Biography of Thomas Jefferson in English with translation. Biography. Later political career

The process of formation of Jefferson's views was influenced not only by important historical events, but also by individual moments of his biography. Accumulating life experience, the thinker gradually changed his ideas, and the impact of the environment and specific situations left its mark in the formation of views. During his long life, Thomas Jefferson played one of the first roles in the process of isolation and development of the United States. He contributed to the formation of the country's independence and laying the foundations of a democratic state. Jefferson is a highly respected person and is considered one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.

The future liberator was born on April 13, 1743 in the small settlement of Shadwell, located in the state of Virginia. From the moment of his birth, the boy was destined for a carefree future: he was lucky to be born into a prosperous and influential family. Thomas' father, Peter Jefferson, was a European-born planter. Later, Thomas was looking for any documents that testified to the roots of his family, but could not find data regarding ancestors who lived before his grandfather. The only thing known for sure was his Welsh origin.

Thomas Jefferson's mother's name was Jane Reindolph. She belonged to one of the wealthiest families in Virginia. There is almost no information about her life, since Jefferson himself destroyed almost all the data associated with her after her death.

At the age of three, Thomas and his family moved to a new estate. During the journey, he showed an enviable interest in everything that they met along the way. Many believe that in those days, Jefferson acquired his curiosity, which in the future motivated him for an active and successful political career, and also surprised his mentors. Pechatnov V. O. Hamilton and Jefferson. - M., 1984. - S. 86. As a five-year-old child, Thomas began training. The first teacher gave knowledge of arithmetic and English. The boy immediately showed an interest in science and was much more capable than his peers. His father showed great interest in getting his son a quality education. At one time, he did not take the opportunity to do it himself and therefore tried to give it to children. Sevostyanov G.N., Utkin A.I. Thomas Jefferson. - M., 1976. - S. 11. Peter believed that due to some lack of education, he could not achieve everything he aspired to, although he constantly sought to catch up. Evidence of this can serve as a huge library, collected by his father.

After learning the basics, Thomas Jefferson returns to Shadwell Manor in 1752, where he remains in the care of Pastor William Douglas at his private school. There he studied horsemanship and shooting, as well as various scientific disciplines, such as Latin, French and ancient Greek. His curiosity and passion for the unknown immediately manifested itself. Although Thomas excelled in the business of the rider and was a marksman, these spheres did not appeal to him. He gravitated towards the sciences related to nature. Therefore, he spent most of his free time in the library, reading books and thinking.

In 1757, an event occurred that left an indelible mark on the Life of Jefferson. At the age of 49, his father dies. In him, Thomas lost his most important mentor and person to trust. Young Jefferson was very worried about this and even in his old age recalled this event. With the death of his father, huge estates with dozens of slaves passed to Thomas. He faced a choice: either continue his studies and follow the will of his father and other family members, or go into economic activity. Since the desire of Thomas himself coincided with the desire of his relatives and the dying will of his father, Jefferson devoted himself completely to science. Later, his friends recalled that he studied so hard that sometimes he did not see his peers for a long time, disappearing in the library. Sevostyanov G.N., Utkin A.I. Thomas Jefferson. - M., 1976. - P.15. At the same time, he did not forget about the physical condition. Every day, Thomas took walks and did developmental exercises. Until the age of 76, he hardened the body by lowering his legs into cold water and claimed that this saved him from many diseases. Thanks to this lifestyle, Jefferson was always full of energy and had a strong physique. He criticized such a feature of people as idleness, reinforcing his convictions with deeds, always doing something. Ibid, p. eighteen.

During the years of study, Jefferson read and fell in love with the famous works of ancient Greek authors and his contemporaries, which later influenced the formation of democratic ideas and philanthropy. Thomas Jefferson This time can be called decisive in terms of shaping the worldviews of the future president. He was imbued with the views of Bacon, Locke and Newton. The ideas of the natural equality of people aroused hostility to the existing order and the dominant ideologies.

Meanwhile, having completed his studies with the pastor, Jefferson entered the school of the priest James Morey in 1758, where he received a classical education. After studying there for two years, Thomas enters the College of William and Mary. There, having chosen the philosophical department, he got acquainted with the works of the above-mentioned thinkers. He called them "the three greatest men who ever lived in history." In addition to general scientific disciplines, Thomas began to study the violin. Subsequently, he performed at the evenings of the governor of Virginia. Jefferson College graduated in 1762 with top marks in all subjects.

By the end of the learning process, Jefferson could already be considered one of the most educated and promising personalities. He could easily be attributed to the enlightened circles of society. In 1763, Thomas made his way to the bar at the highest court in Virginia, which allowed him to put his knowledge of jurisprudence into practice. But, being a prudent person, he did not immediately begin to do this, but instead decided to gain experience in this area. Therefore, with the help of connections, he gets a job in a law office, where, under the supervision of his friend Henry White, he begins to delve into the business of advocacy.

Separately, it is worth mentioning his mentor White, since Jefferson will go along with him in his political career, not shying away from his advice even after many years. Although Henry was the opposite of Thomas, they were always very close. White was distinguished by an extremely quick-tempered character and an eccentric demeanor, although he did not have enough "charge" for a long time. In turn, Jefferson was reserved and easily found a common language with others.

Having learned a lot from his mentor, Jefferson himself took a leading role in advocacy. By carefully analyzing court cases of past years, he gained valuable experience. Already in one of his first speeches in court, he began to indicate his beliefs on the issues of the black population of America. It was the case concerning the Negroes that was the first case won. This event took place in 1767. Jefferson T. Autobiography / transl. from English. V. M. Bolshakov. - Leningrad: Nauka, 1990. - S. 22. Continuing his activities in the judicial field, he increasingly saw the problems facing Virginia. The difference between the English colonies and the conquering country itself became obvious to him. At the age of 26, he was appointed to the Virginia Legislature. There, without much hesitation, he supported the interests of people who disagreed with the rule of England over North America.

The next important milestone in the life of Thomas Jefferson was the marriage to the 23-year-old girl Martha Wayles Skelton in 1772. At her young age, she was already a widow. True, their marriage did not last long. Martha died in 1782. Thomas Jefferson Thomas never married again in his life. For 10 years of marriage, Jefferson and Martha Skelton had six children, of which three did not cross the threshold of the age of five, and one boy died at birth.

However, a not particularly successful personal life did not cool the ardor of the young politician. The first work published in the press was the book "A General Survey of Human Rights in British America". It proclaimed the equality of the inhabitants of America to the inhabitants of England on the basis of the natural equality of all before all. It also contained the idea of ​​separating the American colonies from the European rulers. This work became one of the foundations on which the subsequent liberation movement relied.

But the most significant contribution to the fight against the colonialists was his most famous work, which is still one of the foundations of American democracy - the Declaration of Independence. The heavy burden of writing a model for the structure of the future state was placed on Jefferson's shoulders. He coped with this work in a very short time, submitting his version for consideration by Congress. Nevertheless, some points were removed from the original version, namely those relating to slavery. But, having undergone minor changes, the declaration was adopted.

Having completed all matters relating to the new structure of America, Jefferson returned to his native state - Virginia. But even there he did not sit idle. In 1776 he was elected to a new government body - the Virginia House of Delegates. With perseverance and dedication inherent in his character, he immediately began work in a new post. During his tenure, he drafted 126 bills. Thomas Jefferson. Biography [Electronic resource] / For the most part, they dealt with the problems of slavery and inequality and proposed to strengthen the democratic foundations of the state.

For his dedication and faithful service to the cause of the state's prosperity, Jefferson fell in love with its population. As a result, in 1779 Thomas was elected as its governor. During the administration of Virginia, Jefferson managed to carry out several minor reforms, but did not achieve much success. Service at such a high government post did not last long. Due to the turbulent times and the low rate of fulfillment of election promises, the authority of the governor fell among the residents. Therefore, back in 1781, Jefferson refuses a high post and resigns.

