Blog #160 – How Jeffersonian was Jefferson?
So, in the handouts on Thomas Jefferson and his attitudes on slavery, race, the economy, society, and other things written before he became president, many of you thought that he was inconsistent in some areas (race and slavery among others) but yet consistent in other things (belief in agriculture and the need for more land).
As a man of principle, Jefferson tried to live by his beliefs, but when he became president in 1801, he had a chance to put his beliefs into action. Though he hated banks and strenuously opposed the creation of the Bank of the U.S. in 1791, he let Hamilton’s bank remain intact during his presidency. In other ways, he remained true to his principles.
As you look over the notes we collected as a class, the Louisiana Purchase article, and the items discussed, I want you to answer the following questions:
- Before he became president (and using the quotes we looked at this week), in which area was he most consistent and why? And in which area was he most inconsistent and why do you think this?
- As president from 1801 – 1809 (and using the notes we compiled on his presidency), in which area(s) was he most consistent? Explain why. And in which areas was he most inconsistent and why?
Blog response due by Saturday, October 28 by midnight. Your total answer for both questions above should be a minimum of 400 words.
1) Before he became president (and using the quotes we looked at this week), in which area was he most consistent and why? And in which area was he most inconsistent and why do you think this?
I believe that before his presidency, Jefferson was most consistent in believing that the central government should not hold too much power in fear of their government becoming too much like Great Britains. I think that Jefferson showed this based on him opposing Hamilton’s idea of the national bank because it was not specifically stated in the Constitution, meaning that the central government did not have the right to carry it through. I think that someone he was most inconsistent with was what he thought about slavery. In 1770, Jefferson made an argument in a court case that “all men are born free”, in this statement, he is including all black men as well. He is defending the African Americans and saying that they are born free, and are equal to the whites. However, later in 1781, he says that blacks are “inferior to the whites in the endowments both of body and mind”. In this statement, he is contradicting what he said 11 years ago, now saying that the African Americans are less than the whites and implying that he does not respect them. Multiple times, Jefferson made the case to abolish slavery, but around the same time, he is saying things like he did in 1781, showing his disrespect towards African Americans and slaves.
2) As president from 1801 – 1809 (and using the notes we compiled on his presidency), in which area(s) was he most consistent? Explain why. And in which areas was he most inconsistent and why?
I think that Jefferson is most consistent with the fact that even though he may not be following typical republican beliefs, he is usually doing things or changing things in a way that helps the republican party. For example, when he became president, he got rid of the Alien and Sedition Acts which helped the republicans because most immigrants usually vote on the republican side, meaning they would help contribute towards a republican majority. Also, when Jefferson made the Louisiana Purchase, although he was not following the typical view that republicans view the constitution strictly, the purchase of the land he thought would help many republican farmers. This purchase made it easier for farmers, which were typically more republican to access land, therefore overall, helping the republican party. I believe Jefferson was most inconsistent with his beliefs of power in the central government. Before Jefferson became president, he had strong beliefs that the central government should not hold too much power, and allow for individual power of states. However, when he became president, he contradicted this by changing rules and interpreting the Constitution in a way that gave the central government much more power than it had before. It seemed as though he was almost running the country like an autocracy. For example, when the Louisiana Purchase was made, the land was split into two colonies, which Jefferson appointed a government to each one, and almost was ruling the colonies himself like a king would. By the end of his time as president, he had made the central government stronger, and the states power weaker, contracting all of his past beliefs on government.
Jefferson was most consistent when he talks about agriculture being the future of the colonies: “Agriculture… is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals, and happiness,” (Jefferson Ideologies). This proves that he was consistent about promoting farming and agriculture in the colonies. He was known as known for protecting farmers. Jefferson was most inconsistent when he writes that all men are born free: “Under the law of nature, all men are born free, everyone comes into the world with a right to his own person, which includes the liberty of moving and using it at his own will,” (Jefferson Ideologies). Jefferson said that all people are born free meaning they can’t be slaves to anyone, but he owned slaves of his own. This contradicts his opinion causing him to be inconsistent of his own word by saying everyone is free. Another example is when Jefferson wrote, “The abolition of domestic slavery is a freat object of desire in the colonies where it was unhappily introduced” (Jefferson Ideologies). Again, he mentions that slavery was bad and it wasn’t his fault it was introduced into the colonies but this doesn’t negate the fact that he owned slaves of his own. As a president, Jefferson was consistent in the fact that he liked farming and agriculture to dominate American economy: “Thomas Jefferson was one of the greatest expansionists in an American history full of ardent expansionists,” (LaFeber). This quote proves that he stayed consistent with the plan of a farming and agricultural future because the extension of land that the Louisiana Purchase gave us, he planned to use as farmland to boost the economy. An inconsistency that Jefferson had when he was president was when he bought the Louisiana territory, this is because he has a strict view of the constitution as a Democratic-Republican: “… he believed he could take no action not explicitly authorized by the Constitution,” (LaFeber). This proves that he doesn’t strictly follow the constitution like he said Democratic-Republicans should do. Also, it shows that it wasn’t explicitly mentioned in the Constitution: “Jefferson had fought Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton’s attempt to interpret the Constituition’s phrases in broad terms,” (LaFeber). He said that he was looking at a broader view, but in his earlier years of the constitution he said you have to follow the law the way the rule is written which is the opposite of what he did.
One thing that Jefferson firmly believed before his presidency was the idea of limited government. He was very Democratic-Republican in that sense and he helped establish the beliefs of self-government and self-sufficiency. He recognized that a strong central government could make the country more economically and militarily stronger but feared the government gaining too much power. Jefferson wanted the addition of the Bill of Rights which prevented this and he was also against the president serving for life. We see this further in his outspokenness against Hamilton’s plan for the federal bank: “The incorporation of a bank and the powers assumed by this bill, have not, in my opinion, been delegated to the United States by the Consitution.” Before his presidency, he firmly believed that if it’s not in the constitution then the government can’t do it. However, before his presidency, he was extremely undecided on the topic of race and slavery. In 1770, while acting as an attorney for legal suits for the freedom of two mixed-race children, he says, “ Under the law of nature, all men are born free…Reducing one to servitude is a violation of natural law.” He speaks like an abolitionist but Jefferson owned 600 enslaved people. The most out of any U.S. president ever! A year earlier in 1769, he posted an ad for a runaway slave and when he got him back, he sold him for 100 pounds. Adding even more confusion, he stated, “I believe the Indian then to be in body and mind equal to the white man. I have supposed the black man, in his present state, might not be so; but, if equally cultivated for a few generations, he might become so.” What does this even mean? Jefferson was an extremely intelligent man but he sounds like an absolute donkey saying this. He considers Indians the same as white men but then kicks them out to support white expansion. That doesn’t sound like equality to me. And also he apparently believed that white washing slaves would make them “equal”.
During his presidency, however, Jefferson stuck to his democratic-republican beliefs and George Washington’s precedent about staying out of wars with Europe. The Democratic-Republicans were all about neutrality and Jefferson stuck with that even with all these pressures from Europe. The British’s practice of seizing merchant ships and impressing American seamen into their navy would be more than enough to declare war but Jefferson recognized that the country was nowhere near ready to go into a full-scale conflict. The French were also doing this so Jefferson (really Madison) came up with the Embargo Act of 1807 which kept them neutral but destroyed the U.S. economy. Also during his presidency, he was very inconsistent with the extent of the government’s power under the Constitution. Purchasing the Louisiana territory from France was a power not listed anywhere in the constitution but then he also removed taxes and increased states powers. Jefferson came into his presidency looking to cut government spending, and remove taxes under a strict interpretation of the constitution but then spent 15 million dollars on the Louisiana territory and kept the national bank which he initially opposed because it wasn’t a power listed in the Consitution
Before Jefferson became president, he was consistent in his belief of the American economy being dominated by farmers. He believed farms were self-sufficient, and could support the economy. Farmers could feed their own family, and in some cases make more products to sell and make a profit. If farmers were not relying on European goods, then an America dominated by small farmers would be strong and non reliant on other countries. Being a champion farmer himself, Jefferson was able to easily support his argument. Jefferson even believes god is a part of his beliefs by saying “Those who labor in the Earth are the chosen people of god.” The farmers of America are so good-looking to Jefferson that he says they are the chosen people of god. Jefferson also stays consistent when he says, “Cities do as much good for republican government as sores do for the health of the human body.” Jefferson believed in farmers dominating America, and he hated big cities because they didn’t do any good for a limited republican government.
Before Jefferson became president, he was inconsistent in his beliefs on slavery. He believed that slavery should be outlawed, but he also owned hundreds of slaves over his lifetime. He wanted equal rights for black people and white people. It doesn’t seem right for someone who owns slaves and abuses them to be advocating for them to be free and have rights. Before Jefferson was president, he played both sides of the slave game. He needed slaves on his farm in order to fund his expensive lifestyle, but also expressed that he believed slaves should be free.
When Jefferson was president, he was consistent in his view of European powers impressing American ships. During his presidency, Jefferson had to act against European powers impressing Americans into the British military. Jefferson attempted to stay neutral, following the lead of George Washington and John Adams. In order to try to prevent war, Jefferson introduced the Embargo Act. This stopped all trade with other countries from America. He hoped to hurt other economies because he believed other countries relied on American trade to survive. He was completely wrong. America relied on other countries too much, and our economy struggled. The Embargo Act failed to stop European powers from abusing American ships. Jefferson tried many different strategies to stop the European powers from impressing American ships and sailors, and although they were not successful, he still maintained the belief that impressment was not good for America.
When Jefferson was president, he was inconsistent with his interpretation of the Constitution. When Jefferson was elected, he believed in a strict interpretation of the Constitution. Anything that isn’t stated in the Constitution doesn’t exist. If the federal government wants to do something that the Constitution doesn’t give them power to do, strict interpretation wouldn’t grant the government that power. On the other hand, when Jefferson wanted to buy the Louisiana territory from the French he became a loose interpreter of the constitution. The Constitution doesn’t give the federal government the power to buy land. Jefferson completely changed his belief to buy the territory and became contradictory to his earlier beliefs.
Before he became president (and using the quotes we looked at this week), in which area was he most consistent and why? And in which area was he most inconsistent and why do you think this?
Before Thomas Jefferson was elected as president in 1800, he obviously had many views. Some of these views were consistent and some were not as consistent. One of his non consistent views was on slavery. He once said in 1770 in his argument in the Samuel Howell vs. Wade Netherlands that, “Under the law of nature, all men are born free, everyone comes into the world with a right to his own person…” (Jefferson 1770). He later stated, when he wanted slaves to get an education as well, he proposed a Bill of education “for the instruction of slaves, especially those destined to be freed.” (Jefferson 1770). None of this makes sense because a small thing he is known for is owning the most slaves out of every president. He says that they should have freedom but still keeps his own. Moving to views Jefferson had that stayed consistent was wanting people to receive an education. He says in the “Jefferson’s Ideologies” packet that, “Above all things I hope the education of the common people will be attended to…”(Jefferson). He states that everyone should go to 3 years of primary schooling. That includes both men and women. After that the boys move on higher in schools and the women do not, but supposedly they now know enough to start teaching their children when they become mothers.
As president from 1801 – 1809 (and using the notes we compiled on his presidency), in which area(s) was he most consistent? Explain why. And in which areas was he most inconsistent and why?
Thomas Jefferson was President from 1801-1809 and had some of his views continue and some change. His views changed when he sent Ministers to France to bargain with Napoleon to try to buy the New Orleans Port and some coast of modern day Florida for $10 Million dollars. When Napoleon agreed and added the rest of Louisiana for $15 million dollars, he could not turn down this amazing opportunity. The Louisiana Purchase would more than double the size of the Americas, but nowhere in the Constitution did it state that you could add new land to the country. Jefferson had always been a strict Constitutionalist that followed the constitution precisely. This new change in behavior is almost as if he is becoming a little Federalist. Still, some of his ideas did stay consistent throughout his presidency. A way that he was consistent was his views on Americas debt. Before he became president he wanted to get rid of the debt, most federal taxes, and Hamilton’s national bank. Even though the shutting down of the national bank never happened he still took away precise federal taxes.
Before his presidency, Jefferson had many changing opinions such as slavery. In 1770, he fought for the freedom of two enslaved kids by saying “Reducing one to servitude is a violation of the law of nature…” In 1785 said that black enslaved people were not equal to white people but could be in the future, two progressive ideas for the time while he owned enslaved people. He also had changing opinions on bribes, both taking and giving them. He said that “… conduct toward them (native people) is to bribe them into peace, and to retain the in peace by eternal bribes” in 1791 compared to his talking about conflicts with the barbary pirates a year later “I prefer obtaining peace by war than by tribute payment (bribe)”
Some things he kept the same before being president was his persistence for equal education, in 1779 he proposed a 3-tier education system that would significantly increase the amount of education for people and even included schooling for girls, and in 1788 he said “Above all things, I hope the education of the common people will be attended too..” showing his consistent support of the issue.
As Jefferson became president, some of his ideals changed significantly. One major example was his hatred of banks, saying “I sincerely believe that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies” 1791 and “The incorporation of a bank, and the powers assumed by this bill, have not, in my opinion, been delegated to the United States by the constitution…” yet once he became president he kept the National (Hamilton’s) Bank. The last quote here also shows his strict view and very literal of the constitution before he was the president to a looser view, relying on the implied powers of the document to justify the Louisiana Purchase. Another example of his changing views is the switch from being very pro-France before his presidency and trying his best to keep neutral foreign relations during his presidency, most likely inspired by George Washington precedents.
There were also some ideals that Jefferson held strong during his entire political career. For example, the importance of agriculture and it being better than cities writing “… large cities, as in Europe, they will become corrupt as in Europe” in his letter to James Madison at the time of the constitutional convention and we know that this idea stayed with him with his support of the Lousiana purchase. Another idea that Jefferson stuck with was his hatred of standing armies saying that “They (standing armies) are instruments so dangerous to the rights of the nation” due to their strength and potential for corruption and he never changed his mind about this, to the point that the US was not concerningly unprepared for the war of 1812.
Before Jefferson became president he was very consistent in his views on how the constitution should be interpreted. For instance, he fought against Hamilton’s financial plans because he said that nowhere in the constitution did it give hamilton the power to carry out his financial plan. Going further into this, he was especially disapproving towards the creation of a national bank. Jefferson believed that a national bank would lead to tyranny.On the other hand he was very inconsistent with his views on slavery. On one hand he was a slave owner and an overall racist person but he also had some contradicting writings and ideas. He wrote in The Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal. On top of that, he also frequently advocated against slavery, even though he himself had many slaves and even raised the illegitimate children that he had with one of his enslaved women.
