977; see also Documents of American History, Henry S. Cummager, editor (NY: Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc., 1948), p. 179
Thomas Jefferson, Memoir, Correspondence, and Miscellanies, From the Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Randolph, editor (oston: Gray and owen, 1830), Vol. IV, pp. 103-104, to the Rev. Samuel Millar on January 23, 1808
Thomas Jefferson, the Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Albert E. ergh, ed. (Washington, D.C.: The Thomas Jefferson Memorial Association of the United States, 1904), Vol. XVI, pp. 281-282.
Thomas Jefferson, Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Albert Ellery ergh, editor (Washington D.C.: The Thomas Jefferson Memorial Association, 1904), Vol. I, p. 379, March 4, 1805.
The Jeffersonian Cyclopedia, John P. Foley, editor (New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1900), p. 977; see also Documents of American History, Henry S. Cummager, editor (NY: Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc., 1948), p. 179
Annals of the Congress of the United States (Washington: Gales and Seaton, 1852, Eighth Congress, Second Session, p. 78, March…...
mlaBibliography
Annals of the Congress of the United States (Washington: Gales and Seaton, 1852, Eighth Congress, Second Session, p. 78, March 4, 1805; see also James D. Richardson, a Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents, 1789-1897 (Published by Authority of Congress, 1899), Vol. I, p. 379, March 4, 1805
Barton, David (2001) the Separation of Church and State. Wall Builders. 1 Jan 2001.
Jefferson, Writings, Vol. III, p. 441, to Benjamin Rush on September 23, 1800.
Jefferson, Writings, Vol. VIII, p. 112-113, to Noah Webster on December 4, 1790.
Thomas Jefferson's Influence On The Constitution
Throughout more than two centuries of the grand experiment in democracy known as the American union, a time marked by the rise and fall of empires, the technological transition from plough horse to combustion engine, and even mankind's first steps into the frontier of outer space, a single document has stood as the defining feature of our nation's ideals and purpose. The Constitution of the United States, including the Bill of Rights which grants every citizen certain unassailable liberties, and the subsequent amendments made to reflect society's slow progression, is undoubtedly one of history's most significant and substantive texts. Of all the revolutionaries and philosophers who signed the original draft of the U.S. Constitution, it was perhaps one whose name was not etched on the sacred document who played the most important role in the amendment process used to improve it as time progresses. Thomas…...
The colonists were fortunate to have a brilliant patriot like Jefferson that could also express himself elegantly and with powerful intellectual foundations through the written word. Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, and could any man or woman alive at that time have put words on paper any more brilliantly than patriot Jefferson? That's a rhetorical question, but when he wrote: "…e 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" (Behrman, 52). Indeed the Declaration of Independence "crisply set for the bill of particular grievances against the reigning sovereign and compressed a whole cosmology, a political philosophy, and a national creed in one paragraph" (Encyclopedia of orld Biography).
Conclusion
How great a patriot was Jefferson? That is a question that is answered not in narrative…...
mlaWorks Cited
Barnett, S.J. The Enlightenment and Religion: The Myths of Modernity. Manchester, UK:
Manchester University Press, 2003.
Behrman, Carol H. Thomas Jefferson / Presidential Leaders. Breckenridge, CO: Twenty-First
Century Books, 2004.
Thomas Jefferson, perhaps one of the world's greatest advocates of liberty once said, "I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences of attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it." The aforesaid sentiment is a cornerstone of the foundation of the legal system in the United States of America. A system that may, more often than not, be taken for granted by its citizens but is a wonder to behold for people who are not so fortunate as to live in a democratic country.
I, myself, come from Iran, a country that is ruled by conservative-dominated institutions that are not elected. These institutions include the judiciary, the Council of Guardians and the office of the Leader of the Islamic Republic, all of whom use arbitrary detention, unfair trial, and restrictions on basic freedoms in pursuit of their own political and religious interests. As such, I…...
The Bill of Rights mainly declares the civil rights and freedoms that American citizens are entitled to including the ones we hold most dear including freedom of religion, of speech, and of press. Others, like the right to a speedy trial, have also become part of the fabric of the American psyche. The document has no stated author but James Madison is credited with at least partial authorship.