The next important public position was the appointment as ambassador to France in 1785. The new state needed strong allies. To develop relations with friendly France, a person experienced in politics was needed. Jefferson was an excellent candidate. He held this position until 1789. Due in part to his absence from the United States during the drafting and adoption of the US Constitution, Jefferson's contributions to this key document are often underestimated. In fact, the ideas of the thinker are reflected in the constitution. Even while abroad, he was in active correspondence with James Madison, the drafter of the constitution. Jefferson T. Autobiography / transl. from English. V. M. Bolshakov. - Leningrad: Nauka, 1990. - S. 52.

In 1789 Jefferson returned from Europe. That same year, for obvious reasons, George Washington took over as President of the United States. Knowing about Jefferson's valuable talents, the first US president offered him the post of secretary of state in the new government apparatus. After much deliberation, Thomas agreed. Assuming a new position, Jefferson also received a huge number of problems. Foreign policy during the formation of the new state was not in the best condition. The US needed a strong ally, as relations with England and Spain were very strained. It is expected that such an ally was France. Jefferson threw efforts to improve relations between the two countries. But in the states themselves there were opponents of establishing strong relations with Paris. Alexander Hamilton became the main opponent on foreign policy issues. Jefferson drew attention to this man from the first days in his new position. The fact is that Hamilton promoted pro-English views, which completely contradicted the views of Jefferson. The future president immediately noticed a dangerous rival in the new opponent, as he was superbly educated and knew how to promote his ideas. Subsequently, these two figures will form two opposing camps: Democrats and Federalists.

Gradually Jefferson's ideals change. With age, he becomes less radical and is even thinking about resigning due to increased pressure from the Hamilton bloc. Over time, he begins to less intensively defend the ideas of the abolition of slavery and the oppression of the black population of the country. Yet in 1793, Jefferson decided to leave the post of Secretary of State. But in a conversation with Washington, who came to decide on a successor, no suitable candidates were found. Therefore, Jefferson was forced to stay in his position until January 1794.

The politician himself assumed that, having left the post of secretary, he would no longer return to public affairs. Therefore, he continued the construction of the new Monticello estate and began to lead the ordinary life of an ordinary planter. Travelers from different countries were drawn to him, some even left small essays telling about Jefferson's lifestyle. But this did not last long. The United States began to lose ground and again went on about England. Seeing that the country is gradually moving into a stage of decline, Jefferson decides to return to the political arena. Also, this decision was influenced by the character traits of the philosopher: purposefulness, assertiveness, perseverance. He could not calmly look from the window of his estate at the failures of the state, in the creation of which he took an active part. Sevostyanov G.N., Utkin A.I. Thomas Jefferson - M., 1976, p. 136

The return was impressive. Thomas Jefferson's candidacy for President of the United States was nominated on behalf of the Republican Party in 1796. But during that election race, his acquaintance, the candidate of the Federalist party, John Adams, won. It is fair to say that the advantage in favor of Adams was negligible, and in some regions Jefferson even outstripped his opponent. However, the second place in the election gave him the opportunity to take the vice-presidential post. In this position, he worked until 1801. At this time, relations with France heated up, and the opposing party became active again. The Federalists proposed to conclude an alliance with England and go to war with France, while the Republicans adhered to the opposite position - friendship with Paris. Moreover, Jefferson began to respond to the injections of opponents and began to fight the spread of the ideas of the Federalists. In a similar struggle, 4 years of the vice-presidential post passed.

By the elections of 1800, they still managed to squeeze out opponents. A successful election campaign and the authority of the politician ensured victory. In his program, he promoted the ideas of friendship with all countries, openness and freedom of speech, and the equality of the people. Jefferson was of the view that the president should be in charge of foreign policy and domestic affairs should belong to the states. By the way, one of the most prominent events in the foreign policy of the period of Thomas Jefferson's presidency was the Louisiana Purchase.

Having assumed a new position, he notices that, despite the highest state position he occupies, he cannot influence some processes taking place in society. Specifically, he noticed that he was unable to lead Americans to an ideal, in his opinion, state: Jefferson wanted to create a country in which everyone would be a farmer and have nothing to lack. In fact, he observed how society took the path of capitalism. Nevertheless, the president did everything possible to improve the quality of life and establish justice in the country. Many taxes were abolished, the number of military personnel was reduced. Jefferson was very sensitive to the court system. Federalist judges were replaced.

In 1804, Jefferson was re-elected to a second term. The victory was assured. Fulfilling presidential duties, he continued the course towards the democratization of the country. After many years of activity for the benefit of the state, Thomas Jefferson retired with honor on March 4, 1809. After him, the memory remained as a prudent and wise head, who zealously defended not only his ideals, but also the interests of the whole country.

Jefferson did not leave the service for the good of society even after the end of his presidential term. Even before 1814, he did not leave the post of head of the American Philosophical Society. He engaged in a deep study of the works of ancient thinkers and even composed a number of interesting works. Nor did he abandon the cause of enlightenment. In 1819, the University of Virginia was opened, the program of which was developed by the philosopher himself. Moreover, he took up the organizational issues of the new institution. The university was conceived as an educational institution for all citizens, regardless of their race, which once again proved his views against the slave system.

Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. This thinker lived a long life, during which he made a significant contribution to the liberation of America and the creation of an equal democratic state.

Summarizing all of the above, it is necessary to note the colossal impact of some aspects of the biography on the formation of the political and legal views of Thomas Jefferson. A worthy education, active political and legal activity provided the thinker with a basis for formulating his own views, as well as their gradual change.

In concluding this chapter, it is necessary to emphasize once again that Jefferson's views were formed throughout his life. As a radical Democrat, he eventually revised his views and took a more conciliatory position. He can be called one of the most prominent ideologists of democracy of his time. His revolutionary views, which will be discussed in the next chapter, subsequently became the basis for the formation of democracy not only in the United States, but also in some other countries of Europe and the world.

The influence of the historical situation and life factors is indisputable. Based on the experience of his mistakes and the problems of his contemporary state of affairs, Jefferson reveals the shortcomings of the existing situation in the world and the disadvantages of the ideologies of that time. The evolution of views took place under the influence of mistakes made by him at an early stage of his activity, and under the influence of the Enlightenment. Factors independent of Jefferson determined the development of the views used by his followers.

jefferson democracy slavery law

THOMAS JEFFERSON AND HIS ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF AMERICAN STATEHOOD

Savchenko Stanislav Petrovich

4th year student of the Humanitarian Institute of the North Caucasian Federal University, Moscow Stavropol

Pantyukhina Tatyana Viktorovna

scientific supervisor, Ph.D. ist. Sciences, Associate Professor of the Humanitarian Institute of the North Caucasus Federal University, Moscow Stavropol

One of the prominent US politicians, T. Jefferson was a fourth-generation American. As one of his biographers correctly noted, Jefferson gained a reputation as a “writer, naturalist, scientist and political theorist.” He left a mark on history not only as a major statesman and political figure, but also as a humanist philosopher, educator, linguist, botanist, geographer, architect, ethnographer and paleontologist.

Thomas Jefferson was born to a wealthy Virginia landowner and planter. As a child, he received a varied education. From a young age, he became widely known in his native colony. At the age of 26, he was elected to the Virginia Legislative Assembly, within the walls of which he spent about 6 years (1769-1775). Already there, he established himself as an opponent of the policy of the mother country, which was aimed at the unconditional subordination of the North American colonies to the domination of Great Britain.

Jefferson was an active participant in the liberation movement of the colonies, which resulted in the war for independence of 1775-1783.

To understand all his further activities, it is worth referring to his philosophical views. According to Professor Julian Boyd, Jefferson absorbed all the riches of the liberal traditions of contemporary Western European and ancient literature. He was attracted by the teachings of the ancient philosophers Epicurus and Democritus about the happiness of people as the goal of philosophy and their atomistic materialism, which destroyed religious ideas. He also experienced a great influence of the French enlighteners and philosophers of the English bourgeois revolution. In his socio-political views, one can easily detect the influence of Rousseau, Montesquieu, Condorcet, Voltaire, Bacon and Locke. He was personally acquainted with some of them, portraits of French enlighteners hung in his estate Monticello, in the lobby of which there was a bust of Voltaire. The philosophy of John Locke with his doctrine of "natural right" to "life, liberty and property", which developed and substantiated the idea of ​​the right to revolution, had a particularly great influence on the formation of Jefferson's views.