The situation during Jefferson’s presidency was somewhat different, in terms of his beliefs. On one hand he held true to his belief of neutrality throughout his entire presidency. Jefferson had been faced with many instances where many would have acted with violence. When the British and French were fighting the Napoleonic wars in Europe, they had a habit of seizing defenseless, American merchant ships. This was a large problem because both nations were attacking the United States which was neutral, this got the American people really fired up and many wanted war. But Jefferson kept firm to his belief of pacifism and neutrality in foreign matters and fought back through diplomacy and economic pressure. Jefferson believed that the British and French relied on American goods so he attacked them by instating the embargo of 1807 instead of fighting. The embargo prohibited American ships from leaving and trading with foreign countries. Unfortunately the embargo flopped and hurt the American economy much more than it hurt either the British or the French who just traded with other countries. While on the other hand he had become almost loosey goosey with his interpretation of the constitution. A prime example of this would be the Louisiana purchase. Jefferson knew that the Constitution had no clause specifying about buying new land but Jefferson made the deal to purchase the Louisiana territory for fifteen million dollars. This was a large inconsistency because had a member of his opposing party done the same, Jefferson would most likely have had a lot of criticism for him. This was understandable considering that the purchase was incredibly beneficial for the growth of the country but this went against his firm belief of strict constitutional interpretation. Finally according to the article used in the socratic seminar, Jefferson had expanded the central government’s constitutional power more than any other president before him.
Question 1:
Before he became president, he was most consistently holding to his Democratic-Republican beliefs. He was against the new constitution and did not even attend the Constitutional Convention. He strongly held to his Anti-Federalist beliefs throughout when the constitution was being ratified.
Question 2:
I think that Jefferson was most consistent with being inconsistent. He truly believed that the constitution should be interpreted very literally, and anything that wasn’t in the constitution was illegal. That being said, Jefferson still signed the treaty to purchase the land, which isn’t something that the constitution explicitly said the president could do.
Before he became president (and using the quotes we looked at this week), in which area was he most consistent and why? And in which area was he most inconsistent and why do you think this?
Before Jefferson’s presidency, I believe he was most consistent in his stance that the central government should be kept small, leaving most of the power to the states. This can be seen many times in his aggressive opposition to the Federalist party’s push to pass certain laws or systems that he felt would encroach upon states’ rights. For example, Jefferson had this to say about Hamilton’s new financial plan, “All the powers not delegated to the U.S, by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states, or to the people. To take a single step beyond the boundaries thus drawn around the powers of Congress is to claim unlimited power.” Here, Jefferson argues that Congress should only be allowed to partake in the specifically enumerated powers listed by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution. This sentiment appears again in Jefferson’s Virginia Resolutions, in which he proclaims that the states should withhold the right to nullify any laws they deem unconstitutional, similar to today’s system of judicial review. In both examples, Jefferson stands firmly behind the importance of strong states over a large central government. This was most likely because having more emphasis on states’ rights benefited his state and party most at the time, whereas expanding the central government would be better for the opposing party, the Federalists. Contrastingly, he did not seem as sure about the issue of slavery and race. On one hand, he was an advocate for the end of slavery, including banning the practice throughout the future states specified in the Land Ordinance of 1784. He shared similar points of view on many occasions, including his defense of two enslaved children, “Under the law of nature, all men are born free… Reducing one to servitude is a violation of the law of nature”. On the other hand, he was a slaveholder himself, even saying “I have supposed the black man, in his present state, might not be [equal to white people]; but, if equally cultivated for a few generations, he might become so”. This is in direct opposition to his statement that “All men are created equal”, distinctly putting one race above another. Jefferson’s dilemma seemed to highlight his inner knowledge of wrong versus right contrasted with the need to do what was best for him personally.
As president from 1801 – 1809 (and using the notes we compiled on his presidency), in which area(s) was he most consistent? Explain why. And in which areas was he most inconsistent and why?
After Jefferson took office in 1801, he kept consistency in his support of an agrarian society as opposed to one that was more urban and commercial. Jefferson often condemned cities as cesspools of corruption, just one reason that the Louisiana Purchase was so tempting to him. In acquiring this vast new expanse of land, he could allow more Americans to settle there and develop the nation of farmers he envisioned for the future. He has also been quoted as saying, “Those who labor in the earth are the chosen people of God, if ever he had a chosen people, whose breasts he has made his peculiar deposit for substantial and genuine virtue,” further exemplifying his bias towards agriculture. This bias likely stems from his belief that hard work and tangible results was more useful than conceptual things such as money in a bank. Cities also may have been associated with corruption because of his opponents, the Federalists, who dominated large New England cities. In contrast to this well-defined position, Jefferson was less clear on the subject of Hamilton’s financial plan. Consistent with his prior views pre-presidency, he eliminated the taxes and tariffs set out by Hamilton. However, he kept the bank he claimed to despise so much, even previously calling banks “more dangerous than standing armies”. The act of keeping one piece but not the other was extremely contradictory, as he seemed to disapprove of both beforehand. This could be explained by his want to keep public opinion favorable; it was possibly an attempt to appeal to some Federalists, as dismantling the national bank Hamilton fought so hard to create would cause an outrage.
Isabela V
Before becoming president, Jefferson was most consistent in his belief of a strict interpretation of the constitution. He demonstrated this belief when stating that the powers in Hamilton’s plan for the national bank, “have not, in my opinion, been delegated to the United States by the Constitution…” Jefferson most likely was a strict interpreter because the Federalist party had a loose interpretation at this time, and Jefferson wanted to oppose them. In the Louisiana Purchase article, there is a quote by John Randolph of Virginia as he reflects on the two parties, “ the ins and the outs.” He realizes that the ins try to justify whatever they want to do since they have the power, and the outs try to prohibit the ins from doing so. However, as soon as the outs became the ins, Randolph believed that the roles would reverse. This concept helps to explain why Jefferson stuck to his strict interpretation of the constitution for the whole time before he was president. An area that Jefferson was inconsistent in before his presidency was slavery, as he both spoke out against slavery and owned slaves at the same time. In the case Samuel Howell v. Wade Netherland in 1770, Jefferson said, “all men are born free, everyone comes into the world with a right to his own person.” This makes it sound like Jefferson was opposed to slavery, but in 1781, Jefferson stated, “the blacks, whether originally a distinct race, or made distinct by time and circumstances, are inferior to the white in the endowments both of body and mind.” It is unclear as to why Jefferson was so split on the issue of slavery, but it is likely that he disliked the practice of slavery, but was afraid and unwilling to be the person to completely ban slavery and risk hurting the United States economy.
As president, Jefferson was most consistent in his views of the economy. Jefferson was convinced that agriculture was far more important than manufacturing in the United States economy. Jefferson demonstrated this belief when he bought Louisiana. According to the Louisiana Purchase article, Jefferson realized that the population in the United States was almost doubling every 25 to 27 years, and to avoid large cities, which Jefferon hated, he needed to gain more land for all of these people to go. Jefferson stayed true to the belief that agriculture is most important throughout his whole presidency, even if one of the main reasons why he believed that it was the most important was because many of these farmers in the new agrarian land voted Democratic-Republican. During his presidency, Jefferson was most inconsistent with his view of Federalist policies from the previous administrations. Jefferson repealed taxes like the whisky tax as soon as he got into office, as well as lowering the army budget and other government expenses, making it seem like he didn’t agree with Federalist beliefs. Nevertheless, Jefferson chose to keep Hamilton’s bank. A possible explanation may be because it was the simplest option, as the bank’s charter would expire in 1811. Despite that, Jefferson still decided to keep the bank, when most people would assume that he would at least try to get rid of it. The way Jefferson handled the national bank doesn’t line up with the way he got rid of many of the other Federalist systems. Another potential reason for Jefferson to keep the bank could be that he viewed it as a compromise, and hoped that he could win some Federalist votes by keeping it. Either way, the fact that Jefferson kept the national bank is contrasting to his typical views of Federalist policies during his presidency.
I believe when Thomas Jefferson wasn’t president he was most consistent with his strict interpretation of the Constitution. One of the biggest conflicts Jefferson faced was Hamilton’s plan for a National bank that would assume state debts. Hamilton created this plan backing it up with the constitution’s necessary and proper clause which states that the national government can make any laws not vested in the constitution if needed by the nation. Hamilton deemed it necessary as beneficial for the United States, not necessarily a crisis. Of course, the national debt is a huge problem but Jefferson argued it was not necessary because the Constitution did not give the United States power to do so. Jefferson didn’t read in between the lines. I believe Jefferson was most inconsistent before he was president was his stance on slavery. Jefferson, in drafting the Constitution stated that all men are equal. Jefferson had stated that slaves “deemed for freedom” were just as worthy as whites in education etc… What does deemed for freedom mean? Why did Jefferson own slaves if he truly viewed all men as equal? Why would he outlaw the international slave trade while he owned slaves? When Jefferson was president, I think he was the most consistent with his stance of neutrality. Jefferson was extremely anti-war and believed the only way to solve this was neutrality. When our merchant ships were being seized and rising conflict with France and Britain, Jefferson created the Embargo Act. The document stated that if we wanted to trade with other countries, they must come to us. He denied both France and Britain American goods to be shipped to them in an act of neutrality. He wanted it to look like we weren’t favoring a specific country. The area he was the most inconsistent was his interpretation of the Constitution. During his presidency, Jefferson became a loose interpreter of the Constitution. An example of this is when he was offered the Louisiana Territory by France. The Constitution doesn’t state anything about Congress or the president buying any land. I believe if Jefferson wasn’t president he would argue to not take the land because there is no current article stating that the United States could purchase land but, during his presidency, he took the Louisiana Territory. Why would someone who wants a small central government double the size of its nation? Jefferson completely switched his political ideologies during his presidency.
Before he became president (and using the quotes we looked at this week), in which area was he most consistent and why, and in which area was he most inconsistent?
His agrarianism, I believe, was the most consistent of his beliefs. Jefferson expressed his love for agriculture many times; “‘Those who labour in the earth are the chosen people….Corruption of [their] morals…is a phenomenon of which no age nor nation has furnished an example’” (LaFeber 189), “‘Agriculture…is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals & happiness’” (Economy 1787). Jefferson talked about how agriculture was the truest way of life, and how he truly favored it above everything else. This was something that he carried with him everywhere, and through everything. It was not only a big part of his beliefs, but a part of the Democratic-Republicans as most of them lived in the South & West.
I believe his opinions on slavery varied the most before his presidency, as he commented against slavery often: “‘Reducing one to servitude is a violation of the law of nature’” (Ideologies 1770), “‘[t]he whole commerce between master and slave is a perpetual exercise of unremitting despotism [oppression] and degrading submission’” (Ideologies 1781). He often stated that slavery was wrong, and made changes to help end slavery: “‘[I]t is necessary to exclude all further importations from Africa’” (Ideologies 1774), “‘[a]fter the year 1800…there shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in any of the said states, otherwise than in punishment of crimes’” (Ideologies 1784). Even so, he still commented for Slavery on occasion, arguing that it was necessary: “the blacks, whether originally a distinct race, or made distinct by time and circumstances, are inferior to the white in the endowments both of body and mind’” (Ideologies 1781), “Jefferson…declaring that Louisiana could ‘not be cultivated’ without slavery” (LaFeber 195). I believe Jefferson had varying views on slavery because it so closely resembled the life they had just escaped from, but it was very normalized at the time, and brought huge benefits. Either that or Jefferson just liked talking on big topics, and spoke before he really thought about any of them.
As president from 1801 – 1809 (and using the notes we compiled on his presidency), in which area(s) was he most consistent, and in which areas was he most inconsistent?
Again, his agrarianism, I believe, was the most consistent of his beliefs. It made him abandon his past beliefs to gain what he now believed would benefit not only America, but an agricultural America, the most. This was the Louisiana purchase, which Jefferson said would “enlarge the empire of liberty”. His agricultural viewpoint influenced many of his past decisions, and was no different now. It was a belief he held close to him, and one he never lost.
Regarding his most inconsistent, I believe that was his strong interpretation of the constitution, and his need for a weak central government:
-Jefferson threw away many of his beliefs to make the Louisiana Purchase happen, one being his Democratic-Republican belief of strictly following the Constitution. “‘I infer,’ he [Jefferson] wrote Madison later in August, ‘that the less we say about the constitutional difficulties respecting Louisiana, the better, and that what is necessary for surmounting them must be done sub silentio’” (LaFeber 192). Here Jefferson went directly against that belief, even going so far as to lie to the members of Congress! This is something that Jefferson would have gone crazy about had someone done this while he was under Washington.
-Then, when deciding how to govern Louisiana, Jefferson defied another one of his strong beliefs. This one being his need for a weak central government, to avoid another tyrannical rule; “‘The powers not delegated to the United States,…are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people….to take a single step beyond the boundaries thus specially drawn around the powers of Congress is to take possession of a boundless field of power, no longer susceptible of any definition’” (LaFeber 191). Yet, he contradicted himself when designing the government of Louisiana; “This measure gave the inhabitants guarantees for their ‘liberty, property, and religion,’ which the treaty had obligated him to grant. There was, however, no self-government, no indication that, to repeat one of Jefferson’s earlier principles, governments derived ‘their just powers from the consent of the governed.’…Military officers…responsible to no local authorities, but only to the President” (LaFeber 194). Here Jefferson, and correct me if I’m wrong, created a tyrannical government. Alike to the one they had just escaped 20 years prior, the one he helped so many escape. I cannot fathom what was going through Jefferson’s head at the time, but what I do know is that by then, he had completely turned against most of his beliefs.
1. Before he became president, Thomas Jefferson was most consistent in his ideals that agriculture would help the United States succeed. This is proven by his notes on the State of Virginia, 1783, “Those who labour in the earth are the chosen people of God…We have an immensity of land courting [calling to] the industry of the farmer…” In these notes, he states that farmers are God’s people, presenting them as people of higher class and better than others. He also says that the United States has a calling to agriculture and farming, furthermore proving that he truly believes that America will succeed if they turn to agriculture. These points can be further proven by his letter to George Washington in 1787: “Agriculture… is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals & happiness.” He states that agriculture will contribute most to “real wealth and happiness” connecting himself to the Declaration of Independence, “with certain unalienable rights; that among these, are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” I believe that Jefferson was most inconsistent in his ideals of slavery and race. First, he believed that all men were born free, proven by his argument in Samuel Howell v. Wade Netherland, “Under the law of nature, all men are born free,” (1770). However, he also states in 1785 in a letter to Marquis de Chastellux that he believes that “the Indian then to be in body & mind equal to the whiteman. I have supposed the black man, in his present state, might not be so; but, if equally cultivated for a few generations, he might become so.” These pieces of evidence illustrate that he was contradictory to his own sayings, saying that Indians are equal to white men, but the black men are not. This is because he believed that slavery was justified in its economic parts and by saying this he would be able to justify his owning of slaves.
