Thomas Jefferson: The Legacy of a True Renaissance Man

Thomas Jefferson is a name that undoubtedly rings bells through American history. From having been the author of the Declaration of Independence and the 3^rd President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson's accomplishments are innumerable. He was a political philosopher that could envision several solutions to a problem almost as fast as it appeared. Although Jefferson was one of the few men to reach the pinnacle of leadership in America, his life was also plagued by many obstacles that had to be overcome with unwanted stares from others. The Founding Father was a true renaissance man in his time and fulfilled the American Dream to its fullest extent.

Thomas Jefferson was born in Shadwell, Virginia on April 13^th, 1743 as one of eight children. His mother was Jane Randolph, and his father was Peter Jefferson. Thomas was born into a fortunate and wealthy family. At only the age of 2, he and his family moved to Tuckahoe following the death of a family friend. He began school at the
age of 9 and was educated in several languages, including French, Greek, and Latin. Upon turning 14, Jefferson's father passed away, and the young boy was left with a plethora of land as well as slaves to go with it. Three years later, Jefferson enrolled at the College of William & Mary, where he furthered his studied in mathematics, philosophy, and metaphysics. Jefferson was also introduced to British writers such as Isaac Newton, Francis Bacon, and John Locke, whom he would quickly come to idolize. He also read from writers such as Homer and was said to study up to fifteen hours a day. After college, Jefferson became a prominent lawyer in Virginia, but events such as the death and moving away of his siblings continually dragged him down.

Putting an end to his solitude, Jefferson married Martha Wayles Skelton in 1772. The couple had six children and lived in the house referred to as Monticello, which Jefferson had built on the land his father had left him. Only ten years after their being Wed though, Skelton passed away unexpectedly at the age of 33. It was after this event that most believe Jefferson made public his extensive relationship with a slave of his named Sally Hemings. Hemings was only one of the 200 slaves Jefferson owned. Evidence shows that Hemings was actually the half-sister of Skelton. Jefferson and Hemings also had six children together, but only four survived. It would turn out that this "affair" would put somewhat of a damper on Jefferson's future political career. As Thomas Jefferson plunged into government affairs of the still American colonies, his radicalism and views government left many in awe. His first published work, A Summary View of the Rights of British America, was made to oppose the Intolerable Acts that had been passed in America following the Boston Tea Party. As Jefferson described the natural right of people to govern themselves, many listened and silently agreed. However, some, including the First Continental Congress, saw these views as too far-reaching and pocketed them. Following this up, Jefferson served on the Second Continental Congress and helped to draw up a "resolution of independence" that soon came to be known as the Constitution of the United States. A vote was taken by Congress on the resolution on July 2^nd, 1776 and two days later it was passed. Even as Jefferson stole the spotlight with his forthright and headstrong words, it would turn out that the Constitution would not be the only crowing achievement of his political career.

Following a short stint as legislator of Virginia, Jefferson became Governor in 1779. Jefferson advocated the opening of the University of Virginia and in 1780 he officially changed the capital of Virginia from Williamsburg to Richmond during his term. The following year, when the British attacked Virginia, Jefferson failed to be re-elected as Governor. After becoming a minister to France, Jefferson upped the ante when he was selected as the first ever Secretary of State by President George Washington. Opposing the Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, America saw a political division occur in which some citizens favored Jefferson's views and others favored Hamilton's. The root of the scuffle came from arguments between the two over how war debts should be paid. Federalists, also known as Hamiltonians, believed that debts should be equally shared in the governments, a view well known to Hamiltonians which supported a strong, central government. Anti-federalists, or Jeffersonians, believed each state should pay its own debts, reflective of their "more power to the individual states, less big government" ideals. If this was not enough, when Hamilton wanted to create a Bank of the United States in 1791, he was again opposed by Jefferson, who favored a strict construction of the Constitution rather than Hamilton's loose construction. Jefferson looked for order in this, hating the idea that whatever had been left out of the Constitution were rights automatically given to the people. Tensions between the two continued to flare until Jefferson retired as Secretary of State in 1793.

When Jefferson re-appeared on the primetime political stage, it was as the Democratic-Republican candidate for presidency in 1796. Although Jefferson would lose to John Adams, the structure of the government at the time allowed him to take up Vice Presidency. At odds with Adams, who was a Federalist, Jefferson teamed up with long time friend James Madison to protest things such as the Alien and Sedition Acts and promote the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions. These resolutions followed the states rights and strict construction Jefferson continuously bound himself too. However, the idea created by Jefferson that states could void any laws made by the government would later tear the nation apart in the Civil War.

In 1800, Jefferson again tried his luck at presidency running with Aaron Burr against Adams. Jefferson and Burr won the election but garnered the same amount of votes in the poorly formed electoral college. After lengthy discussions in the House of Representatives and a push for Jefferson by Hamilton, Jefferson became the 3^rd President of the United States. Burr was at first his Vice President, but because of a duel in which he killed Hamilton and ill-feelings between him and Jefferson, he was replaced by George Clinton in 1805. As a president, Jefferson lifted federal taxes as well as the Alien and Sedition Acts. Jefferson also repealed the Judiciary Act which would play a key role in the famous court case Marbury v. Madison in 1803. In that same year, Jefferson made the famous Louisiana Purchase from Napoleon Bonaparte, gaining about 23% of what is the current United States. Many approved of this move by Jefferson, which had only set the US back $15 million. However, Jefferson was seen by some as hypocritical because the constitutionality of the purchase was in doubt and Jefferson looked looser than strict. As time progressed disagreement over the purchase died down, and the land bought would later become 14 US states as well as minute parts of Canada. A year after the purchase, Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark out to explore the land in the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Jefferson was re-elected as president in 1804, but his second term would not be as colorful as the first. Undoubtedly the quieter of the terms, the only noise from Jefferson came from the infamous Embargo Act of 1807, which prohibited trade between the US and other nations. The act looked to weaken other nations, namely England, but in fact hurt the US more than anyone. The act was repealed in 1808 and Jefferson's popularity took a major blow. The Embargo Act had originally been made to prevent US intervention the Napoleonic Wars, but it would actually set the stage for the upcoming War of 1812.

When Jefferson finally stepped down as president in 1809 following two terms, he looked toward bettering institutions for high learning as his friend James Madison succeeded him. In 1819, the University of Virginia, which Jefferson had been advocating and planning for years before its creation, was finally founded and opened in 1825. Jefferson allowed students and teachers of the college to freely visit his home at Monticello. Jefferson's masterpiece was constructed around a central library and had no draw-ups of a cathedral because of its religious tolerance. A year later, on July 4^th, 1826, after an eventful life covered with achievements and prestige, Thomas Jefferson passed away in Charlottesville, Virginia at the age of 83. It was only fit that the writer of the Declaration of Independence would pass away on its 50^th anniversary.

Thomas Jefferson was a man who went through it all in his 83 year life. He was born rich and upper class but still had to climb the ranks of politics to prove himself. At only the age of 32, Jefferson wrote a powerful document that would decree the rise of a new nation on the map, the Declaration of Independence. If this were not enough, Jefferson made his way from a governor, to a vice-president, and soon to president in the United States. His actions were bold and forthright, and there was no problem he shied away from. Although he took heat for some of the decisions he made, Jefferson never doubted his abilities and always put the nation he loved first. Even in death Jefferson demonstrated why he earned the name "Man of the People", leaving Monticello to the United States in his will so that it could be used as a school for orphans of navy officers. Thomas Jefferson is indisputably one of the greatest men that the world has ever seen.

Works Cited

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