Thomas Jefferson
Looking back on the election of 1800, Thomas Jefferson described it as being "as real a revolution in the principles of our government as that of 1776 was in its form; not effected indeed by the sword, as that, but by the rational and peaceable instrument of reform, the suffrage of the people." Jefferson saw his election as reversing an earlier trend away from republicanism. The departure from true republican principles, as he judged it, had begun with the economic policies of Alexander Hamilton favoring financial and manufacturing interests and the strengthening of the national government at the expense of the states. During John Adams's presidency, Jefferson was further alarmed by the threats to civil liberties posed by the Alien and Sedition Laws restricting freedom of speech, assembly, and the press. Under the administrations of both George Washington and Adams, Jefferson was also concerned that the rituals of the presidency resembled too closely the monarchical models of !By 1800 Jefferson was convinced that the government must be put on a more republican tack if the new Republic were to succeed, and he directed his efforts in the election of 1800 toward that end. In a nation of farmers, Jeffers
The Republicans also reduced the army and the navy and the diplomatic establishment abroad. Intermingling general principles and specific policies, Jefferson promised "equal and exact justice to all men, of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political," and pledged a vigilant protection of civil liberties. The philosophical roots of Jeffersonian Democracy are to be found in the ideas of the Enlightenment and in natural law that Jefferson expounded in the Declaration of Independence. ------------------------------------------------------------------------**Bibliography**. Renewed war in Europe and interference with American commerce led to the imposition of an embargo and increased military expenditures. The desire to decrease the army also reflected a republican fear of standing armies that had roots in radical English thought. The purchase of Louisiana required alterations in the schedule to pay off the national debt and also posed a challenge to his strict construction of the Constitution. Setting a more democratic tone for the executive, he began by walking to his inauguration. Reaffirming his commitment to an "absolute acquiescence in the decisions of the majority" as a vital principle of republicanism, Jefferson added the "sacred principle that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will, to be rightful, must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal laws must protect, and to violate would be oppression. He wished to keep the government close to the people. In an address in 1790, he reiterated his faith in "the sufficiency of human reason for the care of human affairs" and stressed that "the will of the majority, the Natural law of every society, is the only sure guardian of the rights of man. on's belief in the virtues of an agrarian republic of independent farmers won wide support. With civil liberties threatened by the Alien and Sedition Acts, Jefferson reaffirmed his commitment to the Bill of Rights. " This faith in the people was basic to the creed he enunciated in the election of 1800 and implemented as president. " In responding to Federalists' efforts to suppress minority opinions, Jefferson more clearly defined a basic tenet of American democracy.
Common topics in this essay:
Adams Jefferson,
Democracy Reaffirming,
President Jefferson,
Declaration Independence,
Jeffersonian Republicans,
Thomas Jefferson,
Bill Rights,
Constitution Initially,
Washington Adams,
Adams Setting,
washington adams,
civil liberties,
election 1800,
national debt,
jeffersonian democracy,
washington adams jefferson,
natural law,
military expenditures,
army navy,
agrarian republic,
drew support,
|
Acceptance Essays