2. During his presidency, Thomas Jefferson was most consistent in his ideals of hiding papers from the Congress. During 1803, Jefferson “took the position that it was unnecessary to tell the Congress…that such papers even existed. Instead, he labeled the documents ‘private’ or ‘confidential’ and kept them out of sight.” (LaFeber). He is most consistent in this area because he did the exact same thing during former Vice-president Aaron Burr’s trial for treason in 1807. He was most inconsistent in his interpretation of the constitution. During his election, he was always on the side of a strict interpretation of the constitution as a Jeffersonian Democratic-Republican. However, during the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, Jefferson knew that the constitution had no provisions giving him “the power to take New Orleans ‒‒‒ let alone area such as Louisiana that would double the nation’s size ‒‒‒ and he believed he could take no action not explicitly authorized by the Constitution.” (LaFeber). As we know, President Jefferson went through and bought the Louisiana territory. By doing this, he went against his beliefs that he could take no action not authorized by the Constitution.
Thomas Jefferson was very inconsistent in his beliefs throughout his life, often committing to one idea and demonstrating actions that betrayed it. However, before his presidency, one thing he was consistent in was his belief in having a weak central government and more power in individual states and the people. He argued that consolidating power at a nation level would threaten the individual freedoms and rights of American states and citizens saying, “To take a single step beyond the boundaries thus specially drawn around the powers of congress, is to take possession of a boundless field of power.” He supported these beliefs by arguing against Hamilton over the establishment of a national bank, saying that it was outside the government’s reach of power, and supporting the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions. He was most inconsistent in his views on slavery, simultaneously being a slave owner and arguing against slavery. He created a proposal to ban slavery in western lands and wrote in the Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal, among other anti slavery ideas that were cut out during the editing process by other slave owners. However, he also wrote in his Notes on the State of Virginia that blacks are ‘inferior to whites in the endowments of both body and mind.’ He seemed to have an internal struggle between the moral issues of slavery and the economic benefits.
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During his presidency Jefferson stayed consistent and committed to his goal of an agrarian society based on small farmers. He demonstrated this by repealing taxes that were detrimental to farmers, like the tax on whiskey, and continuing westward expansion through the Louisiana purchase (which is slightly contradictory and will come up later). He wrote to Washington, “Agriculture.. Is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals, and happiness.” All throughout his presidency, Jefferson stayed true to this belief and did things to promote agriculture in America. During his presidency, however, Jefferson became inconsistent with his beliefs in expansion of federal power. One of the most notable instances of this is the Louisiana Purchase. The power of the president to buy land was not explicitly mentioned in the constitution, which gave Jefferson some internal conflict over doing it, but he did it anyway, and in doing so gave more power to the federal government and set a ‘dangerous’ precedent. In addition to making the Louisiana Purchase, he then proceeded to rule the territory as if he were a king and it was a colony. This conflicted with his desire to keep the central government small with less power.
Before his presidency, Jefferson was very consistent in his thoughts regarding agriculture. He thought that independent farmers were the best occupation and that agriculture is more important than industry. Jefferson even says in a letter to Washington in 1791, “Agriculture… is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals, and happiness”. Jefferson kept this opinion before, during and after his presidency. This thought also helped inspire the purchase of Louisiana as it offered more open land for farming. His most inconsistent thoughts regarded slavery and race. In 1770, Jefferson said in the Samuel Howell v Wade Netherland case, “Under the law of nature, all men are born free, everyone comes into the world with a right to his own person, which includes the liberty of moving and using it at his own will. This quote makes it seem like Jefferson doesn’t like slavery and thinks that black people should be free; however, in a letter to Marquis de Chastellux Jefferson said, “I have supposed the black man, in his present state, might not be so [body and mind equal to the white man]”. This quote contradicts the first one by saying that blacks are inferior to whites rather than everyone being born equal and free. Also the fact that Jefferson owned slaves is also contradictory to the statement that everyone is free. During his presidency, Jefferson had very consistent ideas regarding U.S. involvement in international affairs. His opinion on this was that the U.S. should not get involved in European affairs and this opinion helped guide Jefferson’s decisions throughout his presidency. Jefferson had this fixed opinion because it helped the U.S. grow and somewhat stay out of conflicts. Jefferson had a very inconsistent view of the interpretation of the Constitution during his presidency. At first he strictly interpreted it like he had before he was president but when the Louisiana Purchase came along he decided to loosely interpret it in order to buy the territory because the constitution said nothing about the purchase of land. Jefferson switched his interpretation due to the fact that this purchase was too good to be true and it would double the size of the U.S. which fits with his agrarian ideals. Overall, some opinions Jefferson changed and others he didn’t but changing of opinion is natural and part of personal growth and development which everyone experiences many times in their lives as they learn more.
Before he became president (and using the quotes we looked at this week), in which area was he most consistent and why? And in which area was he most inconsistent and why do you think this?
While a majority of what Jefferson did was very impulsive to anyone’s standards, he did manage to stay fairly consistent on his opinions about Indigenous people. When writing to Marquis de Chastellux in 1785, he discussed his opinions on the African/African American people and Indigenous people that lived in the United States. He started off by saying, “I believe the Indian then to be in body & mind equal to the whiteman.” He referenced to this many more times, and, when attempting to move westward, he told the Native American people that lived on the land that they should become more ‘American’, essentially telling them to be more white, and gave them money to start building societies like the white people that lived on those lands did. Some of the Indigenous people ended up following what he said and attempted to ‘become more like white people’, sometimes by removing their culture, entirely, or attempting to combine American/European culture and lifestyles with the Indigenous people’s. While this might not be the most consistent thing that Jefferson did throughout his lifetime, it was much more consistent than how he treated the African/African American people that lived in the United States. To start off with, in 1770, Jefferson fought for the freedom of some mixed enslaved children. He made arguments about how ‘all men are born free’ and how they are equal to each other, based off of how ‘God’ created them. He continued fighting for enslaved people’s rights in 1774, where he said that slavery was ‘unhappily introduced’ to the colonies by King George the Third, and how they were trying to fight for the freedom of slaves since them, and how King George the Third shot down these requests. But, in 1781 in the “Notes on the State of Virginia”, he wrote, “the blacks, whether originally a distinct race, or made distinct by time and circumstances are inferior to the whites in the endowments both of body and mind.” This heavily contradicts everything that Jefferson had worked for in the past, and he was essentially saying that the African/African American people are less than people that are white. But, in 1784, he went back to proposing that slavery should be banned, which was later used in the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. Sadly, the following year, he went back to stating that the African/African American people are less than white people, as mentioned earlier. Due to all of these inconsistencies by Jefferson, I think it’s safe to say that this is one of Jefferson’s most contradictory matters, on all of his own accords.
As president from 1801 – 1809 (and using the notes we compiled on his presidency), in which area(s) was he most consistent? Explain why. And in which areas was he most inconsistent and why?
Throughout his presidency, Jefferson was always very adamant on trying to keep peace, even if he didn’t always take the same approach to it, and that was where he was most consistent. To start his presidency, Jefferson tried appeasing the Federalist party by leaving Hamilton’s bank, and letting it expire on its own time, so, he wouldn’t have to deal with as much resistance from the Federalist party. He still abolished the Alien and Sedition Acts, removed the whiskey tax, and reduced the army and navy in order to keep his promise to the Democratic-Republican Party and vaguely support himself in the process, showing how Jefferson was always attempting to keep peace, in this case, between both parties. He also attempted to keep peace with the Native American people that lived in the United States. He did this by bribing them and offering them a life where if they acted like the white people that lived in the United States, they would be treated the same. He did this so that there wouldn’t be revolts or would at least be fewer revolts executed by the Native American people, further proving that Jefferson’s most consistent part of his presidency was that he was also attempting to keep peace with everyone around him. Sadly, a lot of these attempts for peace also benefited Jefferson, to some extent, just like the Louisiana Purchase did. This was one of Jefferson’s most incosistent part of his presidency, the inconsistency being his shift from how strictly and loosely he followed the Constitution in order to benefit him most. The most evident way of this inconsistency was Jefferson’s purchase of the Louisiana Territory. As discussed heavily in the articles our class has been reading recently, the Constitution never specifically listed the power to claim new land as a power that the president/executive branch had. But, due to the fact that there were no remarks that they couldn’t do this either, Jefferson looked to the ‘Necessary and Proper’ clause in the U.S. Constitution to validate why he was accepting this land and buying it as president for the United States of America. By doing this, Jefferson showed how he had shifted to a loose interpretation of the Constitution, instead of his very strict interpretation of the Constitution that he had before his presidency. Sadly, this led to the Democratic-Republican Party to all shift to a loose interpretation of the Constitution, in order to support the decision that Jefferson made, which caused the Federalist Party to a strict interpretation to oppose Jefferson, sparking vague chaos throughout the United States.
1-Before becoming president, Thomas Jefferson consistently supported the idea of America as a nation of independent farmers. He believed that farming was crucial for the nation’s well-being, as expressed in his 1783 work, “Notes on the State of Virginia.” He saw farmers as virtuous and thought agriculture was the most beneficial way to go. Jefferson advocated that industrial work should remain in Europe while Americans focused on farming their vast lands. He also supported free trade, believing it would lead to prosperity. In his letters to John Adams and George Washington, he pushed for the promotion of commerce, thinking that a thriving agricultural sector and trade would bring real wealth and happiness to the nation. Before his presidency, Thomas Jefferson’s stance on slavery was inconsistent. While he sometimes expressed anti-slavery views, like when he supported enslaved individuals in legal cases or argued against slavery, his actions contradicted these beliefs. He also proposed the abolition of domestic slavery and restrictions on importing enslaved Africans, indicating concerns about slavery’s expansion. Yet, Jefferson’s inconsistent stance is clear in his 1781 paper, “Notes on the State of Virginia,” where he made derogatory statements about black individuals, portraying them as inferior to whites in body and mind. He criticized the master-slave relationship but didn’t work to change it. Plus, his 1784 proposal to ban slavery in western territories wasn’t consistently applied, and he continued to own slaves.
2-During Thomas Jefferson’s presidency from 1801 to 1809, he maintained consistency in his pursuit of territorial expansion. Jefferson’s firm commitment to expanding the United States was seen when he secured the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. He had a strong determination to gain the vast Louisiana Territory, doubling the size of the nation and securing access to the crucial port of New Orleans. His vision aligned with his belief in an “empire of liberty” where agrarian republicanism could grow. However, Jefferson’s presidency also saw areas of inconsistency, particularly in his interpretation of the Constitution and the exercise of executive powers. Although he had long been a supporter of strict constructionism, advocating for a strict interpretation of the Constitution, he showed flexibility when it came to the Louisiana Purchase. Despite facing constitutional difficulties, he pursued the land without proposing an amendment, which set a precedent for loose construction and a broader interpretation of executive authority. This contradiction points out the difficulties that happened when national interests conflicted with constitutional principles, and it indicates that Jefferson was willing to interpret the Constitution more loosely when it satisfied his goals.
Before Jefferson became president, he was most consistent in his belief that the U.S. should have a weaker central government to protect the common man. When the colonies were fighting for their independence, Jefferson became widely known due to him writing The Declaration of Independence and specifically looking out for the rights of the people and disregarding the British view of colonists having less rights than British citizens.. The document followed many traditional enlightenment views including John Locke’s natural rights with Jefferson specifically stating ‘all men are created equal’ with people having specific rights from birth ‘among these rights are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness’. Later when America became an independent nation, Jefferson established himself as an Anti-Federalist leader pushing back against government power. When discussing the addition of a Bill of Rights to the constitution, the Anti-Federalists were scared of the government becoming as corrupt as the British. Jefferson shared this view and did everything in his power to limit the government’s power. When Hamilton announced his financial plan, Jefferson challenged it due to the Whiskey Tax which would affect farmers in the small states whose livelihood was making, selling, and trading whiskey. He wasn’t inconsistent in many areas at this time other than supporting part of the financial plan (specifically assuming the national debt) when he otherwise disliked it.
When Jefferson became president, he was most consistent with his anti-war beliefs. When dealing with France and Britain mid-war seizing American ships, he decided instead of reacting with force, he barricaded his sailors in America. This would have been an effective non-violent plan if it weren’t for the fact it ended up only hurting the American rather than the foreign nations. America relied on other nations for trade, not vice versa. During his presidency, Jefferson was very inconsistent with his beliefs, almost becoming a whole new person compared to who voters thought they elected. The most jarring inconsistency Jefferson had was his change in his interpretation of the constitution. Before he was elected he had a strict interpretation of the constitution. He challenged Hamilton by claiming that if a power wasn’t explicitly listed in section 8 of the constitution, the government did not have that power. However when Jefferson was making the Louisiana purchase he copied what Hamilton did almost exactly. He classified the purchase as acquiring territory and compared it to adding a new state when in reality he doubles the nation’s size. Jefferson is said to have felt guilty about this switch in beliefs and worried about how he would justify the purchase. His change in belief was not done maliciously, but rather he changed to do what he thought would be best for the country. Regardless of his intentions, his molding of the constitution led to a pattern of presidents bending the constitution to their wills and basically having unlimited power.
How Jeffersonian was Jefferson?
Before Jefferson became president, he was most consistent in advocating for a limited federal government. For example, a quote from the Louisiana Purchase packet shows how, as VP, he strongly advocated for state’s rights: “Even as VP under the federalist president John Adams – organized the republican party to take power and as he saw it restore the constitution’s true meaning. The powers not delegated to the US, he wrote in a debate with Hamilton in 1790 and 1791, are reserved to the states, respectively, or the people.” The area he was most inconsistent in prior to becoming president was the issue of slavery. According to the Jefferson’s ideologies packet, he was pro-banning slavery and involuntary servitude in western territories: “After the year 1800… There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in any of the said states, otherwise than in punishment of crimes.” This is contradictory because Jefferson himself owned many slaves and even slept with them. As president, he was most consistent in trying to maintain a frugal government. In his inaugural speech in 1801 in the Jefferson’s ideologies packet, Jefferson planned for a frugal government: “A wise and frugal government shall prevent men from injuring one another, leaving them otherwise free to regulate and pursue their own interests and shall not take from them the fruits of their labor and bread they have earned… though the will of the majority prevails… the minority possess their equal rights which equal law must protect and to violate would be oppression.” This showcases his commitment as president to maintain a frugal government which he advocated for. As president, he was least consistent in his interpretation of the constitution. He went from a strict interpreter of the constitution and following strict construction to a loose interpreter following loose construction to justify the annexation of territory: “But when he became president and saw a chance to double the size of the United States by purchasing the Louisiana Territory Jefferson abandoned strict construction and embraced the federalist doctrine of loose construction for that was the only way he could justify the annexation of territory.” This showcases how Jefferson was very willing to quickly change his position if he thought the outcome would be worth it. In my view, this showcases a lack of principles that Jefferson had. Him easily changing sides to a federalist perspective shows glaring opportunism to me instead of sticking to his principles.