Now, having finished the remark, we can return to the descriptions of events directly related to the war for independence.

In 1774, Jefferson wrote his first pamphlet, albeit in the form of an anonymous pamphlet, called A SummaryView of the Rights of British America. In this pamphlet, he gave the rationale for the original rights of the English colonists to self-government in North America. He set forth thoughts that objectively meant a call for the separation of the colonies from the mother country. He expressed his main idea as follows: "The British Parliament has no right to exercise its power over us." Here it is impossible not to recall his famous aphorism: "Dissent is the highest form of patriotism."

Shortly after the start of the war, in June 1775, he was elected to the Second Continental Congress, which subsequently made the historic decision to separate the North American colonies from England. Lacking the talent of an orator, Jefferson earned a reputation as a "silent deputy". His main instrument of influence was the pen. The American historian B. Meilo gave a brief but very clear and concise description of the main heroes of the Revolutionary War, George Washington is the sword, and Thomas Jefferson is the pen of the American Revolution.

The next important document of the American Revolution to come out of Thomas's pen was The Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms, a document which the Second Continental Congress issued on July 6, 1775, to explain why the Thirteen Colonies took up arms. The main issue in this document was the question of the goal of the struggle against the mother country. Thomas Jefferson saw it as uniting Americans and winning independence in the name of creating a free, democratic state. The conviction grew in him that no American colony would achieve anything acting alone, and that only by joint efforts could one resist the dictates of the mother country.

As a result of his talent for writing the most important documents of the American Revolution, it is not surprising that it was Thomas Jefferson who was commissioned to write the main work of all American history - the Declaration of Independence (United States Declaration of Independence) by the Second Continental Congress. Equally important, Jefferson saw more than independence in the Declaration. "He saw political independence not as an end but as a means, and was much more interested in what should follow formal secession than in the act of secession itself." “Declaration of Independence,” Russian historians G.N. Sevostyanov and A.I. Utkin, - glorified Jefferson for centuries, putting him on a par with the greatest ideologists of enlightenment. ”One cannot but agree with this statement.

The Declaration was the first official state document in history that proclaimed the principle of popular sovereignty as the basis of the state system. This was its progressive significance. "The first declaration of human rights" - this is how Karl Marx characterized the Declaration.

Now we can turn directly to the content of the greatest document in history. The Declaration of Independence put an end to attempts to impose colonial oppression on Americans. It was the manifesto of the insurgent people, proclaiming the right of every person to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Jefferson changed the well-known traditional form of natural human right, which belonged to J. Locke, replacing "property" in it with "the pursuit of happiness." It was the proclaimed right to strive for happiness that became the holy of holies of this document, which on the whole bore a pronounced democratic and revolutionary character. The declaration accused the English king of tyranny and violation of elementary human rights, and stated that from now on the colonies consider themselves "free and independent states." As such, "they acquire the full right to declare war, to make peace, to enter into alliances, to conduct trade and to perform any acts and actions, all that every independent state has the right to do."

After the end of the Revolutionary War, he returned to his native Virginia. He began to actively act as a legislator, and from 1779 became the governor of the state. During this period of time, he is working on a work about his home state - Notes on the State of Virginia (Notes on the State of Virginia). It was not written by chance, in 1780 the secretary of the diplomatic mission of France in the United States, Francois Marbois, sent a questionnaire to the governors of the states about nature, geography, economics, political and social order. He hoped that the information received would give the French more information about the distant country with which France had concluded an alliance in 1778. Most governors ignored this request, with only Delaware, New Hampshire, and New Jersey responding in brief. Thus, Jefferson was one of those to whom Marbua's questions were directly addressed. Subsequently, in his Autobiography, he noted that for a number of years he kept notes and collected various documents on natural and civil history, which he kept on scattered sheets of paper in complete disarray. Marbois' request was a suitable occasion to put them in order. They contained extensive material on American flora and fauna, geography, economics, anthropology, and history. As one of Jefferson's biographers M. Peterson notes, "In terms of its significance for American culture, Jefferson's book should be considered one of the most important literary and philosophical achievements of American thought in the eighteenth century." democratization of the social order. He approved the federal constitution worked out by the Constitutional Convention in 1787, provided that it was supplemented with articles on human rights. The constitution is a "good ditch" but it needs "a few more touches" in the form of a Bill of Rights guaranteeing basic freedoms, was Jefferson's conclusion.

His legislative initiative led to the adoption of laws: to abolish the birthright, to prohibit the importation of new slaves into Virginia, he also proposed a bill to abolish the death penalty for all crimes except murder and treason, but the bill was rejected by a majority of one vote. Separately, it is worth highlighting the law on freedom of religion, to which he himself attached great importance, and to which he assigned one of his three main affairs in life. He criticized the domination of the church and dogmatism, advocated the separation of church and state, and called for respect for freedom of religion. He himself adhered to the principles of deism, which recognized the existence of a divine source during the creation of the world, but denied the further intervention of God in the life and affairs of people and nature. In keeping with this, he created the Bible in the spirit of deism, excluding miracles from it and rationally comprehending the life of Jesus. Known as The Jefferson Bible, this work ends with the burial of Jesus after the crucifixion - his resurrection and ascension to heaven are absent from it.

After serving as governor, he became US ambassador to France, a post he held from 1785-1789. Then, on his return from Europe, he became Secretary of State in the first cabinet of President George W. Washington from 1789-1793. During this period of his political career, he took an active part in the construction of the new capital of the United States - the city of Washington, he proposed monumental and austere buildings similar to ancient Rome, but so that they embodied the power of not an empire, but a republic. At this time, the beginnings of folding a two-party system began to appear. Two key positions in the government of the first president were occupied by T. Jefferson and A. Hamilton, in the future opponents and founders of the Republican and Federalist parties. Washington, before leaving the presidency, in his "Farewell Address" to the Nation, declared the "spirit of parties" to be the worst enemy of American unity. In 1794, Taylor published a pamphlet, A Definition of Parties, in which he pointed out that "the existence of two parties in Congress is an obvious fact" and that they express "opposing views on all matters of domestic and foreign policy."

In the 1796 presidential election, John Adams won and Jefferson came in second, automatically making him Vice President.

In 1800, the next presidential election followed, which is also commonly called the "revolution of 1800." In this election, Jefferson was ahead of Adams and became the 3rd President of the United States. He gained a majority in the agricultural states, from the milieu he came from. For the first time in American history, there was a transfer of power to a representative of another party. During the presidency, he stopped reading messages to Congress at a solemn meeting, as this drew an analogy with the speech of the English king before Parliament, and therefore sent a message by mail, this practice continued until 1913. One of the main moments of the reign is connected with the so-called Louisiana Purchase from France. This acquisition doubled the size of the US to the West, with the fertile lands of the Mississippi Valley. This purchase was in line with his ideal, the desire to create a "republic of small farmers".

T. Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. You can consider this as a kind of sign. A pre-written epitaph, later engraved on his tombstone, reads: “Here lies buried Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of American Independence, the Statute of Religious Freedom in Virginia, and founding father of the University of Virginia. It can be concluded that it was to these three of his deeds that he assigned the main goal of his life.

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy, addressing the attendees of a White House reception in honor of a group of Nobel laureates, greeted them with the words that “this is the most extraordinary collection of talents and human knowledge that has ever come together in the White House, perhaps . Except when Thomas Jefferson dined here alone."

The main merit of Thomas Jefferson is that he not only served for the good and prosperity of his Fatherland, where his role is certainly great and significant, but also for the world community as a whole, since his activities and his ideas were of great importance. He, a man at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries, sometimes had such advanced and ahead of time political and social ideals (prohibition of the death penalty; religious tolerance; prohibition of the slave trade and slavery), which modern society came to only recently.

