, they went to America to elude the reach of the King. England had become a land of persecution and tyranny. The colonists were seeking freedom. They wanted to worship as they saw fit. Penn wanted to support the idea of religious freedom and so… Continue Reading...

Why America Sought Independence

that is what they hoped it would do. Found Father Thomas Jefferson had other plans. The Virginia House of Burgesses squashed the treaty and sought to take land in Kentucky and in the Ohio River Valley. This aggravated the Native Americans still more and they felt compelled to fight. The colonists, instead of relying on England for protection, wanted to have their own means of warding off the Native Americans. For them, it simply made more sense to be free and clear of the British and be in charge of their own affairs. By describing the practical issues on an… Continue Reading...

Mount Rushmore

The existence of the monument to white presidents-- George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln—some of whom were slave owners makes the monument’s symbolism troubling. Q3. What is your purpose for writing? (What do you hope to accomplish? Why are you writing?) The purpose of writing is to problematize an iconic mountain which has been taken for granted. Analyzing Your Readers Many readers view iconic symbols like Mount Rushmore as good in an uncomplicated fashion. On the other hand, there is also an increasing urge to question the Manifest Destiny narrative of American history, which suggests that America… Continue Reading...

Political Ideology Libertarianism

libertarian government, which evolved out of Enlightenment values and philosophies and made their way into the writings of luminaries like Thomas Jefferson, John Locke, David Hume, and Adam Smith (Boaz, 1999). While I am not surprised to recognize libertarianism as my own political ideology, I do not believe that the current Libertarian Party of the United States has sufficient support to replace either the Democratic Party or the Republican Party in terms of popularity or influence. Research shows that people with libertarian values also share in common certain psychological characteristics. For example, Iver, Koleva, Graham, et al (2010) found that in terms of moral principles, libertarians do indeed endorse individual… Continue Reading...

Fake News Essay

in 1801, Thomas Jefferson noted, ‘as for what is not true, you will always find abundance in the newspapers’” (A8). More recently, though, fake news has become virtually ubiquitous with publishers such as National Report and Empire News flooding the Internet with fake news stories and some analysts are concerned that the trend represents a threat to U.S. interests at home and abroad. In this regard, Omilian points out that, “The widespread dissemination of fake news had real impacts on political discourse and has steadily eroded the general public's trust in media… Continue Reading...

Washington, Hamilton, Franklin, As Founding Fathers

are seven key players that most historians identify as being the founding fathers. Those seven include George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, James Monroe, and Ben Franklin. All seven of the founding fathers and their contributions are important. Therefore, it can be helpful to compare and contrast three of them—such as Washington, Hamilton, and Franklin--to better appreciate the ways their diverse talents, skills, and philosophies helped to create a nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all people are created equal. Not all the founding fathers became presidents, but all were leaders in their own ways by capitalizing on their strengths and areas… Continue Reading...

Marbury V Madison Case

At that time, his ill-disguised reprimanding of President Thomas Jefferson regarding the rule of law proved a lot more controversial compared to his proclamation regarding judicial review (a doctrine that was commonly accepted). When it came to resolving the last question (i.e., was it the right remedy for the US Supreme Court to issue the 'mandamus' writ?), the Chief Justice tackled the judicial review issue. He held that it wasn't permissible for the US Supreme Court to grant this writ as the 1789 Judiciary Act's 13th section, which authorizes this, was unconstitutional to the extent that it covered… Continue Reading...

Indians Influence Founding Fathers

James Madison and Thomas Jefferson as they attempted to confederate a new government under democratic principles" (Mander 30). The strength of this evidence lies in its specificity. It denotes the specific members of the founding fathers who were influenced by the Iroquois in regards to the development of democratic notions during the period in which the Constitution was formed. There are additional points of this evidence which indicate that the influence of the aforementioned confederacy was particularly potent during the time in which the founding fathers composed the Albany Plan (Mander 31). This… Continue Reading...

Sacagawea Discovery of American Territories

traditions. After some years, Sacagawea became the Charbonneau's wives. (Bright, 2004). Sacagawea invaluable contribution was known after President Thomas Jefferson ordered the Louisiana to be purchased from France in 1803, The place was 823,000 square miles and completely unexplored territory. The place was to be explored with the hope of developing a waterway that would connect the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. However, Roosevelt wanted the explorers who would search the passage to survey the natural landscape. Meanwhile, the president Roosevelt ordered Meriwether Lewis, his secretary, to head the Discovery Expedition, Lewis formal military as a subordinate, and William Clark as the co-captain. After several months of planning… Continue Reading...

sample essay writing service

Cite This Resource:

Latest APA Format (6th edition)

Copy Reference
"Thomas Jefferson" (2013, December 06) Retrieved May 14, 2025, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/thomas-jefferson-179061

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

Copy Reference
"Thomas Jefferson" 06 December 2013. Web.14 May. 2025. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/thomas-jefferson-179061>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"Thomas Jefferson", 06 December 2013, Accessed.14 May. 2025,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/thomas-jefferson-179061