Before he became president, Thomas Jefferson was most consistent in his beliefs regarding the economy. Jefferson consistently opposed a strong central government and was skeptical of banks, particularly the Bank of the United States. He believed in agrarianism and a decentralized economy. He has famously said, “Those who labor in the earth are the chosen people of god,” this quote is a reflection of his belief that large, urban economies are bad. Additionally, Jefferson’s views on race were largely consistent, and he held a prejudiced belief in the intellectual and moral inferiority of Black people. Jefferson’s views on slavery were the most inconsistent. While he did not advocate for racial equality, he acknowledged the cruelty of slavery and the idea that slavery might eventually lead to a race war. However, he was a slaveholder and owned hundreds of enslaved individuals throughout his life. He acknowledged the institution’s moral dilemma but did not take significant action to abolish it. Further adding to this inconsistency can be seen in his writings, particularly the Declaration of Independence, where he wrote about the importance of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” but did not extend these principles to the enslaved individuals he owned. After his election in 1800, Jefferson stayed consistent in many areas regarding his ideals, but also was inconsistent with others. One area of consistency that continued during his presidency was his opposition to the Bank of the United States. He allowed the bank’s charter to expire in 1811, demonstrating his commitment to reducing the power of financial institutions. Another area of consistency during his presidency was his decision to acquire the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803. This expansion of territory aligned with his agrarian vision and was an opportunity for westward expansion. Despite this, however, the Louisiana Purchase involved a significant exercise of federal power, which contradicted his usual strict interpretation of the Constitution and limited federal authority. Furthermore, While he maintained his opposition to the bank, he had to address economic challenges, including the Embargo Act of 1807, which was inconsistent with his earlier principles of limited government intervention in the economy. Finally, Jefferson’s policy towards Native Americans was also inconsistent. While he had positive interactions with some tribes, stating in one letter that he almost viewed them as equal to whites, he also pursued policies like the Indian Removal Act, which resulted in the forced displacement of Indigenous peoples.
1. Jefferson was most consistent with Jeffersonian ideals right after the Revolutionary War. This was exemplified when his archrival Hamilton’s national economic plan and other ideas for the country would result in fierce arguments between Hamilton and Jefferson. So much so that Congress would merge into two distinct political parties centered around these two and their ideas for the country. “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” This quote by Jefferson in 1787 shows when he had his strongest link to Jeffersonian principles. Jeffersonians thought that rebellion was necessary when the government wasn’t doing its job.
Jefferson was very inconsistent with his Jeffersonian principles because he owned slaves. Jefferson often contradicted himself and this was his biggest contradiction. Jefferson proposed a ban on slavery in the Northwest Territory. This was ironic because he owned slaves himself which was against Jeffersonian principles.
2. In his presidency Jefferson was most consistent with Jeffersonian principles when he ended the importation of slaves through the trans-Atlantic slave trade and continued spreading the idea of the separation between church and state. By ending the trans-Atlantic trade Jefferson is consistent with Jeffersonian ideals because Jeffersonian ideals were against slavery. Also, the separation of church and state was a part of Jeffersonian ideals because America was a haven for immigrants who faced religious persecution and Jeffersonians thought that the new nation required religious freedom for their support and as a lasting democracy. Another one of Jeffersonian ideals that Jefferson stayed consistent on was a vision of an agrarian society in which small, independent farmers were the backbone of the nation.
What he was most inconsistent about was the Louisiana Purchase. The westward expansion resulting from the Louisiana Purchase had severe consequences for Native American communities. Jefferson’s commitment to individual liberty and limited government did not extend to Native Americans, as he supported policies that ultimately led to the displacement of their people. The Louisiana Purchase was a massive acquisition of land, doubling the size of the United States. This expansion caused an increase in the federal government’s power to manage the new territory and its administration, which seemed to go against the Jeffersonian idea of a limited federal government. Jefferson set a dangerous precedent for the power of the president, basically conveying that if the president’s party controlled Congress and the president was willing they could bend or possibly violate the Constitution. The Jeffersonians were strict interpreters of the Constitution so they did not agree with the dangerous precedent Jefferson set.
1. Before he became president (and using the quotes we looked at this week), in which area was he most consistent and why? And in which area was he most inconsistent and why do you think this?
Before Jefferson became president, I believe that he was most consistent in being a strong advocate for individual rights. This is evident in his drafting of the Declaration of Independence, where he stated there are “certain unalienable rights, among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” and believed that the government should protect these rights. He was also very consistent in his ideas of a small government and agrarianism. Jefferson believed small governments were the only correct way to protect the people’s rights. He also thought that agriculture was the best way to support the economy of America. According to Jefferson, America should rely solely on an agrarian economy, and anything else they needed could come from Europe. I believe that before his presidency, Jefferson was most inconsistent in his stance on slavery. While he expressed his ideas on rights, especially in his draft on the Declaration of independence. Jefferson wrote how slavery was a crime against humanity and condemned it many times. In the draft of the Declaration of Independence, he wrote that slavery was “violating its most sacred rights of life & liberty”. Despite writing a whole clause in the draft of the Declaration of Independence opposing slavery, he still was a slave owner.
2. As president from 1801 – 1809 (and using the notes we compiled on his presidency), in which area(s) was he most consistent? Explain why. And in which areas was he most inconsistent and why?
Jefferson stayed consistent during his presidency with his ideas of agriculture and limited government. During his presidency, he maintained ideas of small government and agriculture being the foundation of the American economy. I think he was also very consistent in his ideas of making decisions to promote the Republican party. While he did contradict himself sometimes with things like the Louisiana Purchase, he ultimately did it to support the expansion of farmers. He also helped benefit the Republican Party when he repealed the Alien and Sedition Acts. This was because most immigrants were usually supporters of the Republican Party. Another way Jefferson was consistent during his presidency was his belief of smaller state militias. He reduced the amount of money spent on the army and navy in his presidency. However, Jefferson often contradicted himself. He was very inconsistent when it came to the Louisiana Purchase. While Jefferson was a strict interpreter of the constitution, he recognized that purchasing such a large amount of land would greatly benefit America. Even though the constitution has not explicitly stated that presidents do not have authority to do that, he contradicted his beliefs of strict interpretation and did it anyway.
Question 1: He was very inconsistent with slavery and race. For example, when he said in his letter to Marquis de Chastellux, Thomas Jefferson had said, “I have supposed the black man, in his present state, might not be so; but, if equally cultivated [nurtered] for a few generations, he might become so.”. He was saying that african americans were not educated enough to be free. But at other tiems he was saying that african americans have the right to be free and should be free. I think he was more inconsistent with slavery and race because there are many people with different views that Thomas Jefferson was trying to appeal to both sides of the argument trying to be a good president to both sides that he was being inconsistent in his beliefs in order to being a good president. He also wasn’t consistent in the economy when he said “I sincerely believe that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies.” Even though he had let Hamilton put the bank into place during his presidency and then lessened the armies.
Question 2: Thomas Jefferson was more consistent in his beliefs when he wasn’t president. Thomas Jefferson was less consistent during his presidency. I think that he was more consistent before his presidency because no one judged him since he wasn’t president. He got less consistent when he became president probably because he had people judging him since he became president and he was just trying to do what was best for his country. He was against war but then would go to war when he had to. He also was very against the proposal of a national bank from Alexander Hamilton. But he let Alexander Hamilton continue with the national bank during Jefferson’s presidency even though he was very against the national bank. Another piece of evidence is that he would be strict on people who might be slightly doing something unconstitutional but when he would do something that would also do something slightly unconstitutional, he would say that it was fine and continue with what he was doing. For example, at the time of the Louisiana Purchase, the Constitution had not said anything about buying foreign land but Jefferson had said that the deal was too good to pass up since he was getting more land. Jefferson was a strict interpreter of the Constitution but at that point he turned to a federalist by becoming a loose interpreter of the Constitution.
Thomas Jefferson became president in 1800, which was known as the revolution of 1800 because it was the first peaceful change between executive powers. Jefferson was an Anti-Federalist and Democratic-Republican and made himself heard when discussing subjects disputed between Democratic-Republicans and Federalists. For example, he believed in a small government, and that giving more power to the individual states would benefit the country. Jefferson also disliked the national bank made by Alexander Hamilton because he believed the constitution should be followed strictly, and it did not state that anyone could start a national bank. Finally, Jefferson believed the United States should focus more on agriculture than manufacturing because he believed that self-sufficient farmers made the best citizens of a republic. Jefferson had been most consistent with the idea that the government should remain small and give the most power to the states, as well as the idea that all men are created equal and that farming and agriculture were the only real wealth. On the other hand, Jefferson was inconsistent with his beliefs about African Americans in slavery and indigenous people. Jefferson condoned slavery and said that after 1800 there should no longer be slavery. He also stated that indigenous people are equal to whites. However, he never acted on these ideas, and Jefferson also expressed that slavery was rooted in the Americas and that a black man is not equal to a white man.
This being said, as presedent from 1801 to 1809, some of his values changed, starting with his strict interpretation of the Constitution. When he received the offer from Napoleon to buy the entire Louisiana territory for $15 million, Jefferson bought it and in doing so made a decision that involved using a loose interpretation of the constitution as Federalists have done. There were many benefits to this purchase, for example, it doubled the size of the United States, allowing room for expansion. Jefferson used this to express the importance of becoming a self-sufficient farmer as it would make you more free and bring true wealth, and with more space people had more chance of working with agriculture instead of factories. Regardless of the benefits, this made Jefferson look like a hypocrite for using his executive power when not specifically allowed to by the Constitution. An area where Jefferson stayed consistent even through his presidency was his thoughts on the economy. Jefferson before and during precedence believed in agriculture over manufacturing, that trading was beneficial, and that banking establishments were a danger to the country. Jefferson managed to keep these beliefs, although failed to get rid of the national bank and instead let it run its course. He did, however, manage to reduce funds to the national army and navy and cut unnecessary takes including the whisky tax.
Throughout Jefferson’s life he tended to be very contradictory, however he remained true to some core beliefs. As a Anti-Federalist, later on a Democratic-Republican, Thomas Jefferson advocated for a limited central government. Before his presidency Jefferson was strongly opposed to Hamilton’s idea of a national bank. He was afraid that a national bank would undermine state banks and place policies that favored merchants over farmers and plantation owners. As he was a strong believer in agrarianism. It’s possible Jefferson was such a strong believer in a limited central government because of his fear of too much control as America had just separated from Britain due to this. However Jefferson could be inconsistent and an example of this is his view on slavery. In 1770 Thomas Jefferson acted as an attorney pro bono in two legal suits for the freedom of two children. Within this he states how under the law of nature all men are born free and come into the world with their own rights. Seeming to take an opposition to slavery. Which is quite ironic considering Jefferson himself owned slaves. Not to mention in 1785 Jefferson wrote a letter to Marquis de Chastellux stating that “the black man” is not yet equal to the white man and in order to be he must be “nurtured” to do so. This is a complete shift from Jefferson’s earlier statement saying that all men have their own rights. One explanation to why Jefferson was contradictory is that he may have had his own beliefs of how slavery is wrong but at his time slavery was highly dependent on economics in the south. It’s possible that he struggled trying to balance the support of southern states and his own personal beliefs.
During his presidency Jefferson stayed consistent in the idea of agrarianism. Which means a perspective that stresses the importance of family farming. To support this belief copious amounts of land is needed to provide this farming. At the time of the Louisiana Purchase America was running out of room for farming and challenged with overpopulation. By agreeing to the Louisiana Purchase Jefferson stayed consistent with his belief of an agrarianism society since this purchase doubled the size of the US providing much needed farming land. One reason why Jefferson was so set in an agricultural belief could’ve been because he believed that farming was a noble and virtuous occupation unlike industrialization, which provided chances for corruption. One change from Jefferson’s ideal before his presidency was a belief in a limited government. When the Louisiana Purchase was offered there was nothing in the constitution that allowed the executive branch (president) to obtain foreign land. Yet without documents or permission from the constitution Jefferson accepted this purchase. As a previous strict interpreter of the constitution doing something not within the constitution was highly unusual for him and shows how contradictory Jefferson could be when he needed to be. An explanation for a change in these opinions may be because Jefferson realized that an extremely limited government can’t execute laws as needed. Because to speak about what a president can/can’t do is different when one is in the position of power. It’s possible his views grew and he learned about what works from his ideals.
Before Thomas Jefferson became president, it seems that the area that he is most consistent in would be his interpretation on the constitution. Throughout his job as secretary of state and as a candidate for presidency, we see how he as always had a strict interpretation of the document and his idea of how if it isn’t stated in the constitution it should not be able to be acted upon. One of these events includes when Alexander Hamilton economic endeavors that include the national debt assumption and also the National Bank. But Thomas Jefferson didn’t agree with these actions as it went against his belief of “that what was not specifically delegated to the federal government was reserved to the states” and “I sincerely believe that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies.” Jefferson’s actions opposing the federalist party’s leader ideas seemed to only strengthened the ideal of sectionalism and his obvious persistence in going against the federalist party only shows how consistent he was in his ideas and how it could have been an opening for a political party against the federalists to be strengthened. However, he wasn’t always this consistent when it came to his ideals especially when it came to his thoughts about race, slavery, and the freedom concerning that. We see how on one hand he believes that “all men are born free, every one comes into the world with a right of his own person, which includes the liberty of moving and using it as his own will.” Not to mention the beginning of the declaration of indepdence which he wrote that mentions that “all men are created equal” and have the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” We see how Thomas Jefferson seems to be adamant about this ideal, as he’s fought and wrote about it before. But then we see how he completely goes against and disregards it when it came to enslaved africans. He states “the blacks, wether originally a distinct race, or made up distinct by time and circumstances, are inferior to the whites in the endowments of both body and mind.” Both these statements by him contradict himself and his views on freedom and who it applies to. As he said that all men should be created equal but still went against his word when it came to comparing white people to African Americans.