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3. Pechatnov V.O. Hamilton and Jefferson. M .: "International Relations", 1984. - 336 p.
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Thomas Jefferson - 3rd President of the United States- born April 13, 1743 in Virginia, died July 4, 1826 in Charlottesville. President of the United States from 1801 to 1809.

Born in Virginia to a plantation owner, Jefferson was the third of eight children in the family.

In 1752, Jefferson entered the local school, where he began to study ancient Greek, Latin and French.

After the death of his father, in 1757, Thomas inherited 5,000 acres of land and dozens of slaves, later it was on this land that the famous estate of Monticello was built.

From 1758 to 1760, he studied at the school of James Morey. Since the school was 12 miles from the Jefferson estate, he lived with a priestly family (Morey). After receiving a classical education, he enters the philosophy department of the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg. Jefferson was a conscientious student, he diligently studied French, did not part with a book on the grammar of the ancient Greek language, and learned to play the violin.

Having become acquainted with the works of Isaac Newton, John Locke and Francis Bacon, he later called them "the three greatest men that ever existed in history." In 1762, Thomas graduated with honors from the college, and in 1767 received a license to practice law.

In 1772, at the age of 37, Jefferson married the widow Martha Wayles Skelton, with whom he later had six children, four of whom died at an early age. 10 years later, Jefferson's wife also died. Martha Jefferson was the only wife in the life of the third president of the United States, although according to unofficial data, Jefferson had children from a mulatto slave.

In 1769, Jefferson was elected to the Virginia House of Representatives.

Jefferson's first book, A General Survey of Human Rights in British America, included a collection of articles on the limitation of colonial self-government and the tea monopoly. In these articles, Jefferson argued that the colonists have the right to self-government, and the English Parliament has powers only in the territory of Great Britain, and not in the territory of the colonies. This work brought popularity to Jefferson - he was dubbed as one of the thinking and patriotic politicians.

In 1775, Jefferson was elected to the Second Continental Congress. In 1776, Congress considered a resolution declaring independence, as a result, a committee was created to prepare the Declaration, it included: Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Robert R. Livingston and the head of the committee, Thomas Jefferson. Using George Mason's Virginia Declaration of Human Rights as a model, Jefferson wrote the first draft of the United States Declaration of Independence.

On July 2, 1776, Congress voted in favor of independence and then filed the Declaration of Independence provided by Jefferson. After two days of consideration, 1/4 of the text was removed from the Declaration, mainly concerning criticism of slavery and the slave trade. Although Thomas was a slave owner, he was opposed to slavery. The final version of the Declaration of Independence was approved on July 4, 1776.

In September of that year, Jefferson returned to Virginia, where he was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates. For three years of work, he drew up 126 bills, and in 1778, on his initiative, a law was passed prohibiting the importation of slaves into the territory of Virginia.

In 1779, Jefferson became governor of Virginia, and a year later, he initiated the transfer of the capital from Williamsburg to Richmond. In 1781, Jefferson was captured by an English cavalry column, from where he soon managed to escape. That same year, Jefferson stepped down as governor.

From 1785 to 1789, Jefferson served as ambassador to France. Returning from Paris, he is appointed Secretary of State in the cabinet of US President George Washington. Jefferson held the position of Secretary of State until 1793, after which he resigned and returned to Monticello.

In the 1796 presidential election, Jefferson ran for the Democratic-Republican Party, but lost out to Federalist John Adams in a bitter struggle.

In the 1800 election, Jefferson was elected President of the United States. As president, he sought to strengthen the role of agriculture in the economy, and also supported the democratization of power. He abolished the tax on small whiskey producers, carried out a significant reduction in the US army and navy (because they cost a lot to maintain).

Even though Jefferson had the right to replace most government officials with his fellow party members, he only replaced the cabinet and judges.

The elections of 1804 were held according to a different law. The electors now cast one vote for the presidential candidate and another for the vice presidential candidate. Jefferson confidently won with 162 votes to 16 from opponent Charles Pinckney.

In 1807, Jefferson supported a proposal to abolish the slave trade, and as a result was strongly condemned by southerners. In 1808, a compromise solution was passed prohibiting the slave trade at the federal level, but obliging the government to dispose of smuggled slaves according to the laws of that state. This led to a decrease in the slave trade.

On July 4, 1826, Thomas Jefferson died. Like his presidential predecessor, John Adams, he died on the fiftieth anniversary of independence.

Despite the fact that Jefferson was born into a wealthy family, after his death he left large debts, so his property went under the hammer. 552 acres in 1882 were sold to James T. Barclay for $7,000. Monticello Jefferson bequeathed to the state to set up a school for the children of deceased naval officers.

Born April 13, 1743 in Shadwell (Virginia). His father was one of the leaders of the district, and his mother belonged to one of the most famous families in Virginia.

Jefferson's father died when his son was 14, leaving a legacy of several slaves and 2,750 acres of land. In 1760, Jefferson entered the College of William and Mary, determined to study Greek and Latin "and learn the foundations of mathematics." In 1762, leaving college, he began to study law. Having studied the works of E. Coke and having thoroughly studied general legislation, Jefferson was admitted to the bar in 1767. As a lawyer, he was far from P. Henry or J. Marshall, but he stood out for his knowledge and diligence; success was due more to the ability to systematize and analyze than oratory. When the American Revolution began, Jefferson was a prominent lawyer, prosperous planter, lover of reading, science, music, devoted husband and father, and loyal subject to the crown.

From 1768 to 1775, Jefferson served in the Virginia Civil House. In 1773 he contributed to the creation of the Correspondence Committee to maintain contact with other colonies. In 1774 he prepared the text of the resolutions that were published by the first convention of Virginia under the title A Summary View of the Rights of British America. This pamphlet, published in four editions that year, argued that the British Parliament had no right to make laws that applied to the colonies, and only loyalty to the king ensured the unity of the British Empire. After being elected as a delegate to the 2nd Continental Congress in 1775, Jefferson drafted a resolution rejecting the conciliatory proposals of British Prime Minister North. In September, he was appointed lieutenant of the district and returned to Congress only in May 1776. Drafted the constitution of Virginia and hoped to get permission to leave Congress to take part in the work of the convention in Williamsburg. But he did not receive permission, and his draft was presented to the congress by J. Whit and partially adopted.

June 7, 1776 R. Lee, a member of the delegation of Virginia, proposed to declare independence. The result of the ensuing debate was the decision of Congress to form a five-member committee to prepare the text of the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson was commissioned to write its lyrics. His colleagues B. Franklin and J. Adams made minor changes to the text of the Declaration, some amendments were made by the Congress. The concepts of natural law, inalienable rights of man, and government by the consent of the governed were neither new nor particularly American, but the declaration of the state's intention to be guided by these principles was unprecedented. Bordering on religious belief in these principles is the key to Jefferson's entire life.

In September 1776, Jefferson became a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. Four-fifths of the 126 proposed bills were passed in one form or another, and Jefferson is credited with drafting almost half of them. The Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom, adopted in 1786, had as its goal the complete separation of church and state; it stated that people's opinions could not be the subject of litigation in court. This sublime declaration of spiritual freedom was hailed in Europe as "an example of hitherto unknown legislative wisdom and liberalism." The education bill was based on Jefferson's deep conviction that republican government depends on the enlightenment of citizens, that education is the duty of the state, that the opportunity to receive an education sufficient to understand their civil rights and duties should be provided to all, but from the general mass one should single out "natural aristocracy" of virtue and talent and to provide them with all opportunities for education at public expense.

Striking reform efforts and the skill of the legislator approved Jefferson in the role of the undisputed leader of the House of Delegates, and in 1779 he was elected P. Henry's successor as governor. After being re-elected in 1780, he resigned during the crisis caused by the English invasion of Virginia in 1781, when the legislators fled over the mountains, leaving Jefferson as the only symbol of power. They also initiated an investigation into the activities of his administration, and although he was acquitted, Jefferson was badly hurt by this undeserved insult. An irreparable loss was the death of his wife Martha in 1782, and he abandoned the idea of ​​ever again taking up an official post.

