REVISED: The Presidency of Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson wished to be remembered for three achievements in his public life. He had served as governor of Virginia, as U.S. minister to France, as secretary of state under George Washington, as vice-president in the administration of John Adams, and as president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He thoroughly accomplished every one of his desired achievements, but the feat he is best known for is, the third president of the United States. The Election of Thomas Jefferson also known as the Revolution of 1800 was a major during point for the United States government through the foreign affair policies and domestic actions such as, the purchase of the Louisiana Territories, the “war” with the Barbary States, and the handling with the war between Britain and France.

The chief foreign affair that Thomas Jefferson is known for is his purchase of the Louisiana Territories. During the French’s brief war with Britain, the commander at the time, Napoleon needed extra funds. Napoleon’s final resolution was to sell his last remaining American territory to the United States for a price of 15 million dollars, later known as the Louisiana Purchase. This not only showed Jefferson’s loyalty to his country but his obvious economic prowess. Jefferson was able to negotiate a deal with a former enemy, during the reign of President Adams and in the long run double the size of the United States of America. This had to be Jefferson’s crowing achievement as President, because it not only doubled the size of his country, but its economic stability as well.

With the first term of President Thomas Jefferson coming to a close, the stage was set for a subtle period of normality. Before this period could begin, struck in North Africa relatively close to the costal nations known as the Barbary States. American ships were being seized, and with American having no physical army to speak of, war seemed inevitable. Jefferson thusly enacted a tribute to the Barbary States, protecting American ships for the time being. Only a few years later did the American ships defeat the Barbary pirates in 1815. This depicts Jefferson’s poor time management skills, pressured to make a decision in a small amount of time Jefferson “cracked under pressure”. If Jefferson had taken a little longer to contemplate his decision, the American ships could have defeated the Barbary pirates without little interference with the American government. Where as with the government involved, Jefferson paid a “small” tribute which in due time could have crippled the American economy.

With that one disturbance out of the way, Britain and France were left alone to squabble. Near the end of Jefferson’s second term, tensions had worsened between two great powers, Britain and France, which threatened to interrupt American trading. Through the time period of 1805 and 1810, Britain, France, and the United States, lead on a furious political debate. The debate manifested itself into a series of acts and decrees, each based on trading. Jefferson’s small nation faired well against Britain and France, showing off yet again, Jefferson’s persistence for his country. Persistence is fine, but if it is not backed up with knowledge, it is useless. With such acts as the Embargo Act, trade was not allowed by any foreign country, crippling America’s infrastructure. Many acts such as the Non Act of 1806 did nothing to influence the British government in times of peril. Later during the presidency of John Madison, the Macon’s Bill Number two replaced the Non Act, which opened trade back to all foreign powers including Britain and France.

Thomas Jefferson’s biggest domestic accomplishment can all be credited to one man, John Marshall. When John Jay, resigned as Supreme Curt Justice due to…. not doing anything, Jefferson appointed his distant cousin John Marshall, a Federalist. Hostilities between having a President and Supreme Court Justice of opposite political parties was evident, a lot was accomplished under the management of John Marshall. Most of John Marshall’s court decisions were Federalist based, strangely enough, all were accepted by Thomas Jefferson. Now that the federal government was the “law of the land”, states were forced to subject to its superiority. Such cases/decisions by the Marshall Court as Marbury vs. Madison (1803) established the idea of judicial review, which had the right to review all laws set by the federal government. Other cases, such as Fletcher vs. Peck and McCullough vs. Maryland addressed the of the federal government over the states. This depicted the readiness Jefferson had for the federal government to reign over the Americas.

Overall the presidency of Thomas Jefferson was destined to fail, but was able to stand its ground. With power being handed down peacefully to one political party to the next, Jefferson was the experiment for a new nation. Jefferson did accomplish a lot as President of the United States, including doubling his nation’s size (which increased the country’s patriotism), standing his ground between the heated words of Britain and France, and “saving” his country from an unnecessary war. These high points were soon accompanied by Jefferson’s failures, a lack of economic understanding and rushed laws. In addition to several ordeals following his presidency such as fathering the illegitimate children of a slave, President Thomas Jefferson served one interesting but great term in office.