During Thomas Jefferson’s presidency he seemed to be the most consistent when it came to diplomacy and the neutrality of the United States. He was willing to go to extents to keep the peace with the Native Americans and with Europe, “The most economical as well as most humane conduct toward Themis to bribe them into peace, and to retain them [keep them] in peace by eternal bribes.” Jefferson doesn’t want war in any manner and is adamant about keeping peace in the United States. We see that as he had multiple events occur that may have opted other presidents to declare war. During his time the Napoleonic war was going on. While the US wasn’t a part of it, it still had repercussions of it. Britain and France were seizing the US’s ships and taking sailors. Jefferson rather than rebel and take the young country war, choose to peacefully resolve these issues with agreements. Even when these agreements were broken, Jefferson still refused to go to war even despite the American people wanting it. He also placed the Embargo Act as an attempt to pressure Britain and France economically to stop seizing ships. But it only resulted in an economic crash in the US. Jefferson’s belief that diplomacy should be the first option was consistent throughout this time as he did not declare war during his presidency. But during some parts of his presidency, he was inconsistent. When looking at his purchase of the Louisiana Territory, when he seemed to disregard the Indian population rights and their land included in this purchase. In the Louisiana Purchase: A Dangerous Precedent it states that “The President indicated from the start of the debate that he thought only whites could govern the territory.” This statement seems to go against what he has said before about American Indian’s and how they are equal to white people. “I believe that the Indian then to be in body & mind equal to the white man.” But during the purchase he seemed to be untrustworthy of them and wanted to fully control the territory. He may wanted this because of the settlers coming in. They didn’t want to share land, so they pushed the natives away. Jefferson to expand the agriculture of America obliged to this and went against his words of equality before. Before and after his presidency, Thomas Jefferson always seemed to contradict himself.
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Before his presidency and throughout his presidency one thing that Jefferson was consistent in demonstrating was his belief that the powers of the central government should be limited, and the state governments should have more power. This is shown through his strong opposition to the Federalist Party and the laws and bills that he had shown support for. For example, Jefferson stated this when speaking of Alexander Hamilton’s plan for a national bank, “All the powers not delegated to the U.S, by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states, or to the people. To take a single step beyond the boundaries thus drawn around the powers of Congress is to claim unlimited power.” He shows in this quote that he believes that states should have more powers to them and that the Congress and/or federal government should not be able to take these powers away from the states in order to achieve “unlimited power”. But, on the contrary, Jefferson was extremely inconsistent in his beliefs relating to the enslavement of African Americans. First, in 1770, Thomas Jefferson represented two enslaved children pro bono. He states in his argument, “Under the law of nature, all men are born free, every one comes into the world with a right to his own person, which includes the liberty of moving and using it at his own will… Reducing one to servitude is a violation of the law of nature…” He shows here that he believes that all people are created equal no matter their race and that slavery is not something that should be allowed due to the laws of nature. But, Jefferson later says in 1785 in a letter to Marquis de Chastellux, “I believe the Indian then to be in body & mind equal to the whiteman. I have supposed the black man, in his present state, might not be so; but, if equally cultivated [nurtured] for a few generations, he might become so.” This shows the complete opposite of what he stated 15 years later. He is demonstrating that he believes that black people are not of the same mind or body to white people and that they are not all “equal under the law of nature”. This demonstrates one large inconsistency that Jefferson had shown in his time prior to his presidency.
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One thing that Jefferson was consistent about throughout his presidency he was very consistent on his view of our country economy and society being an agraian society. Jefferson explained that one of the reasons he wanted to go forward with the Louisiana Purchase was to have more land for agriculture to then allow the society to become more of the agrarian society that he believed it needed to be to prosper. He said in 1785, “Those who labour in the earth are the chosen people. … Corruption of [their] morals… is a phenomenon of which no age nor nation has furnished an example.” This idea carries on through the ideas that reflects during his presidency through the strong support he gave to farmers especially in the West. On the contrary, Jefferson’s presidency, he was inconsistent in his views and actions relating to the financial plan that Alexander Hamilton introduced in 1790. At first Jefferson expressed a very strong opposition to this plan, he even said in 1791, “The incorporation of a bank, and the powers assumed by this bill [Hamilton’s bank bill], have not, in my opinion, been delegated to the United States by the Constituion. He also said, “I sincerely believe that banking establishments are more dangerous than stadning armies.” in 1791 as well. He is very adament on his dislike for the financial plan and bank that Hamilton has come up with, and he fights against this bill with Hamilton for a long time. But, when he got into presidential office after the bill had already been passed he did nothing against the bank and let it stand throughout his presidency until the bill expired in 1811. This demonstrates how Jefferson demonstrated such strong oppositions to banks and especially to the financial plan that Alexander Hamilton proposed, but the proceeded to do nothing to remove or weaken this bill when he went into office showing his inconsistent view on this topic.
1. Before Jefferson’s election as president, agriculture was believed to be the first of the 4 pillars of national prosperity. As said in the quotes we looked at in class: agriculture is the most important thing to pursue because it will contribute in the end to real wealth, good morals, and happiness. Jefferson continued this belief before his presidency because he wanted the best for the United States. He continued to pursue his belief in agriculture when he said that Americans needed more land to grow their country, he talked about taking the lands west where the indigenous people were settled. Advancing west would grow the United States and its agriculture. Jefferson was least consistent with his belief in slavery before he was elected president. As stated in the Slavery & Race portion of the quotes Jefferson believed in the abolition of domestic slavery for all colonies in 1774. Then, in 1781 he stated that the blacks were inferior to the whites in both body and mind. I believe Jefferson switched his belief in slavery before his presidency because he wanted to try to please everyone but still speak his mind. Jefferson originally indicated that he didn’t believe in slavery, yet, in later years he talked about how African Americans were inadequate and lacked modern traits that white Americans had.
2. Throughout the time Jefferson was president, he constantly tried to lower the national debt. In part 2 of the Jefferson Ideologies paper, it is said that Jefferson responded to the huge amount of debt by cutting down on army expenses, plus, he got rid of previous taxes- such as the whisky tax. Jefferson’s goal throughout his presidency was to lower his country’s debt for their prosperous future. He succeeded in lowering the overall taxes of the US by reducing the resources to the military until the War of 1812, a stronger military was needed to fight the British, and Jefferson was out of office at that point. Jefferson was the least consistent during his presidency with his actions relating to war. He went to war with the Barbary pirates over the enslaving of US crew members. When the pirates tried to take US ships and people, and they demanded payment to stop, Jefferson wouldn’t allow the enslavement of his people, so he went to war. (ironic because he allowed slavery) He then tried to keep the peace by enforcing the Embargo Act in 1807 after the British were taking American ships just like the Barbary pirates. Jefferson had different interactions with war situations and he tried to do the right thing for the US while maintaining good morale throughout the US.
Before he became president (and using the quotes we looked at this week), in which area was he most consistent and why? And in which area was he most inconsistent and why do you think this?
Through Thomas Jefferson’s presidency he remained consistent in his beliefs in a limited central government, an ideal most Democratic-Republicans shared with him. He thought that there should be more power to the states rather than at the federal level. Jefferson was however very inconsistent in how he discussed slavery. Although Jefferson was a slave owner himself in several accounts he writes for the freedom or natural rights of enslaved people. In 1770 regarding the case Samuel Howell vs Wade Netherland he wrote “Under the law of nature all men are born free.” and even goes on to say that “reducing one to servitude is a violation of the law of nature.”
As president from 1801 – 1809 (and using the notes we compiled on his presidency), in which area(s) was he most consistent? Explain why. And in which areas was he most inconsistent and why?
When Thomas Jefferson served as president from 1801 to 1809 in how he believed agriculture should be in the country. Jefferson thought that our country should be argiculutly based and thought that we should avoid industrialization and that Europe can be the nation to be industrialized. He believed that farming was the best way to provide for our country. During his presidency Jefferson faced a huge decision dealing with the Louisiana Territory. Prior to becoming president he, along with other Democratic Republicans, viewed the constitution with a strict interpretation, as opposed to Federalists who had a loose interpretation of the constitution. When dealing with the Louisian Purchase Jefferson felt a need to so quickly complete the deal that in order to justify his actions he switched to hold a loose interpretation of the Constitution. I believe that he did this in order to purchase the Louisiana Territory quickly and without further conflict with the French. If Jefferson had had more time perhaps he would have amended the constitution in order to allow for the purchase more directly.
Before he became president (and using the quotes we looked at this week), in which area was he most consistent and why? And in which area was he most inconsistent and why do you think this?
I believe Jefferson was most inconsistent about his beliefs on Slavery and Race. Jefferson was known for owning slaves and had often condescending views when speaking about African Americans. In a Letter to Marquis de Chastellux in 1785, Jefferson states “I believe the Indian to be in body & mind equal to the whiteman. I have supposed the black man, in his present state, might not be so; but, if equally cultivated for a few generations, he might become so.” (Jefferson 1785). Clearly he did not believe that African Americans were naturally as gifted as their white counterparts but, in other documents and instances you see a completely flipped point of view. In the “Summary View of the Rights of British America,” 1774, Jefferson states “His majesty has rejected laws of the most salutary tendency. The abolition of domestic slavery is the great object of desire in the colonies where is was unhappily introduced…But previous to the enfranchisement of the slaves we have, it is necessary to exclude all further importations from Africa…” (Jefferson 1774). Despite Jefferson being the president when the slave trade was abolished, he still contradicts himself multiple times in this document. Jefferson illustrates that the abolition of slavery is the great object of desire in the colonies, but Jefferson did not abolish slavery during his presidency, and continued to own many enslaved people during his presidency.
On the other hand Jefferson was very consistent in his belief that the United States should be based on agriculture. Jefferson states many times that agriculture should be pursued, for example Jefferson states “Agriculture… is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute to real wealth, good morals & happiness.” (Jefferson 1787). Jefferson also believed agriculture should be the first of 4 pillars for national prosperity.
As president from 1801 – 1809 (and using the notes we compiled on his presidency), in which area(s) was he most consistent? Explain why. And in which areas was he most inconsistent and why?
During Jefferson’s presidency he was rather inconsistent with his interpretation of the Constitution. Before he was elected he believed in interpreting the Constitution in a literal and strict way. Despite this when he became president he became more lenient on the interpretation of the Constitution and this is very obvious when Jefferson goes through with the Louisiana Purchase. Despite it benefitting the US, he did not have the right or power to go through with the decision of doubling the size of the country, and furthered the already astronomical debt of the United States by another $15 million.
Jefferson did stay consistent in his beliefs that America should avoid war. France and Britain were seizing American warships constantly and despite them seemingly challenging America, Jefferson decided not to start a war and instead introduce the Embargo Act. The Embargo Act shut down shipping, and since Jefferson believed France and England relied on American goods he hoped they would stop the seizing of the ships. They in fact did not, and instead started trading with South America. This weakened the American states but it proved that Jefferson would undertake anything to prevent war.
Before he became president (and using the quotes we looked at this week), in which area was he most consistent and why? And in which area was he most inconsistent and why do you think this?
Jefferson was most consistent in his commitment to agrarian beliefs before he became the president. From his early years to his term as the President, his support for agrarianism remained firm .As a man in Virginia, Jefferson had a large plantation, Monticello. His experiences as a planter and farmer contributed to his agrarian ideals, showing the importance of self-sufficient farmers. He thought the virtues of rural life, self-sufficiency, and the independent yeoman farmer was key. He believed that a society like that would protect individual liberties. Even as the Secretary of State and later as Vice President under John Adams, Jefferson remained consistent in his agrarian beliefs. He showed his concerns about the growing power of the federal government and the potential downfall of agrarian values. Jefferson was most inconsistent when it came to his opinion on slavery and enslaved people. Jefferson owned slaves yet he said “ 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”. He constantly contradicts himself. He believed that “all men are created equal” yet he also believed that African Americans were lesser than white Europeans. Jefferson believed that African Americans were basically stupider compared to white Europeans, often framing them as a separate and lesser race. Jefferson said that slavery contributed to this so-called inferiority. He believed the inferiority led to physical and mental differences in slaves. These biased views contributed to racial hierarchy and were used to justify the institution of slavery. As a slaveholder, Jefferson sometimes defended the institution of slavery to protect his personal interests. He did this but then also prevented the expansion of slavery into newly acquired western land .In conclusion, Thomas Jefferson’s inconsistencies in his views on slavery and enslaved individuals reveal the deep contradictions of his time and his personal moral struggle. He publicly defended individual freedom and equality in the Declaration of Independence, yet owned slaves. These contradictions are clear in his failure to fully support the abolition of slavery despite recognizing it’s clearly wrong.
As president from 1801 – 1809 (and using the notes we compiled on his presidency), in which area(s) was he most consistent? Explain why. And in which areas was he most inconsistent and why?
Jefferson was most consistent when it came to his commitment to a limited government and for more power to the states and the people. Throughout his political career, Jefferson stuck to his belief that the federal government should be limited, leaving most of the authority in the hands of the states and the people. He was a strict interpreter of the constitution, “and he believed that he could take no action not explicitly authorized by the constitution” (LaFeber 190). He argued these powers that weren’t explicitly stated in the constitution belong to the states and the people. He was always so consistent in this belief because of the constant fear of risks for individual liberties or tyranny in America. Jefferson also reduced the number of federal workers and he cut unnecessary expenses, adding on to his commitment to weaken the government. Also, Jefferson was a strong advocate for debt reduction. He wanted to limit government spending and reduce the national debt. His caution financially was just another aspect of his impact on limiting the government. His commitment to responsible financial management was not only for maintaining a limited government but also for the economic well-being of the nation. Thomas Jefferson’s time as President had inconsistency in his views on executive power. One example of his inconsistency can be seen in his Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Although the Constitution did not explicitly give him power to buy the new land, he pushed for this purchase and justified it as necessary. His decision made executive power stronger. Also, during his presidency, Jefferson made a naval blockade against Barbary states like Tripoli as part of the Barbary Wars. His use of military force without permission contradicted his earlier belief on limiting military actions.While he remained firm in beliefs like agrarianism and support for individual rights throughout his presidency, his beliefs about executive power were very inconsistent.
Thomas Jefferson was very consistent in his ideologies and beliefs regarding having an agriculture-based economy. This is clear in The Lousiana Purchase: A Dangerous Precedent when the author quotes Jefferson’s Notes on the Statue of Virginia “Those who labour in the earth are the chosen people. …Corruption of [their] morals…is a phenomenon of which no age nor nation has furnished an example.”. This enforces my belief that Jefferson was consistent in that the United States would prosper and stay dependent on agriculture as its main income. He highly respected farmers as people who provided for and fed the country and were the basis of the people’s survival. Jefferson was inconsistent in his beliefs that all men are free. Jefferson stated in his argument in the case Samuel Howell v. Wade Netherland: “Under the law of nature, all men are born free, everyone comes into the world with a right to his own person…”. This reinforces his ideology that no matter what race you are, all men are equal. He contradicts himself later when he writes in the letter to Marquis de Chastellux: “I believe the Indian then to be in body and mind equal to the white man. I have supposed the black man, in his present state, might not be so…”. This is clearly a hypocritical statement when compared to his earlier one. His view was that all men are equal but then all of a sudden black men aren’t but native americans are, when in reality they all are equal.