In retirement, Jefferson wrote Notes on the State of Virginia. In 1783 he returned to active politics, became the leader of the Congress and again engaged in intensive legislative activity. The Northwest Ordinance of 1784, governing the administration of the territory north of the Ohio (which, if Jefferson's original draft had passed, would have abolished slavery in that territory), embodied the principles of the future development of the American state. His report on the minting of coins (prepared jointly with G. Morris) contained a proposal to introduce a system of uniform measures and weights on a decimal basis, as well as to establish the dollar as a decimal monetary unit.

In 1784 Jefferson left for France to negotiate trade agreements, and in 1785 succeeded Franklin as envoy. With Lafayette's help, he managed to secure significant concessions for American trade. He tried to negotiate the supply of salt and rice to France and to expand the consumption of French goods in America. In 1788 he persuaded Adams to enter into negotiations with Holland for a loan to secure an American loan until the new government established a normal credit system. He spoke out against American speculators who tried to buy up the US debt to France. An eyewitness to the beginning of the French Revolution, he advised Lafayette and the moderate members of the National Assembly and urged the need for a compromise charter for France. Jefferson returned to his homeland in 1789.

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Largely under the influence of Congressional leader John Madison, Jefferson was offered the post of secretary of state in the Washington administration, and he agreed, not without hesitation. Thus began his four-year "struggle of management principles" with the Minister of Finance A. Hamilton, a supporter of strong centralized government.

Jefferson began with a short-term coalition with Hamilton, as a result of which the state assumed the debts of the states, and they decided to build the capital along the Potomac River. With the support of Madison, Jefferson pressed for a trade policy that would be a strong response to the discriminatory policies of Great Britain. He proposed minting a national coin and achieved the creation of a mint. Beginning in 1790, Jefferson viewed neutrality as a policy that was entirely in the interests of the United States.

Jefferson retired at the end of 1793, determined not to accept any more official posts. He began to rebuild his Monticello estate, engaged in the production of nails, built a mill, experimented with crop rotation, abandoned the cultivation of tobacco in favor of wheat, and engaged in scientific research in between. In 1796, Madison and other political leaders forced him to appear before the voters as the Democratic-Republican candidate for the presidency. Jefferson received 68 electoral votes to 71 votes cast for J. Adams, and became, in accordance with the then existing electoral system, vice president in the Adams administration. During the winter months he enjoyed "philosophical evenings" as president of the American Philosophical Society, and he spent the summer months at Monticello, reading reports on the remains of a giant sloth found in South America, on a plow with a mouldboard, and writing his Manual of Parliamentary Practice (Manual of Parliamentary Practice) . This work, which was based on early research and the experience of long legislative practice, went through a large number of editions, was translated into many languages, and is still the procedural basis of the work of the US Senate.

The relative serenity of his existence was, however, disturbed by the publication of a distorted version of his letter to F. Mazzei, which contained sharp criticism of the federalists and President Washington. The Federalists immediately called him a slanderer, a spiteful critic, and even more abusive epithets; the incident led to a loss of confidence in Washington and ostracism in certain circles.

Many of the leading Democratic-Republican publicists were European refugees. In order to silence them, as well as American-born oppositionists, the Federalists passed the Alien and Sedition Acts in 1798, which were supposed to eliminate opposition through fines, imprisonment, and deportation. Jefferson, who considered these laws unconstitutional, in 1798 developed the text of the so-called. The Kentucky Resolutions, which developed the constitutional doctrines of the rights of the states and were subsequently regarded as the primary source of nullification and secession.

He ran again for president in 1800, using the Kentucky Resolutions as a political platform. Thanks to skillful propaganda, as well as the split of the Federalists caused by the intrigues of Hamilton against Adams, Jefferson and Burr defeated Adams and Pinckney by 73 electoral votes to 65. The election of 1800 was considered a triumph of the party organization, which was facilitated by the split of the Federalists and Burr's skillful campaigning.

With Jefferson and Burr tied for the vote, the final outcome of the election was brought to the House of Representatives when Burr refused to go along with his party's apparent decision to offer him the vice presidency and Jefferson the presidency. Hamilton used all his influence against Burr, whom he feared more than his old adversary, and Jefferson was duly elected and became president on March 4, 1801.

Jefferson was the first president to be inaugurated in Washington. With the support of Secretary of State Madison and Secretary of the Treasury E. Gallatin, he embarked on a policy of economy and simplicity, hoping to avoid war and develop agriculture and commerce.

The Federalist opposition found refuge in the judiciary, headed by Chief Justice J. Marshall, a Jeffersonian relative and implacable enemy. Jefferson did not believe in impeachment as a way to curb party ambitions for the judiciary. He ignored as unworthy of attention the "midnight appointments" most likely illegally undertaken by the previous administration in its last days in office, and only at the urging of his supporters gave the Republicans a number of posts previously held by the Federalists. Jefferson was not a supporter of the spoils-sharing system and, although he resented the pro-Party politics of federalist judges, he did not take open action against the judiciary and did not approve of constitutional amendments proposed in a number of states, according to which the president has the right to dismiss judges at the request of Congress. Faced with a dilemma - respect for an independent judiciary or condemnation of the behavior of judges, the president reacted with his characteristic restraint. He granted amnesty to the victims of the Sedition Act and repealed the 1801 Judiciary Act.

For two decades, Jefferson considered navigating the Mississippi a natural right of the Americans, and any foreign power that ruled in New Orleans a natural enemy. The President never took his eyes off this strategic point for long. He credited Monroe and Livingston with the purchase of the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon in 1803, but it is doubtful that any of the statesmen made a greater contribution here than he himself, who so long and so stubbornly sought a diplomatic solution to the problem. Jefferson was tormented by the compatibility of the treaty with the Constitution, which lacked explicit provisions for the acquisition and control of foreign territories, and even proposed a constitutional amendment to make the act legal. Madison and others persuaded him not to risk it, as it would delay the transfer of the territory.

The Federalists ridiculed the acquisition of vast tracts of wilderness and wilderness that would never be inhabited, but along with the general atmosphere of freedom that the Jefferson administration fostered, the acquisition of Louisiana was its greatest achievement. The President later preferred to refrain from commenting on the matter, perhaps because of doubts about the legality of the acquisition, and showed much more overt pride in connection with the legendary expedition to the Pacific coast, undertaken at his initiative by Lewis and Clark. The Louisiana Acquisition and subsequent claim to West Florida caused divisions among the president's congressional supporters during his second administration.

Jefferson's role in the trial of A. Burr accused of treason (1807) - the high point, but not the end of Jefferson's long confrontation with Marshall - was distorted by evidence that was dictated by partisan bias. A long history of personal, political and philosophical divisions has led to this clash of opposing branches of government led by inflexible leaders. In his recommendation to the jury, Marshall gave a clear definition of treason, and Burr was acquitted.

As head of a neutral state caught between two warring great powers, France and England, Jefferson pursued a policy of peace that was essentially doomed to failure. Illegal requisitions, invasions of territorial waters and other violations committed by England were repeated by Napoleonic France. Caught between two fires, the president was forced to maneuver. He resorted to the art of diplomacy, then to the threat of an economic boycott, like the colonists before the revolution, and was finally forced, in complete desperation, to decide on the embargo law of 1807, which prohibited trade with belligerent states (actually repealed in 1809 after the adoption of the law on non-intervention).

After the burning of Washington in the War of 1812, Jefferson sold his extensive library to the government in order to create the core of the Library of Congress. He received a large number of visitors, corresponded with famous and completely unknown people, and occasionally advised his successor presidents. But he avoided public discussions, enjoyed rereading the Roman historians Livy and Tacitus, and devoted himself entirely to the idea of ​​public education.

In 1814, Jefferson wrote a wonderful letter to P. Carr, in which he proposed the creation of a state education system. Thanks to his efforts, the University of Virginia was officially founded in Charlottesville in 1819. Jefferson became its first rector, developed a unique architectural design for the academic campus, supervised a significant part of the educational process, and looked for competent teachers abroad.