Document 3: Benjamin Banneker to Thomas Jefferson (1791)
Benjamin Banneker was one of the first African-Americans who was recognized as more than a slave. In this letter, he disparages slavery by pointing out to his reader that the institution goes against everything that Christianity and American values represent. Although his letter is compelling, it would not be for another century until slavery was abolished and even then, half-heartedly. The stated audience for the document is just one man: Thomas Jefferson.
Document 4: A Republican…...
Thomas Jefferson's views on slavery and religion according to this article provided
When it comes to the views of slavery and religion Thomas Jefferson, thinks differently from the rest of contemporary society. This is because he believes that both of these issues are intertwined. As, the two of them are about: the larger struggle for equality and respect of the rights of the individual. These elements are important, because they are showing how both of them are: a reflection of Thomas Jefferson's ideas and the arguments that were presented during the American independence movement.
The views on slavery
Thomas Jefferson believed that slavery was wrong. This is because he felt that the basic ideas went against the laws of God and nature. As, all humans have the fundamental right to determine their own destiny and to be free from any kind of discrimination against them (based upon their underlying racial group). Evidence…...
mlaBibliography
Racism and Religion. (n.d.). 257 -- 261.
Thomas Jefferson
Personal Profile
contirbutions to the founding of the nation
Religious Freedom
Declaration of Independence
OPINION OF SLAVERY AND RACE RELTIONS
Thomas Jefferson has undoubtedly made significant contributions to the founding of the United States. Regarded as one of America's most predominant political figures, Jefferson has been lauded for several milestones during his career. Jefferson is perhaps most well-known as the author of the Declaration of Independence and as the staunchest supporter of the separation of church and state. Several of Jefferson's writings are focused around religious and individual freedom as the American way of life. Among Jefferson's other well-known accomplishments include, serving as the first secretary of state, the second vice-president, the third president and as the politician responsible for the Louisiana Purchase.
Although Jefferson is strongly connected with the theology of personal and individual freedom, much has been made of his dependence on slavery and his conviction that American society remains a white…...
mlaBIBLIOGRAPHY
Adams, H. (1871). History of the United States of America during the administrations of Thomas Jefferson. New York: Viking Press.
Ambrose, St. (1996). Undaunted courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson and the opening of the American west. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Bailyn, B. (1990). Thomas Jefferson. Faces of revolution and themes in the struggle for American independence. New York: Alfred Knopp.
Beard, C. (1936). Jefferson, corporations and the Constitution. Washington: National Home
Thomas Jefferson and enjamin Franklin
enjamin Franklin was one the most accomplished founders of the United States (Morgan, 2002). As a scientist and inventor and a diplomat with a strong track record of success, he eclipses Thomas Jefferson. No American was better known or more widely admired in Europe than was Franklin. And, Franklin is the only man whose signature appears on all four of the founding documents of the American republic: the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, the Treaty of Paris, and the Constitution. Without Franklin's guidance for compromise, the United States might not even exist today; certainly it's political and economic landscape would be far different.
enjamin Franklin was born in oston in 1706, the tenth son of Abia Folger, daughter of an indentured servant (Powell, 1977). His father Josiah Franklin was a candlemaker. On the other hand, Jefferson was born the son of a wealthy family in…...
mlaBibliography
Morgan, Edmund S. Benjamin Franklin. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002.
"Postwar Republican Leader." Available from Fact Monster Accessed 8 January 2005.http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/people/A0859021.html .
Powell, Jim. "Benjamin Franklin: the Man Who Invented the American Dream." The Freeman: Ideas on Liberty, April 1997. Available from Foundation for Economic Education. Accessed 8 January 2005.http://www.fee.org/vnews.php?nid=3751 .
"The Declaration of Independence." Available from Glencoe Online Accessed 8 January 2005.http://www.glencoe.com/sec/socialstudies/btt/celebratingfreedom/caf_01.shtml
American Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt sculpted Mount Rushmore.