While Thomas Jefferson was President he was most consistent in his beliefs that the government should be represented by the people. You can see this when Jefferson states in The Declaration of Independence: “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…” He was strong in his belief that the government is representative of the people, by the people, for the people. He kept these same beliefs during his 2 terms and enforced them. Jefferson was most inconsistent during his presidency when it came to his interpretation of the Constitution. He was a strict interpreter and believed that we the people should follow the Constitution exactly how it was written. He contradicted this during The Louisiana Purchase. This is evident in the article The Lousiana Purchase: A Dangerous Precedent when the author writes: “Jefferson’s dilemma in January and February 1803… nothing in the Constitution explicitly permitted the government to annex and govern new territory — let alone a territory so immense that it would transform the nation’s political balance.” Although Jefferson realized this he still bought the territory and by his interpretation of the Constitution was going against the supreme law of the land. Even though what he did was best for the country it still is an inconsistency he had during his presidency.
Before he became president (and using the quotes we looked at this week), in which area was he most consistent and why? And in which area was he most inconsistent and why do you think this?
In my opinion, before Jefferson’s presidency he was most consistent in his interpretation of the constitution. Specifically, Jefferson believed in a strict interpretation of the constitution. His belief even created difficulty and disagreements during the previous president’s terms. One major disagreement was over Alexander Hamilton’s proposition of a national bank. The national bank was created to give America an uniform currency, golf federal deposits, loans, and more. Jefferson believed this bank to be unconstitutional. He believed this because the creation of the national bank was never specifically mentioned in the constitution. Additionally, he believed it would take power away from the states and put it into the central government. This concerned Jefferson, as well as most Democratic-Republicans because they believed that it may lead to a tyrannical government. One area Jefferson was inconsistent in is slavery and racism. Throughout his life, Jefferson recognized the wrongs of slavery. Yet, Jefferson continued to own over 600 enslaved people. Contradictory to his racist views, Jefferson had children with one of his slaves. Her name was Sally Hemmings. Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings had at least six kids together, and only four of them made it to childhood. Their oldest child named Beverly was born in 1798, only a few years before Jefferson’s presidency. His affair with Hemmings even created publicity during his presidency, and was used as anti-Jefferson propaganda.
As president from 1801 – 1809 (and using the notes we compiled on his presidency), in which area(s) was he most consistent? Explain why. And in which areas was he most inconsistent and why?
I believe during his presidency, Jefferson was most consistent in his belief of an agrarian society. One pillar of his agrarian industry is agriculture. Many federalists lived in the New England states–where the main economic system was industry and trade–, whereas many Democratic Republicans lived more down south and thrived off of agriculture. At the beginning of his presidency, he removed the taxes set in place by Alexander Hamilton, including the whiskey tax–notoriously upset a group of Western Pennsylvanians. Jefferson believed that our country should run off of agriculture, instead of industry and trade. A major reason for this belief is because Jefferson thought that farmers worked for their money. Differently, Jefferson believed that the way merchants gained money was not hard or deserved. A point that he was most inconsistent was in regards to the Louisiana Purchase. The Lousisiana purchase was the most popular, and influential thing Jefferson did during his presidency–and deservingly so. The purchasing of the Louisiana Territory doubled the size of the United States of America, Got rid of a foreign body near our borders, and opened the door to countless economic opportunities. Though, what made this purchase so controversial is the way in which he did it. He completely disregarded his important view on a strict interpretation of the constitution. See, the constitution never mentioned any powers given to the president to purchase land–yet, it didn’t say he couldn’t either. Importantly, he completely turned his opinion–also shared by the Democratic-Republican party–for the purchase of new land.
Before Thomas Jefferson became president he was consistent in his agrarian view of the economy. He said, “Those who labor in the Earth are the chosen people of God… (They) are the focus in which god keeps HIS sacred fire alive…” This shows how Jefferson believed that independent farmers were the best part of the economy. He did not trust those who worked in business and moved money around, such as bankers. Jefferson believed that agrarianism was the best future for America. This goes along with his consistent view of wealth. He believed taxes should only be implemented when absolutely necessary, if necessary then the rich should be taxed more than the poor. Jefferson was a defender of the little guy. Jefferson abolished primogeniture laws, “These laws tended to concentrate land in the hands of a few wealthy elites”. He worked to spread out the wealth and consequently move away from monarchism and aristocracy. All primogeniture laws were abolished by 1800. While consistent on many topics, Jefferson showed extreme inconsistency regarding race and slavery. He advocated for freedom of slaves and the abolishment of slavery. For example he argued, “under the law of nature, all men are born free, every one comes into the world with a right to his own person…This is called personal liberty…reducing one to servitude is a violation of the law of nature,” echoing John Locke’s natural rights as well as previewing what would be written in the declaration as this was from a defense in a case in 1770. He also supported the education of slaves. Furthermore Jefferson’s work led to the banning of slavery in future states to the west, this was officially adopted in the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. Even though he did all of this work Jefferson was still racist, he said he believed they were inferior to whites in body and mind. It is interesting that he believed American Indians were equal to white men but stated African Americans and black people were not, at least not yet. Jefferson viewed neutrality as a necessity which was the reason he passed the Embargo Act of 1807. He thought the only way to stay out of the war was to shut down shipping, and therefore neither ships nor sailors were sent out. This loyalty to neutrality was consistent for Jefferson; he also held this idea in high regard before his presidency because of his political beliefs and Washington’s and Adam’s precedent. Jefferson’s American exceptionalism viewpoint was consistent in his presidency and before his election in 1800. With the Embargo Act he thought so highly of America and its trade opportunities that to deny foreign countries American resources would stop all conflicts. American exceptionalism also came into play during the war of 1812 when Jefferson told James Madison, taking Canada would be “a mere matter of marching”. Some decisions Jefferson made during his presidential term were controversial. The Louisiana Purchase, although now known as a great accomplishment contradicted Democratic-Republican ideals he was supposed to be loyal to. For example the Louisiana Purchase went against a strict interpretation of the constitution. Jefferson defended the purchase with a loose construction and with power that the constitution did not truly give him. This large expansion was the opposite of a small central government with limited power. In all, Jefferson was a very contradictory man in his beliefs and actions.
Before he became president (and using the quotes we looked at this week), in which area was he most consistent and why? And in which area was he most inconsistent and why do you think this?
Before Jefferson’s presidency he was the most consistent in his belief of how much power people should hold while considering the power of the constitution. He didn’t want to create a government that had similar ideas of giving too much power to the people like Great Britain. His ideas were shown when he argued that Alexander Hamilton’s idea of creating a national bank was not constitutional. He had the idea that the constitution never had anything written in it that stated that a national bank being created was allowed. He also did believe that a strong central government was needed but as long as it was things allowed under the constitution. The area he was most inconsistent with was his stance on slavery. Jefferson stated from Jeffersonian Ideologies “Under the law of nature, all men are born free, everyone comes into the world with a right to his own person, which includes the liberty of moving and using it at his own will,” also including black men in this statement also stating no one could be taken in as a slave. It’s odd he said that though because Jefferson did own slaves of his own. He also contradicted his own statement by saying in 1781 that blacks were in fact “inferior to whites”.
As president from 1801 – 1809 (and using the notes we compiled on his presidency), in which area(s) was he most consistent? Explain why. And in which areas was he most inconsistent and why?
Jefferson was the most consistent in his beliefs on agriculture. He stated that “those who labor in the earth are the chosen people of God.” and that “Agriculture is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals and happiness.” He kept this consistent making the Louisiana purchase. He planned to use this land to boost the economy. What he stayed inconsistent with was his belief in the constitution. Prior to his presidency Jefferson had a strict view on the constitution as a democratic republican. He believed that when Hamilton wanted to add a national bank that is was not constitutional. The second Jefferson was offered the land of the Louisiana purchase he ignored his beliefs of what he had before loosened up and he went through with his purchase. He also when the federalist requested papers about how the Louisiana purchase was constitutional. He went against the secretary of hamilton and attempted to view the constitution in a more broad way. It is crazy to think about the transition jefferson made because in years past it had seemed so uncharacteristic of him.
Before Thomas Jefferson became president he was most consistent in his idea of a smaller central government. Democratic Republicans like Jefferson believed that too strong of a Federal government could lead to tyranny or monarchy, which Americans wanted to avoid after the Revolution. As mentioned in his letter to James Madison while the Constitutional Convention was being held, he was in favor of the government being organized into three groups so that parts of the government, like the House of Representatives and the President, were elected by the people. He also demonstrated this idea in the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions when he mentioned how the general government could only enforce acts that it was given explicit constitutional power to do so, and any other laws were to be decided by the states.
Jefferson was extremely inconsistent in his opinions on slavery before his presidency. He claimed to be a strong believer in natural born rights and that they applied to every man. He also spoke highly of the abolitionist movement and believed that Natives were completely equal to White men. However, he did not believe in equality between all races, as he stated in “Notes on the State of Virginia” that he viewed Black people as inferior to White people.
During his presidency Thomas Jefferson was consistent in opposing the Federalist party. While he often went back on his own words and even did things that went against common Democratic Republican beliefs, the one thing that his decisions commonly did was upset the Federalists. One of his first acts as president was to get rid of the Alien and Sedition acts, which were established by Federalists against Democratic Republicans. He also wanted to replace the Federalist judges in the Supreme court that Adams had appointed.
One thing Jefferson was inconsistent in was his strict construction of the constitution. The main difference between the two political parties at the time was how they interpreted the constitution because that determined every political decision they made. Jefferson, following typical Democratic Republican ways, acted mostly according to a strict interpretation, where he would only use powers explicitly given to him in the constitution. However, one time he went against that was one of if not the biggest thing he did as president, agreeing to the Louisiana purchase. The constitution did not give the president power to make a deal like this one, and while some attempted to justify it with his ability to sign treaties, it was still not explicitly allowed. Jefferson was following a loose interpretation when he agreed to the Louisiana purchase, going entirely against what he praised was right.
1. Before his presidency, Jefferson was very consistent in protecting the people’s rights. More specifically, white male’s rights. He expressed this with his support for the Bill of Rights, freedom of the press, and disapproval of the national bank. The Bill of Rights was a list of rights that the people had and in making them official, he was making sure the people’s rights were always present within the constitution to protect the people. He, along with Maddison, created the Virginia and Kentucky resolutions to nullify the Alien and Sedition Acts in the states of Virginia and Kentucky. He found the Alien and Sedition Acts unconstitutional and a violation of the people’s rights, so he took action. In 1786, he stated in his Letter to James Currie, “Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost…”His hatred towards the national bank was because of his fear that the central government would become too powerful and ignore the state’s rights which were ultimately representing the people of each state.
The largest inconsistency in Jefferson was his attitude towards slavery. He considered slavery as against natural human rights and also supported the ban on slavery. In 1770, Jefferson acted as a pro bono attorney for enslaved mulatto children’s freedoms, and he stated, “Under the law of nature, all men are born free, everyone comes into the world with rights to his own person…Reducing one to servitude is a violation of the law of nature. He did all this, but yet he continued to own slaves. In 1769, he put up an advertisement for his runaway Mulatto slave, Sandy. The advertisement asked anyone who saw her to return her to him, not staying with his statements at all. If Jefferson truly believed slavery was a violation of human rights, why did he continue owning slaves? If he truly believed that it was a violation, then he should have not owned slaves at all and in doing so, he doesn’t stay consistent with his word, or prove that he supports his words at all.
2. Though Jefferson sometimes didn’t follow Democratic-Republican principles, he stayed consistent in trying to do what he thought was best for his party. For example, the elimination of the Whiskey Act during his presidency was done to support farmers who were suffering from the tax, and these farmers were the main supporters of his party. He also supported the idea of buying the Louisiana Territory, despite it going against his principles. He saw that if he bought the government bought the Louisiana Territory, people on the western frontier, many were Democratic-Republicans, would benefit from the purchase and be able to expand westward. He continued to support the Democratic-Republicans, even if it meant giving up his principles. There were also not many consistencies within his presidency and you could even argue that his largest consistency was his inconsistency.
And branching off of his inconsistency, his largest inconsistency during his presidency was following his own principles. During the process of the Louisiana Purchase, he debated with himself whether or not it was constitutional for the government to purchase the Louisiana Territory. The Constitution never stated whether or not it was constitutional for the government to be able to buy land. He knew that in the past, he furiously argued against Hamilton, who interpreted the constitution more loosely, that strict interpretation and following of the constitution was necessary for the government to be stable. Yet when he saw a huge opportunity such as the Louisiana Territory, he decided that it was better to abandon his principles for the benefit of his country. Jefferson also didn’t get rid of the national bank, another thing Jefferson often argued against. He had always hated the national bank and considered its creation unconstitutional. But when he became president, he decided that it was better to leave the national bank alone. When it came to his principles of peacekeeping, he tried his best but still ended up going to war with the Barbary Pirates in Tripoli, showing that he didn’t keep his principles. Jefferson doesn’t stay consistent with his principles through many parts of his presidency and his following of his principles is his largest inconsistency.
1, I feel like Jefferson was very consistent on the relationship between government & the people. I think he was probably the most consistent with this area before his presidency because he was part of Washington’s cabinet as a secretary of state and knew about how the government worked. Jefferson’s “Summary View of the Rights of British America” from 1774 talks about how the British have no exercise authority over people they don’t understand(Americans) , “Experience confirms the property of those political principles which exempt us from the jurisdiction of the British parliament. The true ground on which we declare these acts void is, that the British parliament has no right to exercise authority over us”. Compared to 10 years later in 1786 for a letter to William Smith about Shays’ Rebellion, when Jefferson is talking about how people who don’t understand how the people they are part of the government should be overthrown if they don’t understand their liberties, “I hold that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and necessary.. The tree of Liberty must be refreshed from time to time… for the sound health of the government…what country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time?” showing that throughout his time before presidency he shared a familiar theme about the government & the people and how he feels that liberties and having your president understand your views and give you jurisdiction is very important. Some other things Jefferson quickly contradicted what he said just during the time before his presidency, especially for the area of the purpose & powers of the government. Jefferson said in 1791 on the powers of the congress, “To take a single step beyond the boundaries thus specifically drawn around the powers of Congress, is to take possession of a boundless field of power”. Compared to just 7 years later speaking on the Virginia and Kentucky resolutions, “the powers not delegated to the United states by the constitution…are reserved to the states respectively.. Each party(state) has an equal right to judge for itself.. The extent of the powers delegated.” I think the reason why Jefferson might have changed his views from being completely against going against the constitution to being a bit more calm about it and letting the states decide whether or not to follow it really depends on how close he is to his presidency. As he gets closer to his presidency he gets less democratic- republican and kinda leans more to the middle of both parties.