English Thomas Jefferson

3rd President of the United States, one of the founding fathers of the United States, an outstanding politician, diplomat and philosopher of the Enlightenment

short biography

American statesman, political figure, democratic ideologist, one of the authors of the US Declaration of Independence and the founders of the US state, the third US president, diplomat, philosopher of the Enlightenment. He was born on April 13, 1743 in the state of Virginia, on the Shadwell estate. On the maternal side, the family belonged to large slave-owning planters.

Thomas received a thorough and versatile education at home. After graduating from William and Mary College in Williamsburg (1760-1762), where he studied law among other sciences, he received admission to practical legal work. Jefferson's first job was White's office in Williamsburg, where he was hired as a lawyer.

Already at a young age, he took up a political career. So, from 1769 to 1774 he was elected to the House of Representatives of Virginia. In 1774, the lawyer was in the forefront of the patriots thanks to the pamphlet he composed, "A General Survey of the Rights of British America." In 1775, Jefferson was a delegate from his state to the Second Continental Congress, where he was commissioned to chair the committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence. It was he who became the main author of this unprecedented document, which was adopted on July 4, 1776 and was the first Declaration of the Rights of Man. Direct participation in its development brought great fame to Jefferson.

During the years 1779-1781. the politician served as governor of Virginia, but this position brought him considerable disappointment: because of it, he almost became a prisoner of the British troops, was sharply criticized and was forced to resign. Then he made a vow to himself never to return to public service. In 1781-1782. the former governor wrote "Notes on the State of Virginia" - this work, repeatedly reprinted and translated into other languages, glorified Jefferson as a scientist, the owner of encyclopedic knowledge.

However, Jefferson did not remain outside public activity for long: already in 1783 (until 1785) he again participated in the work of the Continental Congress. In 1784, the politician took the initiative to abolish slavery in all states that would join the United States, and to nationalize the western lands. During the years 1785-1789. he was the official representative of the United States in France, in 1790-1793. served as United States Secretary of State in George Washington's first cabinet.

When political parties began to emerge, Jefferson led the ranks of the Democratic-Republicans, who represented the interests of small producers and people employed in agriculture. While serving as Secretary of State, he argued bitterly with another well-known American politician, Alexander Hamilton, which ultimately led to his forced resignation. After leaving office, Jefferson became at the helm of an opposition Democratic-Republican party popular among the population and, with the support of society, was able to again be in power in 1796 - this time as Vice President of the United States under John Adams, the second head of the United States. The peak of his political biography was the victory in 1800 in the presidential election. He held this post for two terms - from March 1801 to March 1809.

After retiring, Jefferson retired from politics and spent the last almost two decades of his life in the Monticello estate built according to his project. During the years 1797-1815. he chaired the American Philosophical Society; the Library of Congress was created on the basis of the richest collection of Jefferson's books, but the most significant achievement of the last period of his life was the founding of the University of Virginia. Death overtook the outstanding representative of the American Enlightenment on July 4, 1826 - this year the United States celebrated the half-century anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

Biography from Wikipedia

Thomas Jefferson(English Thomas Jefferson; April 13, 1743, Shadwell, Virginia Colony - July 4, 1826, Charlottesville, Virginia) - a prominent figure in the US Revolutionary War, one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence (1776), 3rd US President in 1801 -1809, one of the founding fathers of this state, an outstanding politician, diplomat and philosopher of the Enlightenment. The main events of his presidency, successful for the country, were the Louisiana Purchase from France (1803) and the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806).

State merit

Jefferson was the head of the committee that created the Declaration of Independence. In addition to him, there were 4 more people on the committee: John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston. At one of the committee meetings, these 4 people unanimously asked Jefferson to write the declaration himself. The US Library of Congress was created from his collection. Jefferson founded the University of Virginia ( University of Virginia) and created his first program.

Jefferson was Governor of Virginia (1779-1781), first US Secretary of State (1789-1795), second Vice President (1797-1801) and third US President (1801-1809). Jefferson and Martin Van Buren are the only American politicians to have served alternately as secretary of state, vice president, and president.

He was a versatile scientist - agronomist, architect, archaeologist, paleontologist, inventor, collector, writer. As an architect, Jefferson designed the Virginia State Capitol, the University of Virginia, and his own homestead, Monticello, among others.

He is widely regarded as one of the main creators of the doctrine of separation of church and state.

As president, in his spare time, Jefferson compiled his own version of the New Testament, creating the so-called Jefferson Bible. As Jefferson himself wrote in a letter to John Adams: "What I have come up with is the most sublime and beneficent moral code that has ever been offered to people." In 1904, the US Congress decided to publish this work in lithographic form, and until the mid-1950s, this book was awarded to each new member of Congress.

Origin and education

Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743 in the Colony of Virginia, the third of eight children in a family close to the most famous people in the state. His father, Peter Jefferson, of Welsh descent, was a planter and plantation surveyor in Albemarle County. Jefferson's mother, Jane (née Randolph), daughter of Isham Randolph, a Navy captain and planter, was the great-niece of the first chairman of the Continental Congress, Peyton Randolph.

After Colonel William Randolph, an old friend of Peter Jefferson, died in 1745, Peter Jefferson assumed custody of his Tuccahoe estate and infant son, Thomas Menn Randolph. That same year, the Jefferson family moved to Tuccaho.

In 1752, Jefferson began to study at the local elementary school with the Scottish priest William Douglas and began to study Latin, ancient Greek and French. In 1757, Jefferson's father died, from whom Thomas inherited about 5,000 acres of land and several dozen slaves. Subsequently, Monticello was built on this land.

In 1758-1760, Jefferson studied at the school of the priest James Maury. She was near Gordonsville, 19 km from Shadwell, where Jefferson grew up, so Thomas lived with the Maury family. There he received a classical education, having studied the basics of history and science, and in 1760 entered the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg. Choosing a philosophy department, he studied mathematics, metaphysics and philosophy with Professor William Small, who first introduced the young and inquisitive Jefferson to the work of British empiricists, including Isaac Newton, John Locke and Francis Bacon, whom Jefferson later called "the three greatest men that have ever existed in history." At the same time, Jefferson learned to speak French fluently, loved to read Tacitus and Homer, and the study of ancient Greek so captured him that he carried the grammar of the language everywhere with him. In addition, he began to learn to play the violin. Jefferson studied very conscientiously, sometimes, according to eyewitnesses, studying for fifteen hours a day, and was keenly interested in all subjects. At the same time, he was a member of a secret student organization, the Flat Hat Club. Jefferson often attended parties at the home of Virginia Governor Francis Fauquier, where he often played the violin and received his first knowledge of the wines that he subsequently collected. In 1762, Jefferson graduated from college with the highest possible grades and, having studied law with George Wheat, received the right to practice as a lawyer in 1767.

Family

In 1772, Jefferson married his second cousin, the 23-year-old widow Martha Wayles Skelton. She bore him six children: Martha Jefferson Randolph (1772-1836), Jane Randolph (1774-1775), a son, stillborn or died immediately after birth (1777), Mary Wails (1778-1804), Lucy Elizabeth (1780-1781) and Elizabeth (1782-1785). Martha Jefferson died on September 6, 1782, and after her death, Jefferson did not remarry. It is possible, however, that Jefferson had children from his quadroon slave Sally Hemings.

As an ambassador to France, a widower, Jefferson met in Paris with an educated woman of that time - Maria Cosway. They developed close friendships. After leaving for the United States, Jefferson corresponded with Cosway until the end of his life.

Political career in 1774-1800

On the road to revolution

Continuing to engage in advocacy, Jefferson in 1769 was elected from Elbermarle County to the Virginia House of Burgesses. After the adoption by the Parliament of Great Britain in 1774 of the so-called Intolerable Acts, which included the restriction of self-government of the colonies and the monopoly on tea, he wrote many articles and resolutions against them, which were combined into the book A General Survey of Rights in British America (eng. A Summary View of the Rights of British America), which was Jefferson's first published work. The book, in particular, argued that the colonists in America have a natural right to self-government and that the English parliament has power only in the territory of Great Britain, but not in its colonies. After the First Continental Congress convened, Jefferson's work became the program presented by the Virginia delegation to Congress, but was deemed too radical. Nevertheless, the pamphlet laid the theoretical foundations for a legal declaration of independence and brought Jefferson fame as one of the most patriotic and thoughtful politicians.

