Jefferson and the Presidency - Report Example

Jefferson and the Presidency The United s was formed by the thirteen American colonies that joined together and declared their independence from Great Britain in July 1776. These colonies engaged in a Revolutionary War or the American War of Independence with Britain from 1775 to 1783. The war ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1783 which recognized the sovereignty of the United States over the territory bounded roughly by what is now Canada to the north, Florida to the south, and Mississippi river to the west. A national government was formed in 1789 with George Washington as the first president of the federal government and John Adams as vice president. Alexander Hamilton was chosen as the secretary of treasury and Thomas Jefferson as secretary of state. However, Jefferson was critical of the Hamiltonian economic programs as they favored the rich and speculators rather than the agriculturalists. As such, Jefferson and James Madison decided to form the Democratic - Republican Party thus the emergence the first political party in the U.S. Jefferson was elected vice president to Adams in 1796 and in the 1800 elections, he was elected as president with the Republican ticket. In his First Inaugural Address on 4 March 1801, Jefferson explained his vision of the ideal government as well as the responsibilities of the president. Jefferson as one of the founders of U.S had faith in the constitution and believed it to be the guiding principle in all things and followed the liberals principles of liberty and equality entrenched in the constitution. He envisaged U.S as a great empire “spread over a wide and fruitful land, traversing all the seas with the rich productions of their industry, engaged in commerce with nations who feel power and forget right, advancing rapidly to destinies beyond the reach of mortal eye.” All would be happy ad achieve great honor in tilling their land and enjoying the fruits of their labor. He believed peace and harmony would prevail and that all would unite for the common good under the will of the constitution. The constitution guaranteed equal rights and equal protection under the law which he believed were very crucial for peace and prosperity. He believed that without unity, “liberty and even life itself are but dreary things.” He also urged the citizens to embrace difference of opinions as this did not amount to difference in principle. As to the ideal form of government then, it was a democratic or Republican government where every man had a role to play and not a government ruled by kings since they cannot be trusted. To him “We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists.” He believed this government is the strongest on earth and the only one where all men are under the law or constitution. In this government, the civilian power ruled over military power economic persuation was to be used always in international relations. As to the role of the president, he outlined various principles in his first inaugural address that would guide his administration. The first role of the president according to Jefferson is to ensure equality and justice to all men, regardless of their political or religious persuasion. The second role is to enhance peace and commerce by cooperating with other nations but without forming any alliances with them as Hamilton was advocating. Other roles include: support for state government rights; union preservation; safeguarding election rights in order to remove tyrannical rulers or those who abuse their authority through a revolution; accepting the will of the majority; payments of debts and improvement of agriculture and commerce which are the backbone of the economy. The president also should ensure freedom of religion; freedom of the press, and freedom of person under the protection of the habeas corpus, and trial by juries impartially selected as well as military command. He believed by following these principles, any president would steer the nation to peace, liberty and safety, and prosperity. The role of federal government thus according to Jefferson was to ensure peace and prosperity of the vast empire of U.S and not forming alliances with any nation. Unlike Hamilton who believed commerce was the mainstay of economy, he believed in agriculture hence was for rural agriculturalists rather than merchants and speculators. He was thus against the national bank and also payment of state debts by the federal government. Preservation of the union was an utmost goal for the federal government hence the president was entrusted with this role. Though the expansion of the empire was a threat to peace and prosperity of the nation, Jefferson went ahead to engage in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Louisiana was located in New Orleans which was of great interests to the nation as three-eighths of its produce from other parts passed through it for transportation to markets and more than half of its produce as well as more than half of inhabitants came from there (Jefferson on the Importance of New Orleans, 1802; Roark et al. 328-329). Louisiana was a French acquisition from Spain after the French revolution. For $ 15million, France ceded the Louisiana colony to the U.S in the famous Louisiana Purchase of 1803. For Jefferson, he was just fulfilling the vision of an “empire of liberty” envisaged by the forefathers but since it was against federal government roles, he had to justify his actions. In his Second Inaugural Address in 4 March 1805, he claimed that the purchase was necessary for the federative principle to operate effectively. For him, “the larger our association the less will it be shaken by local passions.” In his speech on the Importance of New Orleans in 18 April 1802 he claimed that U.S had been in good relations with France but the importance of New Orleans to U.S economy could not be underestimated and in this sense, France was an enemy. He argued that France is an ambitious country and though America is quiet and loving peace and the pursuit of wealth, if the two come into conflict, it would lead to America being forced to defend itself by forming an alliance with Britain and entering into war with France and this is against Republican principles. It was thus better to come to an agreement with France and purchase Louisiana to avoid such a situation. Jefferson ruled America for two terms (1800 & 1804) when James Madison took over in 1808 and 1812 (Roark et al. 331). The two presidents experienced a myriad of challenges that led to increasing complex government. At first, it was the issue of slavery brought about by the Louisiana Purchase. This purchase unbalanced the equation of Free states and slave states and led to heated debates as to which nations would join the union as free or slave states. Moreover, the size of the nation doubled due to the purchase making governance more complex. On declaring that “we are all Republicans, we are all Federalists” Jefferson in his fist inaugural speech meant they would continue with the policies of the federalists rather than discarding them but adjust them to their principles. This was a major challenge as before he entered office, he was fully opposed to Hamiltonian economic program and a centralized government. Jefferson and Madison also had a challenge with controlling the army. They aimed at reducing budget cuts on the army thus the reorganization of the army in 1802. However, this did not cut expenditures fully as they ended up replacing federalist senior officers with Jeffersonians. Jeffersonians also wanted to enhance equality in the army thus the establishment of military academies to offer basic military education. This only led to increased spending and to make matters worse, the Barbary States engaged in raiding American ships hence hindering naval reductions (Roark et al. 330). The attack of U.S navy’s Chesapeake at Virginia coast by the British frigate leopard also led to increased need for stronger defense hence more funding to expand the Regular Army. Under Madison, the nation went to war with Britain in 1812. The inclusion of war veterans in the Congress also increased the complexity of government. These veterans also held office in great numbers at every level of the civil service. Most of them also held positions in state and local government where they exercised major influence on the government and making governance more complex (333-347). In attempt to make a popular and representative government effective, Madison advocated for establishment of popular government over a large territory. This would help to minimize the effects of faction as he feared the majority can unite at the expense of minority in a small republic due to self-interest. Another great challenge in Jefferson and Madison’s presidency was the separation of the church and state. How to incorporate the church in state affairs while ensuring its freedom made matters more complex. Sometimes funding the church was vital in ensuring its delivery of services such as schools but the public was opposed to paying taxes to benefit the churches. It was thus a complex issue. Works Cited President Thomas Jefferson’s First Inaugural Address. 4 March 1801 President Thomas Jefferson on the Importance of New Orleans, 18 April 1802 Roark, JL., Johnson, MP., Cohen, PC., Stage, S & Hartman, SM. The American Promise: A History of the United States, Volume I, To 1877. Fourth Edition, Boston, MA: Bedford St. Martin’s, 2008. Selection from President Jefferson’s Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1805 Read More