2, For the most consistent during Jefferson’s presidency I would say that it was his value about the area of economy and how he felt agriculture was very important. Throughout the time of his presence Jefferson mentioned many times how agriculture was important, “those who labor in the earth are the chosen people…Corruption of (their) morals…is a phenomenon of which no age nor nation has furnished an example” as he wrote in his notes on the state of virginia in 1785. He also thought about this during his time when he thought about purchasing the Louisiana purchase to give Americans more land for agriculture. Where Jefferson was most inconsistent with his presidency was his opinion on powers of the government. Jefferson was a Democratic- Republican who believed in strict interpretation of the constitution. But during his presidency he went directly against this belief and bought the Louisiana purchase and went directly against many unsaid rules in the condition to do so. As Lafeber says in “The Louisiana Purchase: A Dangerous Precedent “Jefferson abandoned strict construction and embraced the Federalist Doctrine of “loose construction” for that was the only way he could justify the annexation of territory.
Before his presidency, Jefferson was most consistent with his ideas about wanting the country to be focused solely on agriculture and providing for the small farmers rather than the businesses. Throughout all his fights with Hamilton while they were in office, one of their most prevalent was over Hamilton’s national bank and debt plans. Jefferson claimed it was unfair to the states that had their debts already paid, such as Virginia, and that it would be taking money away from the small farmers feeding the country. He believed that agriculture would be the nation’s best bet for survival because it would make the country more wealthy than the industry the bank would invest in. He was likely the most inconsistent in his ideals on slavery and racism. As he got older it seems as if he leaned more and more in the favor of racism. In 1770, he was an attorney for lawsuits for freedom and his argument was that all men had an equal right to liberty, which he described as “the right to his own person” (Jefferson 1770). He explained that this right is given to every man by God, and it can’t be broken or interfered with. He goes on to say that it’s a loop that he hopes will be broken, starting with the parent imprinting on the child, then the child learning from the parent and becoming racist, as if there’s nothing that can be done. Then he began to believe, by 1785, that African Americans were actually less than the white man in their default state, but could be enlightened to be as good as a white man over time.
After his presidency, Jefferson was very consistent in his belief for an agrarian nation. He abolished excise taxes right away, including the tax on whiskey, and bought all of Louisiana for the purpose of spreading Westward for farming. However, therein lies one of his greatest inconsistencies which was his belief in a small central government. He wanted to buy the territory but he also knew that the Constitution didn’t explicitly state that he could. He had believed for his entire political career that if the constitution didn’t say it, he couldn’t do it. So him going and buying an entire territory, on his own, without Congress, was a pretty big contradiction of his. This was also quite impulsive to the nature of both him and Napoleon’s spontaneity.
1. Throughout the time before and during his presidency, Jefferson has been proven through many different documents to be inconsistent and to often contradict himself. However, he has usually stayed consistent in his opinion and belief in agrarianism and expansion into the West, supported by his (forceful) purchase of Louisiana and constantly enforcing land expansion. He was always opposed to industrialization and the national bank encouraged by Hamilton, but never got rid of the bank because he thought it was an action that could get the Federalists against him. He also always kept his work ethic, supporting his nation; it was said in fact that he had a daily routine of 10-13 hours a day. As for the ways he contradicted himself, he had many topics, such as his opinion in slavery in which he was against but also owned hundreds. Although he owned hundreds of slaves in his residence, Monticello, he defended some mixed African-Americans in a court case, having no pay for it. A document of him offering a $40 prize for a runaway slave was also found, even though he freed 4 of the 6 children he had with one of his slaves.
2. During his two terms of presidency, Jefferson maintained his beliefs in agriculture and trading to get items from foreign industries. He showed this through how annoyed and mad he was at the British and French for how hard they were to trade with. Because of this and the constant impressment of sailors, America even had to go to war with Britain later, when he could have just developed his own factories and industrial chains in his own country that whole time, as Hamilton was strongly suggesting. As president, Jefferson had all the necessary power needed to put down the National bank created by Hamilton, which he was opposed to, but never put down to avoid conflicts with federalists. As that might seem explainable from a political standpoint, his Act of 1807 prohibiting the importation of slaves goes completely against the fact that he owned more than 600 slaves. Finally, Jefferson was always a strict interpreter of the Constitution, until he had the option of buying Louisiana from France. The Constitution said the president should not have the power of making such big decisions without agreement of other branches. However, after he was faced with this, Jefferson took Napoleon’s offer and started interpreting the Constitution more loosely, and therefore giving himself more powers as President. This sudden switch could be seen as a simple change in opinion, but could also look like a simple way and excuse to justify such a purchase that could be going beyond presidential powers.
Before he became president (and using the quotes we looked at this week), in which area was he most consistent and why? And in which area was he most inconsistent and why do you think this?
Prior to his presidency, Jefferson was most consistent with his stance on the powers of federal government. He believed in a strict interpretation of the constitution, where the federal government only had powers that were specifically listed in the constitution. His belief of limiting power was shown when Alexander Hamilton, then secretary of treasury, created a national bank. Jefferson believed that since the constitution didn’t specifically list this power, the federal government didn’t have the right to do so. This solidifies his belief that the federal government’s power should be limited. Jefferson was also inconsistent in many of his beliefs prior to his presidency, namely his belief on slavery. In a 1770 legal case, Jefferson was quoted saying “All men are born free”, despite hypocritical actions. Jefferson was a prolific slave owner, owning over 600 slaves throughout his life. This is completely different from his ideologies, he kept hundreds of people enslaved under brutal conditions. This shows that Jefferson often was hypocritical between the ideologies he said and the ideologies he practiced in his life.
As president from 1801 – 1809 (and using the notes we compiled on his presidency), in which area(s) was he most consistent? Explain why. And in which areas was he most inconsistent and why?
During his presidency, an ideology that Jefferson stuck to was his idea of an agrarian society. Under British rule, manufacturing was forbidden to Americans. After Americans became independent though, American manufacturing became a viable career for people that would otherwise become farmers. This, coupled with a shortage of new land to farm pushing people into cities, was making America less agrarian. Before and during his presidency, Thomas Jefferson spoke about the need for more farmers. He got his chance in 1803, when the French offered Louisiana for 15 million dollars. Jefferson capitalized on the chance, and doubled the size of the country, doubling the amount of farmland to grow on. This shows consistency with his ideologies as when he had the power, he created opportunity for the lifestyle he thought was necessary for America. Jefferson was inconsistent to his ideologies during his presidency too. This is best shown when he changed his stance on the interpretation of the constitution. Before and early into his presidency, Jefferson was a strict interpreter of the constitution. This was shown in his opposition to Hamilton’s plan of a national bank, where Jefferson argued that the federal government should only have the powers specifically listed in the constitution. However, his ideology switched in 1803 when Louisiana was up for sale. Jefferson then argued that the federal government should be able to read between the lines of the constitution, given that it was in the best interest of America. Jefferson bought the territory, a power that wasn’t listed in the constitution, and despite the purchase dramatically benefiting America, it shows inconsistency with his ideals.
Before Jefferson’s presidency, I believe that his most consistent area was agrarianism. Not once did Jefferson mention his liking of an urban country. On the contrary there are numerous mentions of Jefferson’s favoritism of an agricultural country by the man himself. Jefferson believed that America was destined to be an agrarian civilization, and his reasoning was that God made it so. “Those who labor in the Earth are the chosen people of God” (TJ, Notes on the state of Virginia). Jefferson, even though not a normal Christian, believed that there were ties to the supernatural world and farming. He thought that farming was the morally right thing to do, the greatest producer or real money, and thus the wisest pursuit, as described in his letter to George Washington in 1787. I think Jefferson was like this because he saw the prospect of great amounts of land in America, and thought that this land had a purpose by God and that was farming. Farmers also generally voted for democratic-republicans.
Jefferson was most inconsistent in his view on slavery, as he both promoted and demoted the idea of it. Jefferson of course owned slaves himself and sought to treat them better than other harsh owners, but still at the expense of intense labor for the wealth of his family. Jefferson defended two enslaved mulatto children as an attorney in Virginia. Even though he lost, he advocated for freedom and even referred to the constitution as evidence. “Under the law of nature, all men are born free” was one of his arguments. However, in 1769 he wrote an advertisement granting reward for anybody who could find his slave and return it to him. “Whoever conveys the said slave to me, in Albemarle, shall have 40 S. reward” (Mulatto slave called Sandy). This contradicts his belief in defending freedom for two children that all are created equal, and clearly he cares a lot about getting his slaves back on his plantation. I think Jefferson does this because he knows that slaves are essential to his wealth, but he wants to be viewed as a strict interpreter of the constitution and thus has to go along with its sayings in front of the public.
As president I would say that Jefferson was most consistent in his small central government ideals. He reduced the army, eliminated a number of federal jobs, repealed the whiskey tax among others, and lowered the national debt. He also removed the alien and sedition acts, and never did he reverse these aspects. He did this because in order to keep the liking of his party, he had to go along with their ideals.
He was most inconsistent in his strict interpretation of the constitution, because it completely changed when the Louisiana purchase showed up. I think that his belief in agrarianism set him up for disaster when the option came to be, because in order to expand his agricultural prospects he had to buy this huge chunk of land. But in doing so he would have to abandon his previous principle of strict interpretation of the constitution, which said nothing about buying new land. It was a purely federalist idea that if the constitution doesn’t say you can’t do it, then you can do it sort of thing. And it was one that Jefferson would have to adopt to expand his agricultural and political dominance.
Before he became president (and using the quotes we looked at this week), in which area was he most consistent and why? And in which area was he most inconsistent and why do you think this?
Jefferson, prior to his election, was adamant on siding with his own on many issues (partly because that was an extension of himself), and opposing Hamilton in his interpretation of the Constitution, which he believed restricted the freedom of the people. For example, in his letter to William Smith about Shays’ Rebellion, he referred to a “tree of Liberty” becoming “refreshed”, a construct symbolizing the compelling power citizens hold to change government to reflect the new views of a growing country, an idea he seemed to hold even until his election, when he campaign the freedom of the vote in 1800 (“The nation declared it’ will by dismissing officials of one principle, and electing those of another”). In addition, he wanted the information of American policies to be spread throughout, as was a huge advocate of freedom of the press (“Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press…” (Jefferson, 1786).
On another note, Jefferson was very inconsistent with his views on slavery. In 1770, Jefferson defended two enslaved children by stating that everyone was born free and should retain those freedoms for their entire life. To add to this, in 1774, he wrote to the king in favor of the abolition of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade. But, about seven years later, in 1781 and 1785, his writing displayed his views of white supremacy and his opinions that all people are not equal. Then, in 1784, he goes back again and says that “After the year 1800…there shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude…” (Jefferson 1784), a ban on slavery in the western territories. His views drift back and forth between racist rants and cries for equality. His character here is shown to be that of a hypocrite, campaigning for justice when his own views don’t align with the liberty he preaches about.
As president from 1801 – 1809 (and using the notes we compiled on his presidency), in which area(s) was he most consistent? Explain why. And in which areas was he most inconsistent and why?
Jefferson was for sure most consistent during his presidency on the issue of agrarian society. All of his presidential decisions, whether it was the Louisiana Purchase or the Embargo Act of 1807, attempted to aid farmers (despite some of them not actually working out). He wanted land to appease farmers and grow his ideal agricultural society across the country as population growth became exponential (when surveyed with Madison, “Americans were nearly doubling their population every 25 to 27 years” (LaFeber)). His Embargo Act hurt the U.S. economy more than it helped, but it also was an attempt to make America a world power in terms of exports and benefit crop sales.
Jefferson was least consistent on his views of limited government control while in office. As stated before, he had previously spoken praises on the power of the individual, but during his time in office, he found it increasingly complicated to run a new America without significant changes in the government. According to The Louisiana Purchase: A Dangerous Precedent, he created a treaty in which he could purchase the Louisiana Territory, and rushed through the congressional procedure so quickly that the representatives didn’t even know the extent of their signature and the impact it would have on administration of the newly acquired territory. He allowed himself to be swayed by a man with Hamiltonian ideals, his secretary of treasury, Albert Gallatin (among others).
To summarize, much of the very foundation Jefferson was built on was composed of practices that built a party but tore apart his own credibility in the face of difficult decisions. His lack of method in following his own procedures, the very basic stances that his party stood for, is surprising, but not surprising. It seems that whenever something stood in Jefferson’s way, he remained concerned with going back on his beliefs, but not concerned enough to toss them out in favor of a more Democratic-Republican-centric attitude.
Before he became president (and using the quotes we looked at this week), in which area was the most consistent and why? And in which area was the most inconsistent and why do you think this?
Before Jefferson’s presidency, he had a consistent belief system in Agrarianism, where agriculture had to be the number one priority of America’s economy. This can be shown when Jefferson says, “Those who labor in the Earth are the chosen people of God… are the focus in which God keeps His sacred fire alive…” (Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia, 1783). This quote shows how Jefferson emphasizes that food (produced by farmers) equals life for everybody. Moreover, this also shows his strong belief in the importance of agriculture and land and that it is for the good of the nation and the people. Although, Jefferson showed his conflicting views on slavery time and time again. Jefferson first showed his view on slavery in 1770 when he said, “Under the law of nature, all men are born free,…” (Jefferson’s argument in the case Samuel Howell v. Wade Netherland). In this, he states that all men are born equal, including black men. This is contradicting in itself since Jefferson during the time of this argument, had about one hundred seventy-five enslaved people. Another example is when he says that Indigenous people are equal to whitemen, but black men aren’t? Compared to these two quotes, Jefferson completely switches views on the matter.
As president from 1801 – 1809 (and using the notes we compiled on his presidency), in which area(s) was the most consistent? Explain why. And in which areas was he most inconsistent and why?
During Jefferson’s presidency, he was most consistent in the belief in stopping the impressment of American sailors. An example of this is when he waged a war with the Barbary states from 1801-1805 for harassing U.S. ships. He sent over U.S. warships to the Mediterranean and successfully defeated the Barbary pirates with an on-land and naval battle. On the other hand, Jefferson was the least consistent with his interpretation of the Constitution. Before Jefferson became president he was considered a “strict” interpreter of the Constitution, although when he became president his views shifted. One major example of this is the Louisiana Purchase because the Constitution does not mention anything about the President or Congress being able to purchase foreign land. However, Jefferson went through with purchasing the Louisiana territory proving that any president could bend the constitution in order to fit what they believe is for the good of the country. In Jefferson’s case, he used the territory to have access to New Orleans’s port, along with the intention of doubling the size of the country and having a large amount of farmland. This precedent later spread to future presidential leaders of America.
1. Before Jefferson’s presidency, his views stayed most consistent in his interpretation of the Constitution. This can be seen when he helped write the Virginia and Kentucky resolutions when he says, “the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the states respectively” (Jefferson). in this section of the resolutions, Jefferson explains that any power not specifically stated in the constitution can not be enforced by the federal government. He stayed consistent in his interpretation because it was a core idea of the Democratic-Republicans at the time, and a strict interpretation benefited him when opposing Hamilton’s bank. Where Jefferson was inconsistent, however, were his views on slavery and racism. When talking about the state of Virginia as a whole, Jefferson touches on race, saying, “The blacks, whether originally a distinct race, or made distinct by time and circumstances, are inferior to the whites…” (Jefferson). But three years later, Jefferson proposed a ban on slavery that would be put into effect in the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, “After the year 1800… there shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in any of the said states…” (Jefferson). Also, at the same time he said this, he owned slaves at his house in Monticello, only formally freeing two of them in his entire lifetime. I think he was inconsistent on this topic because the slaves at his house benefitted him but even at that time period, slavery was a controversial topic slowly being phased out across the globe.