Author of the Declaration of Independence

Shortly after the start of the American Revolutionary War in early June 1775, Jefferson was elected to the Second Continental Congress, which met in Philadelphia. When the latter was considering a resolution declaring independence in June 1776, it was decided to set up a committee to prepare an accompanying declaration. Jefferson was elected its head, in addition to him, there were four other people on the committee: John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston. At one of the committee meetings, the remaining members unanimously asked Jefferson to write the original draft of the declaration himself, since Jefferson was well known as a writer. Other than that, none of the committee members thought it was particularly important. At the home of Graaf, a bricklayer, Jefferson, in consultation with the rest of the committee, wrote the first version of the declaration, using as models, in particular, the Declaration of Human Rights of Virginia written by George Mason, drafts sent by government officials and the population, and his own draft of the Constitution of Virginia.

After some changes were made by the Committee, the draft was submitted to Congress on June 28, 1776. On July 2, Congress, having voted for independence, began to consider the Declaration. After two days of debate, almost a quarter of the text was removed from the Declaration, including criticism of slavery and the slave trade, which particularly angered Jefferson, who was opposed to slavery, despite the fact that he himself used slave labor on his plantations. However, the resulting version was approved by Congress on July 4, 1776. Since then, July 4 has been celebrated as the main holiday of the United States - Independence Day, and the preamble of the Declaration, which brought the greatest fame to Jefferson, is the most famous text on human rights.

Virginia state legislator

Returning to Virginia in September 1776, Jefferson was elected to the nascent Virginia House of Delegates, where he attempted to update and reform the state's system of laws to bring it into line with democratic standards. In three years, he drafted 126 bills, including the abolition of the birthright, freedom of religion, and the streamlining of the judiciary. In addition, in 1778, at the initiative of Jefferson, a law was passed to prohibit the importation of new slaves into Virginia. In the same year, Jefferson's bill Law for wider dissemination of knowledge led to a series of reforms at his home university, in particular, to the introduction of America's first selective education system. In addition, Jefferson proposed a bill to abolish the death penalty for all crimes except murder and treason, but the bill was rejected by a single vote.

Governor of Virginia

In 1779, Jefferson was elected governor of Virginia. In 1780, on his initiative, the state capital was moved from Williamsburg to Richmond, located closer to the center of the state. Jefferson continued to carry out reforms at the College of William and Mary, on his initiative the first student honor code in the country was introduced. In 1779, at the request of Jefferson, the college invited George Wheat, Jefferson's teacher, to the position of professor of law, the first among all the universities in the country. However, dissatisfied with the pace of reform, Jefferson subsequently became the founder of the University of Virginia, where higher education was for the first time completely separated from religious education.

During the time that Jefferson was governor of Virginia, she was twice attacked by British troops. In June 1781, Jefferson, Patrick Henry, and other state leaders were captured by an English cavalry column under Banastre Turlton, and they barely managed to escape. However, Jefferson promptly resigned. The public was dissatisfied with the slow pace of fulfilling his campaign promises, and Thomas Jefferson was never again elected to any public office in Virginia.

Ambassador to France

In 1785-1789, Jefferson served as ambassador to France, which actively helped the American rebels, where he lived on the Champs Elysees and was popular in society. Jefferson's task was to coordinate and further develop relations between the two countries. For this reason, Jefferson in 1787 could not participate in the adoption of the US Constitution, but generally supported it, despite the absence of articles that were later included in the Bill of Rights. Jefferson's correspondence was conducted through the drafter of the constitution, friend and colleague of Thomas James Madison.

Secretary of State

Returning from Paris, Jefferson became the first US Secretary of State in the first cabinet of President George Washington from 1789-1793. In this post, he began to have serious contradictions with US Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton over tax policy, and especially over the method of repaying the country's war debts. Whereas Hamilton believed that debt repayments should be equally distributed among the budgets of each state, Jefferson supported the principle that each state should pay its own debts (mainly because his home state of Virginia had virtually no debt). Subsequently, the conflict led to Jefferson identifying Hamilton and his Federalist party with monarchists and conservatives seeking to undermine the Republic. Jefferson repeatedly stated that federalism equals royalism. Under these conditions, Jefferson and James Madison founded the Democratic-Republican Party, creating a nationwide network of their Republican allies to fight federalism.

In 1793, a war broke out between France, where the revolution took place, and Great Britain. Jefferson strongly supported France, but agreed with President George Washington that the US should not interfere in European affairs, and thwarted attempts by French Ambassador Edmond-Charles Genet to drag the US into the war by appealing to Congress and public opinion.

At the end of 1793, Jefferson resigned and retired to Monticello, forming opposition to Washington and Hamilton. In 1794, through the efforts of Hamilton, the Jay Treaty was signed, which regulated trade with Great Britain and led to the establishment of trade relations with it. James Madison, in turn, criticized this treaty and was supported by Jefferson.

Presidential election of 1796 and activity as Vice President

In 1796, Jefferson ran for the Democratic-Republican nomination for the presidency, but lost to Federalist John Adams. However, the number of electoral votes was enough for Jefferson to take the post of vice president. Having written the rules for conducting parliamentary procedures, in the future he avoided the duties of the chairman of the Senate.

As the undeclared Quasi-War between the US and France broke out, the ruling Federalist Party, led by President Adams, began intensive preparations for hostilities. The size of the army and navy was increased, new taxes were introduced and laws on unwanted aliens and incitement, English Alien and Sedition Acts, which gave the President the right to expel from the country citizens of countries with which the United States was at war and persons dangerous to the peace and security of the state. Jefferson, considering these laws an attack on his party, wrote and secured with Madison the Virginia and Kentucky resolutions that declared that the federal government had no right to exercise powers not expressly granted to it by state governments, and if federal acts were enacted in violation of If this is done, the states may suspend the operation of these laws in their territory. These resolutions laid the foundation for the theory of states' rights that led to the secession of the US South in 1860 and the Civil War.

1800 presidential election

In 1800, Jefferson was able to unite his party and, together with Aaron Burr, began preparations for participation in the presidential election, especially emphasizing the party program on high and numerous taxes. However, in accordance with the traditions of the time, he did not conduct an election campaign. The Democratic-Republican plan was for one of the electors to vote only once, and thus Jefferson would become president, and Burr, who received one vote less in the College, would become vice president. But the plan fell through, and the Federalist-dominated House of Representatives had to choose between Jefferson and Burr. After much debate, Jefferson was finally elected. He invited representatives of both warring parties to his office, including his longtime associate Madison for the post of Secretary of State.

Presidency (1801-1809)

At the time of his inauguration, Jefferson was free to carry out his political program - the creation of a government responsible to local authorities and the strengthening of the role of agriculture in the economy. He also supported the democratization of power, in particular, abandoning the pomp adopted in the White House under Adams. The sizable Democratic-Republican faction in the new Congress and the strife in the Federalist Party between Hamilton and Adams allowed Jefferson to never exercise veto power during his presidency.

In order to gain control of Congress, Jefferson compromised with Hamilton's federalist faction. Jefferson continued Hamilton's economic policy regarding the National Bank and tariffs. In exchange, the Federalists did not prevent the expiration of the Sedition Act in 1801 and the repeal of one of the Alien Acts, accompanied by the release from prison of those arrested under these laws.

Domestic politics

Economic policy

In an effort to reduce government spending, Jefferson tried to eliminate the national debt, believing that countries should not increase their debt by obtaining foreign loans, which was advocated by Hamilton. Many taxes imposed by the previous administration were also abolished, in particular, the tax on small whiskey producers, which caused serious unrest in 1794. Jefferson's view that the federal government could only be supported by customs duties without collecting taxes from the public initially brought economic success, but later, when US trade with Britain and France was interrupted as a result of the Napoleonic Wars, led to disaster.

