Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson one of the most revered of our founding fathers is claimed with some justification as a political icon by both liberals and conservatives in modern times for there were elements of his political philosophy that are consistent with the beliefs of both groups Yet one needs to understand that Jefferson s position must be understood both in the context of his own times and in the context of the changes that have occurred over the course of American history The forces the affect our pursuit of happiness have evolved so must our understanding of the Jefferson s idea of the proper role of government in American society Had Jefferson for example foreseen the power of the robber barons he might have seen government very differently Jefferson was in his day a true liberal even a radical one in his pursuit of freedom of speech and religion the spreading of republican democratic values far and wide and in his general approach to government He was willing to see blood shed in the cause of freedom not only during the revolution but as a general principle On the other hand he felt that all government was a necessary evil and that that government which governed best governed least He was one of the first sponsors of government supported education for all children and among his proudest achievements was the founding of the University of Virginia Jefferson felt that an educated citizenry was the surest way to protect democratic institutions and guard against a oppression He said Educate the people generally and tyranny and injustice will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day Jefferson s greatest political rival was Alexander Hamilton Jefferson opposed the kind of centralization that Hamilton advocated and he strongly disagreed with Hamilton s reasoning in the creation of a national bank Jefferson also parted ways with his close friend John Adams even while serving as Adams s Vice President One of the sad outcomes of the political bitterness of the 1790s was the rupture of the friendship between these two giants Fortunately for posterity they were later reunited in correspondence through the intercession of their mutual friend Dr Benjamin Rush and spent their latter years writing each other about a wide variety of topics They died on the same day July 4 1826 Jefferson the Man An Enigma Claimed by both left and right he remains elusive and controversial Personally he was a shy and introspective man He was a brilliant thinker in office capable and pragmatic but he was not great president Jefferson personified the contradictions in republicanism he despised ceremonies and formality and dedicated himself to intellectual pursuits Still he was a politician to the core he realized that success as president depended on cooperation with Congress Jefferson s View of Man was shaped by his experiences during the early days of the French Revolution He approved of the French foray into new government forms but he was slow to deplore the violence He said The tree of liberty needs to be watered with the blood of a few patriots now and then His public life was characterized by conflict with Hamilton Adams and even Washington from time to time His most enduring political friendship was probably with James Madison who moved from the Federalist camp to become a stalwart of Jeffersonian democracy Jefferson s Political Theory He believed that that government governs best which governs least and he held a strong belief in a free press freedom of religion and speech Jefferson did not like pomposity formality or aristocratic pretensions He supported the yeoman farmer who he felt he was the salt of the earth and did not want America to become a nation of mechanics He also did not trust judges bankers merchants and he disliked urban life Jefferson loved music education learning he collected books after the War of 1812 his library became the core of the Library of Congress Jefferson and Education Jefferson was an early advocate of government supported education as he showed in the land ordinances of the 1780s parts of which he authored The Revolution of 1800 Jefferson s Republicans Triumph over Adams and the Federalists Thomas Jefferson s inauguration marked a major transition of power in America Jefferson called this peaceful transfer of power a revolution and in a sense that was true Throughout history governments kings autocrats emperors had rarely been replaced except by death and inherited succession without bloodshed or war This peaceful transition at the dawn of republican ideas ushered in a new century in appropriate style In Jefferson s First Inaugural Address he laid down his political philosophy in his own words written in his own hand There were no speechwriters in Jefferson s time Jefferson as President Jefferson was known for what has been called a pell mell style in that he stepped back from the more formal practices of Washington and Adams In keeping with his basic republican principles he favored more informality in the White House At dinner he sat people randomly around the table rather than in order of rank His informality of dress surprised many especially foreign diplomats used to the grandeur of European courts Also in keeping with his idea of minimal government he asked Congress to repeal the federal excise taxes on whiskey Jefferson attitude toward military matters bordered on pacifism he had not fought during the Revolution and he has been criticized for allowing the U S military to slip to the point where we could scarcely defend our own national waters which in that troubled time invited abuse of America s rights as a neutral nation as the European powers waged terrible wars His purpose was a frugal government an admirable goal but the reduction of military expenditures was dangerous to some Some Highlights of the Jefferson s Era The election of 1800 was called by Jefferson with some justification a revolution in that for one of the only times on modern history political power in a major nation had changed hands with no bloodshed The peaceful transition of power is one of the great legacies of the early American republic and Jefferson celebrated that idea in his first inaugural address The following quotation from Jefferson s first inaugural address captures not only his thinking but is a near perfect embodiment of the ideals of the Enlightenment of which he was a product If there be any among us how would wish to dissolve this Union or to change its