Being an American President is surely one of the most honorable duties that one can take on, considering the country's role in international affairs and the fact that people in this position have a great influence over all Americans. Even with this, the Mount Rushmore National Memorial is not only meant to celebrate the fact that George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln have presided over the country. It is actually meant to emphasize the fact that they distinguished themselves from other U.S. presidents as a result of the events that occurred during their administrations and because of the actions that they took with the purpose of assisting their country during critical moments. While it would be architecturally wrong to produce any kind of modifications to this artwork, John F. Kennedy would most probably fit…...
Soon, anti-federalist movements emerged. The movement called Anti-Federalism thinkers revolved around the issue of government and the attribution of power. In their own view, the ideal configuration of the country would imply a decentralized system of government. More precisely, under the Articles of the Confederation, the states were given increased power to decide for their own on issues affecting them locally. From this point-of-view, the Anti-Federalists considered that the future constitution changed the equilibrium established before. Thus, a better system of government would have to allow states a greater autonomy in matter affecting them. Their main argument was related to the revolutionary ideals which they considered were being forgotten. The end of the ritish domination also implied the end of a control that was not legitimate from the point-of-view of the local Americans. y comparison, it was considered by the Anti-Federalist supporters that a central government would exercise similar control…...
mlaBibliography
Larson, John Lauritz. Internal Improvement: National Public Works and the Promise of Popular Government in the Early United States. Chapel Hill and London: University of North Carolina Press, 2001
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 andolph, high social standing" (Freidel and Sidey). His mother came from one of the most distinguished, respected, and revered families in Virginia…...
mlaReferences
Blakesley, David, and Jeffrey Hoogeveen. The Thomas Handbook. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning, 2007. Print.
Finkelman, Paul. "Thomas Jefferson and Antislavery: The Myth Goes On." The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, 102.2 (April 1994): 193-228. Print.
Freidel, Frank, and Hugh Sidey. The Presidents of the United States of America. Washington, DC: White House Historical association, 2006. Print.
Gibbons, Francis. The Spiritual Dimensions of America. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse, 2005. Print.
Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence
Of all the men known as the Founding Fathers of the United States, perhaps the man most discussed is Thomas Jefferson. He was instrumental in the creation of the country through his participation with the First and Second Continental Congress and in ensuring the successful beginning of the nation following the American Revolution. Besides being Vice President to John Adams, and then the third President of the country, he was also a member of the initial Congresses, and in the formation of the Articles of Confederation and the subsequent Constitution when the Articles proved an abysmal failure although he was in Paris at the time and thus not directly involved. He was further an ambassador, scholar, and historian, and of course arguably of most importance is the fact that Jefferson is famous for his involvement in writing the Declaration of Independence. Had he only…...
mlaWorks Cited
Ellis, Joseph J. American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies in the Founding of the Republic.
Alfred A. Knopf, 2007. Print.
Ferling, John E. A Leap in the Dark: The Struggle to Create the American Republic. New York,
NY: Oxford UP, 2003. Print.
Jefferson
A Talk with Thomas Jefferson: Understanding and Explaining the U.S. Government from a Centuries-Old Perspective
TJ: Did it work? Am I here? Did I make it as far as I intended? I told Sally to turn the crank as fast as she could, but I'm not sure my temporal advancement device is functioning properly and that Hemmings girl has a mind of her own, sometimes.
ME: Umm if you mean you built a time machine to take you to the twenty-first century, then yeah, it worked. It's 2012, to be exact. And you are…..
TJ: Thomas Jefferson, Agrarian Democrat, at your service. As you are at my service. And as we are both at service to society at large, and as society at large is at service to use, all equal in our powers, positions, rights, and responsibilities. Just how a democracy is supposed to work.
ME: Technically the United States is a federalist…...
.. [A despotic] government always [keeps] a kind of standing army of newswriters who, without any regard to truth or to what should be like truth, [invent] and put into the papers whatever might serve the ministers. This suffices with the mass of the people who have no means of distinguishing the false from the true paragraphs of a newspaper."
ut, these concerns were not enough to outweigh what Jefferson considered to be the necessity for freedom of the press, "The only security of all is in a free press. The force of public opinion cannot be resisted when permitted freely to be expressed. The agitation it produces must be submitted to. It is necessary, to keep the waters pure."
ibliography
Thomas Jefferson." Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_JeffersonAvailable 25 Oct. 2005.