Military policy

Jefferson during his presidency carried out a significant reduction in the size of the army, and also disbanded most of the navy built under the Adams administration, because, in his opinion, a large military force was draining the resources and finances of the state. He believed that in the event of war, sufficient army strength would be achieved through volunteers from the civilian population, as happened during the Revolutionary War. However, recognizing the need for educated volunteer army leadership, Jefferson enlarged the Army Corps of Engineers and established the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1803.

Personnel policy

Jefferson's accession to the presidency was the first example of a transfer of power from one party to another in US history. Although Jefferson had the right to replace most government officials with supporters of his own party, he denounced the proposals of his party members for the complete dismissal of all officials of the previous administration. Jefferson considered it necessary to replace only the cabinet and judges, whose appointment was politically biased, since he found it possible for moderate Federalists to join his party. Further, following the example of Jefferson, subsequent presidents also did not make drastic changes in administration until the election of Andrew Jackson in 1828.

Despite Jefferson's moderate stance toward the opposition Federalists, they themselves were having a hard time. By refusing to accept the populist campaigning methods practiced by Democrat-Republicans, the Federalists were losing supporters. Their program of a strong federal government and high taxes won few supporters, especially in the newly formed states of Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio, while the retirement of John Adams and John Jay and the death of Alexander Hamilton in a duel with Aaron Burr left the party without a strong and popular guides. As a result, by 1805 the popularity of the Federalists remained high only in the state of Delaware and the states of New England, which was demonstrated by the next presidential election in 1804, and many moderate members of the party went over to the ruling force. Particularly noticeable was the departure of John Quincy Adams, the son of the ex-president.

Judicial policy

Jefferson placed much higher demands on judges than his predecessors. He believed that judges serve as an important element in ensuring constitutionality and rights. Abolished in 1801 legal act, which created district courts, for which the district courts were the appellate instance, and reduced the number of members of the Supreme Court from six to five. With the repeal of the act, the district courts were abolished, and their functions were transferred to the district courts. Also, all matters not related to the Constitution and federal laws were transferred from the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court to the jurisdiction of the district courts. Thus, the powers of the Federalist-minded Supreme Court were reduced and the so-called "midnight judges" who had been appointed in large numbers to district courts by the previous administration and served as the conductor and bulwark of Federalist policy were fired. They got this name because many of them were appointed by Adams shortly before Jefferson's inauguration in order to maintain the influence of his party. The federalist opposition criticized this decision, pointing out that, according to the Constitution, no judge can be removed from his office except after committing a serious crime, such as treason. However, Democrat-Republicans, stressing the high cost to the nation of so many courts, won the act's repeal, and many of the "midnight judges" were fired as the courts were downsized.

With a generally successful fight to purge the courts of Federalists, Jefferson was unable to reverse the appointment of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Marshall. Marshall, the former secretary of state, although a cousin of Jefferson, was politically a strong believer in Adamsian federalism. Shortly after taking office, Marshall accepted a lawsuit filed by one of the Midnight Judges, William Marbury, against Secretary of State Madison. Marbury's appointment as Justice of the Peace for the District of Columbia, made in the last days of Adams's presidency, was not completed until the new Secretary of State Madison turned down Marbury. Marbury, in his lawsuit, demanded that Madison not interfere with his appointment, and demanded that the supreme court compel Madison to do so. However, the Supreme Court refused to grant Marbury's claim, declaring the act on which the claim was based unconstitutional and refusing to interfere with the actions of the other branch of government. This was an important milestone in the history of the United States and contributed to the further delimitation of the powers of the three branches of government.

Democrats have also begun firing federal judges from opposition states. The first was New Hampshire Federalist District Judge John Pickering, who was found to have signs of insanity and publicly drank. In 1804, the House of Representatives ruled that Pickering should be impeached, and in the same year he was removed from office by the Senate. Federalist Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase was then accused of speaking publicly about how Democrat-Republicans threaten "peace, order, liberty, and property." Jefferson suggested that the House begin the impeachment process. However, many of Jefferson's congressmen felt that such accusations were reminiscent of accusations at trials for Act of incitement, canceled by Jefferson himself at the beginning of his presidency. In 1804, the Senate acquitted Chase of all charges. This process was the only attempt in US history to remove a member of the Supreme Court from office and served as an additional argument for the protection and independence of the judiciary from political manipulation.

National politics

During Jefferson's reign, Shawnee chief Tecumseh and his brother Tenkswatawa launched a campaign against the capture of their lands north of the Ohio River by white colonists and organized attacks on the settlements of the colonists, as a result of which, already in the reign of Jefferson's successor, Madison, a military operation was organized to suppress the rebellion. . Jefferson himself was a supporter of accustoming the Indian tribes to civilization, however, on his orders, a campaign was organized for the resettlement of Indians from the US South to the West. An exception was made for the Five Civilized Tribes, in respect of which they were encouraged to join the traditions of European culture. To suppress the resistance of the Creek people in Tennessee, a people's militia was organized under the command of Andrew Jackson.

Hamilton's duel with Burr

In 1804, during the election campaign for governor of New York, Alexander Hamilton issued several pamphlets against Vice President Aaron Burr, who challenged him to a duel and mortally wounded him. The death of Hamilton shook the position of the Federalists, at the same time ending Burr's political career.

Presidential Election 1804

The 1804 presidential elections were held under a new electoral law designed to prevent a repetition of the events of 1800. From now on, the electors elected by the state legislatures cast one of their votes for the presidential candidate and the other for the vice presidential candidate, which led to the nomination of each party's President-Vice-President candidate pair. Newly running for president, Jefferson won a landslide victory over Charles Pinckney, the Federalist candidate, with 162 electors to Pinckney's 16. George Clinton, who was elected along with Jefferson, replaced Aaron Burr because of the scandalous duel story, became the new vice president.

Question about the slave trade

During Jefferson's second term, the constitutional ban on discussion of the prohibition of the slave trade, approved at the Philadelphia Convention before 1808, expired, and in 1807 deputies from the northern states submitted to Congress a proposal to ban the slave trade, supported by Jefferson, but sharply condemned by the southerners, who declared the prerogative states to ban the slave trade. A compromise solution in 1808 banned the slave trade at the federal level, but obliged the government to dispose of discovered smuggled slaves in accordance with the laws of that state. As a result, this did not lead to the disappearance of the slave trade, but only to a decrease in its volume.

However, on May 3, 1807, Jefferson signed a bill banning the importation of new slaves into the United States.

Foreign policy

Louisiana Purchase

In 1801, as a result of the Napoleonic Wars, Louisiana, which occupied almost the entire Mississippi basin, returned from Spain to France, which worried the US government, which was afraid of closing New Orleans to international trade. In 1803, James Monroe and Robert Livingston were sent to Paris to buy New Orleans and the surrounding territories for $10 million, but Napoleon Bonaparte, worried about the rebellion in Haiti and not having the strength to defend Louisiana from the British invasion, offered Monroe to buy all of Louisiana for $15 million. dollars. Jefferson, originally determined to keep Louisiana as a formal possession of France, on the advice of Dupont de Nemours, agreed to the deal, although he initially intended to formalize the accession by constitutional amendment, since the US Constitution did not contain provisions for the expansion of the country's territory.

On May 2, 1803, an agreement was signed on the sale of a territory twice the size of the United States, but the federalists, concerned about the possible dominance of the slave states in the event of an expansion of the territory and losses for the population of New England, stood in sharp opposition, for example, Massachusetts Senator Timothy Pickering even invited Vice President Burr to lead the seceded states of the northern United States on the condition that he convince New York to join the secession, which aggravated Burr's conflict with Hamilton, a native of New York, who did a lot to create a unified American state. As a result, in the fall of 1803, the treaty was approved by the US Senate by 24 votes out of 31, and the western border of the United States moved back to the Rocky Mountains. On March 10, 1804, the agreement officially entered into force, after which all the lands were redeemed a second time from the Indian tribes living in these territories, and the Indian Territory was formed.