2. During Jefferson’s presidency, very few of his views stayed consistent. One idea that he continued to practice throughout his presidency was neutrality in European conflicts. For a majority of Jefferson’s presidency, there was conflict in Europe, namely the British and the French fighting each other. Even though both sides were constantly pestering the United States, Jefferson remained neutral throughout the whole conflict. Instead of fighting, he enacted the Embargo Act, which had adverse effects on the economy but did succeed in keeping the country neutral in the conflict. He was most consistent in staying out of European affairs because Jefferson believed strongly in peace, and although not completely pacifist, he tended to avoid war if possible. Also, Democratic-Republicans didn’t support large standing armies, so the country was likely not equipped for a large-scale war across a large ocean. One thing Jefferson was most inconsistent on during his presidency, despite his staying consistent before he was president, was his interpretation of the Constitution. He went from having a very strict interpretation of the document to almost disregarding it in his decisions. One of the first things Jefferson did as president was keep Hamilton’s national bank in place despite the creation of a national bank not being supported by the Constitution and opposing it for years. Also, when presented with the Louisiana Purchase, he decided to buy it, even though nothing in the constitution said that the government could purchase land. Jefferson even admitted that the purchase was likely unconstitutional by considering adding an amendment to the Constitution. He was inconsistent with his interpretation because the purchase of the Louisiana territory would help create his idea of America which was a perfect agrarian society. Also, it would make him and his political party more popular.
Before he became president (and using the quotes we looked at this week), in which area was he most consistent and why? And in which area was he most inconsistent and why do you think this?
The principle that Thomas Jefferson was most consistent with before his presidency was his belief that agriculture should be the economic pillar of the United States. In Jefferson’s Ideologies he states,“I think our government will remain virtuous for many centuries; as long as they remain chiefly agricultural,”(Jefferson’s Ideologies). He is most consistent in this because agriculture is where his roots are. Jefferson was born in Virginia, a largely agricultural state. The south, where Jefferson was from, mainly relied on agriculture to keep their economy growing. Jefferson’s party, the democratic-republicans, was also mainly from the south and also believed that agriculture was the economic staple for the United States. All of this combined was why Jefferson was consistent in his belief of agriculture supremacy. Thomas Jefferson was very inconsistent in his views on race and slavery. In 1770, he wrote, “Reducing one to servitude is a violation of the laws of nature,” (Jefferson’s Ideologies). However, in 1785, he wrote, “I believe the Indian then to be in body and mind equal to the whiteman. I have supposed the black man, in his present state, might not be so,”(Letter to Marquis de Chastelleux). In the first statement Jefferson is adamantly against slavery, believing it to be unnatural for humans to be on different levels. In the second statement he is contradicting that, believing that African-Americans are on a lower level than Native Americans and whites, and it was natural for it to be like that, which is the complete opposite of what he previously believed.
As president from 1801 – 1809 (and using the notes we compiled on his presidency), in which area(s) was he most consistent? Explain why. And in which areas was he most inconsistent and why?
The area that Jefferson was most consistent in during his presidency was him doing anything to not go to war. In the Chapter 7 notes it says, “His belief was that the only way to stay out of war was to shut down shipping.” (notes). Jefferson stuck to his belief of neutrality because both the French, who he usually supported, and the British, who he was usually against, were attacking American ships. Instead of attacking the countries, we responded economically, in typical Jefferson fashion. The Trade Embargo of 1807 shut down trade with the world, in hopes that the European countries would realize their need for American goods and stop attacking. Jefferson was most inconsistent in his interpretation of the Constitution. According to Chapter 7 notes, “Jefferson finally decided to go through with the deal anyway, even though nothing in the Constitution talked about land purchases,” (notes). During the beginning of his presidency Jefferson was a strict interpreter of the Constitution, believing that the central government could only do what was specifically outlined in the Constitution. However, when the chance arose to double the nation’s territory, even though there was nothing about it in the Constitution, he bought it. He did this because much of the territory in the west would be used for agriculture. Due to the fact that most of the agricultural population voted democratic-republican it would increase his party size.
Prior to taking office, Jefferson’s views on a number of issues, including slavery, changed. “Reducing one to servitude is a violation of the law of nature,” he declared in 1770, leading the fight for the freedom of two children who were held as slaves. He also said in 1785 that although black slaves were not equal to white people now, they might be in the future. These were progressive beliefs at the time he possessed slaves. He also had conflicting views on accepting and offering bribes. A year later, when discussing battles with barbary pirates, he stated, “I prefer obtaining peace by war than by tribute payment (bribe),” in contrast to his remarks in 1791 that stated, “… conduct toward them is to bribe them into peace, and to retain the peace by eternal bribes.”
Before becoming president, he remained firm in his pursuit of equal education. In 1779, he put out a three part plan that would greatly expand access to education and include education for girls. In 1788, he expressed his unwavering support for this cause by declaring, “Above all things, I hope the education of the common people will be attended to.” Upon assuming the presidency, Jefferson’s beliefs saw major changes. His dislike for banks, expressed in the statement “I sincerely believe that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies,” is one example. Another one is “It is my belief that the United States has not been granted the authority to incorporate a bank or the powers enumerated in this bill by the Constitution.”
However, he kept the National (Hamilton’s) Bank after taking office. The final quote here illustrates his shift from a literal and strict interpretation of the constitution prior to becoming president to a more lenient one that relied on the hidden powers of the text to support the Louisiana Purchase. Another indication of his evolving opinions is the fact that, probably influenced by George Washington’s examples, he went from being a strong supporter of France prior to becoming president to making every effort to maintain neutral foreign policy.
Throughout his whole political career, Jefferson also kept to a few core principles.
In a letter to James Madison during the constitutional convention, for instance, he discussed the value of agriculture and how it would exceed cities, stating that “large cities, as in Europe, will become corrupt as in Europe.” It is known that this idea stuck with him because he later supported the purchase of Louisiana. Jefferson also refused to change his dislike of standing armies, believing that “they are instruments so dangerous to the rights of the nation” because of their power and tendency for corruption. As a result, the US was clearly unprepared for the War of 1812.
Before he became president (and using the quotes we looked at this week), in which area was he most consistent and why? And in which area was he most inconsistent and why do you think this?
Thomas Jefferson before he was president was more consistent than him as president. For example, when he was secretary of state he had a strict constitutional view in line with Jeffersonian as to not let any presidents abuse the power of the constitution with interpretations. Secretary of State Jefferson said “What is practicable must often control what is a pure theory”, and “To consider the “to provide for the general welfare” as separate from describing the purpose of the power “to lay taxes” – and as giving an independent power to congress to do anything it pleases which might be good of the country – would render the Constitution” enumerations of powers useless. in opposition to Hamilton who wanted to add a bank and roll out his economic plan. In addition, he supported the French Revolution which coincides with his view that he likes Revolutions as shown by him on the revolutions occurring in France and Holland, in 1895 “This ball of liberty, I believe most piously, is now so well in motion that it will roll round the globe, at least the enlightened part of it, for light & liberty go together”
As president from 1801 – 1809 (and using the notes we compiled on his presidency), in which area(s) was he most consistent? Explain why. And in which areas was he most inconsistent and why?
Jeffersonian as President was inconsistent with his Jeffersonian. A few Jeffersonian principles were self-sufficiency and self-governance. This coincides with his view for an agrarian society based on cultivating your own food, and his belief in small government as demonstrated in Jefferson on the powers of Congress, 1791” To take a single step beyond the boundaries thus specifically drawn around the power of Congress, is to take possession of boundless field of power”. In 1791 he was a strict interpreter of the Constitution and believed that violating it would give excess power to the government. This aligns with Jeffersonian and the view that a government should have limited powers. He contradicted this in the Louisiana Purchase when there was no provision for adding a foreign land, and he turned the Constitution into a tool for expansion without adding an amendment which in turn set a dangerous precedent for future presidents. He acknowledged this “ to his close friend, Senator John Breckinridge of Kentucky, that in agreeing to the purchase he had gone far beyond what the constitution permitted.”(LaFeber) He followed his belief that America should be an agrarian-based society by purchasing the Louisiana territory by adding more land for farmers to cultivate crops. Another example of him being inconsistent with Jeffersonian values would be his response to the Haitian Revolution. Some Jeffersonian value about foreign policy is passiveness as shown in Jefferson’s recommendations on Indian Wars as Secretary of State, 1791 “ The most economical as well as most humane conduct toward them is to bribe them into peace, and to retain them in peace by eternal bribes.” This is contraindicated when the Barbarian pirates asked for a higher bribe and he went to war with them instead of paying it, but this does fit his belief in the navy. As shown on Jefferson on Standing Armies,1789 “There are instruments so dangerous to the rights of the nation…Such an instrument is a standing army…Standing armies [are] inconsistent with [a people’s freedom… A naval force can never endanger our liberties, nor occasion bloodshed; a land force would do both…” A final contradiction I noticed is his response to the Haitian Revolution. Jefferson generally likes Revolutions and that all of him should be free these are shown to him in the revolutions occurring in France and Holland, in 1895 “This ball of liberty, I believe most piously, is now so well in motion that it will roll round the globe, at least the enlightened part of it, for light & liberty go together”, and his defense of enslaved mulatto children “Under the law of nature, all men are born free, everyone comes into the world with a right to his own person, which includes the liberty of moving and using it at his own will.” These quotes demonstrate he believed that slaves should be free and that he liked revolutions but in his response to the righteous Haitian Revolution where slaves revolted against slave owner, he cut off aid to L’Ouverture previously sent by Adams, and attempted to isolate them through trade, and refused to recognize their independence. This isn’t in his views that revolutions were good and that all people should be free. In conclusion he was consistent in agrarianism through out his presidency and before it, and the belief about a strong navy but inconsistent with his beliefs about the freedom of people and the power the constitution holds, and response to outside threats before and during the presidency.
Before he became president (and using the quotes we looked at this week), in which area was he most consistent and why? And in which area was he most inconsistent and why do you think this?
Before Jefferson became president, he had many views and opinions on American life and the future of America not only politically, but economically and socially. Before becoming the president, Jefferson was consistent in his belief that the American economy should be based on agriculture. He believed in a way of being self-sufficient as a farmer as seen in the book in chapters 6-7. This belief that farmers should produce enough to provide for their family and have enough left over to make a decent profit to have extra money was what Jefferson viewed as the ideal and “patriotic” life. This idea of a sufficient life would play a major role in whether or not the U.S. would accept the proposal for the Louisiana purchase, as he saw this as a way to expand and create more land for the more agronomically dominated future for the U.S. that Jefferson wanted and tried to create. He was less consistent in his belief of slavery and how African American people should be looked out. While he was an advocate of freedom of slaves as we learned in the handout, he was also at the time a slave owner and he was a very racist person even for the normality of racism at the time. For example, he said that Africans were less and inferior, to the superior white man of the time. This was a very strange contradiction as he often tried as much as he could to not include slavery directly in the constitution as to not make slavery permanent in the country.
As president from 1801 – 1809 (and using the notes we compiled on his presidency), in which area(s) was he most consistent? Explain why. And in which areas was he most inconsistent and why?
During Jefferson’s presidency in 1801-1809, he was very consistent in his belief of peace and only used war as a last resort or when it was truly necessary. One example of this pacifist approach was the Barbary pirates. At first Jefferson sent a tribute to the pirates in return for the captured soldiers and vessels. This showed how war was not the first option of Jefferson. However, when the pirates demanded more than the original ransom, Jefferson sent the American navy to deal with them on the shores of the Barbary states in north-western Africa. Jefferson, while consistent in this belief during his presidency, was not as solid on his view of the constitution and its intended power it gave the government. While he, as we learn in the handout, had a very strict and confined interpretation of the constitution, when the Louisiana purchase was proposed he changed his view. Going from his former strict view, he changed to a more loose view since it was not technically stated that the government could or couldn’t buy foreign land. He did this as he said “for the common interest of the country”. This showed how he was very inconsistent with his personal or moral beliefs when deciding major decisions that could potentially change the future of the Americas.
Before he became president, a belief that Jefferson firmly stood by was that agriculture was needed in order to maintain a stable economy/society. Jefferson, a former plantation owner, saw good values in agrarianism. He believed it was the way people were born to live, and led to true happiness and prosperity. “Agriculture… is our wisest pursuit, as because it will in the end contribute most to the real wealth, good morals, and happiness” (Letter to George Washington, 1787). His idea provided the thought that if small American farmers were able to grow themselves into large plantation owners, our economy could rely more on agriculture, and less on European goods. “The loss by the transportation of commodities across the Atlantic will be made up in happiness and permanence of government” (Notes on the State of Virginia, 1783, The State of Manufacturers, Commerce and Trade).
Despite his firm agrarian beliefs, Jefferson was notorious for his inconsistency. One of his many contradictory ideas were his thoughts on slavery. As mentioned, Jefferson was a plantation owner, and advocated for a rise in plantations all across America. Being that plantations were a slave-based operation, you’d think Jefferson was a strong advocate of slavery, however, he was the opposite. “Reducing one to servitude is a violation of the law of nature…” (Thomas Jefferson, 1770). Jefferson went as far as to propose the idea of banning slavery in western territories. These beliefs were used in the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, which banned slavery in Northwest territories. Despite being openly against slavery, Jefferson was still extremely racist, and was very open about these beliefs as well. His racism was exclusive to African Americans only, as he believed Native Americans to be “in body and mind equal to the whiteman,” however proceeds to state that “the black man, in his present state, might not be so…”
During his presidency, Jefferson stayed committed to his agrarian beliefs. This can be seen most in the 1803 Louisiana Purchase. Jefferson was eager to continue expanding the United States to acquire more farmland. In fact, one of the reasons Jefferson so eagerly went through with the Louisiana Purchase was because of the vast amounts of farmland in the Louisiana Territory. Jefferson’s extremely strong and consistent beliefs are actually what led to one of the biggest inconsistencies in his presidency. Jefferson was in such a rush to complete the Louisiana Purchase, that he completely ignored an extremely important Democratic-Republican aspect: the strict interpretation of the Constitution. Nowhere did the Constitution state that a president could purchase foreign land. Jefferson, eager to acquire more farmland and eliminate Europeans from US borders, decided to completely ignore the Constitution, and abandon his party’s ideals, which led to extreme criticisms from the Federalists.