Thomas Jefferson on Politics & Government, Freedom of Religion http://etext.virginia.edu/jefferson/quotations/jeff1650.htm. Available 25 Oct. 2005.
Thomas Jefferson on Politics & Government, Freedom of the Press. http://etext.virginia.edu/jefferson/quotations/jeff1600.htm. Available 25…...
mlaBibliography
Thomas Jefferson." Wikipedia. 25 Oct. 2005.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_JeffersonAvailable
Thomas Jefferson on Politics & Government, Freedom of Religion Available 25 Oct. 2005.http://etext.virginia.edu/jefferson/quotations/jeff1650.htm .
Thomas Jefferson on Politics & Government, Freedom of the Press. Available 25 Oct. 2005.http://etext.virginia.edu/jefferson/quotations/jeff1600.htm .
Thomas Jefferson Politics
Decisions and Actions
Democratic-epublican Party's Beliefs and Ideals
Federalist Party's Beliefs and Ideals
Initiated the first Barbary War -- Aligned most with the Federalists party because it was a display of national power.
They were terrified of a strong national government.
They were strong believers of a central government
Bought the Louisiana Purchase -- Aligned most with the Federalist party because they believed in expanding national power by expanding their territory and property.
They understood the Constitution as being an essential document to limit the powers of the federal government.
They believed that listening to the citizens would make for a weak government system.
Initiated the Lewis and Clark Expedition -- Aligned most with the Democratic-epublican party because it was in the best interest of the people who would be settling there. It also provided insight into the agricultural possibilities in that part of the nation.
They believed that the United States economy should have been based on…...
mlaReferences:
Meacham, J. (2012). Thomas Jefferson: The art of power. New York, NY: Random House.
National Archives. (2013). The Center for Legislative Archives. Archives.gov. Retrieved April 16, 2013 from archives/jefferson-letter.htmlhttp://www.archives.gov/about/history/building-an -
Thesis Statement: The Founding Fathers of the United States were a remarkable group of individuals who, despite their diverse backgrounds and often conflicting views, came together to create a new nation based on the principles of liberty, equality, and self-government. Their vision and determination laid the foundation for a vibrant and enduring democracy that has served as a model for countless nations around the world.
Introduction:
The Founding Fathers of the United States were a diverse group of individuals who came from different backgrounds, had different experiences, and held different beliefs. However, they shared a common goal: to create a new nation....
Key Figures in Shaping American History
Throughout the annals of American history, exceptional individuals have emerged as pivotal figures, steering the course of events and leaving an indelible mark on the nation's trajectory. Their leadership, vision, and unwavering determination have shaped the very fabric of the country, from its inception to its present day.
George Washington (1732-1799): The Father of the Nation
As the first President of the United States, George Washington played a paramount role in establishing the young republic. His unwavering leadership during the Revolutionary War earned him the moniker "Father of the Nation." As President, he presided over the formation....
The Federalists and Anti-Federalists were two opposing political groups in early American history who held contrasting views on the structure and powers of the newly proposed Constitution. This essay will compare and contrast the beliefs and arguments of the Federalists, who supported a stronger central government, with those of the Anti-Federalists, who advocated for a more decentralized system of government. The Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, believed in a strong central government that could effectively manage the affairs of the nation. They argued that a powerful central authority was necessary to maintain order, secure liberty, and....
Literary Analysis and Criticism
The Power of Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter: Explore the significance of the scarlet letter as a potent symbol of sin, shame, and redemption. Analyze how Hawthorne uses it to develop the characters' struggles and the novel's themes.
The Complexity of Hamlet's Character: Delve into the enigmatic character of Hamlet, examining his introspective nature, indecisiveness, and tragic flaw. Discuss his motivations and actions in light of Shakespeare's play.
The Feminist Critique of Jane Eyre: Examine the novel through a feminist lens, analyzing the portrayal of gender roles, female empowerment, and domesticity. Discuss the significance of Jane's....
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now