Pribislav (prÃncipe de Hevelli)

Thomas Jefferson , born the April 13rd 1743 with Shadwell and dead the July 4th 1826 with Monticello, was the third President of the United States of America of 1801 with 1809. This statesman was also Philosophe, Agronome, inventive, Architecte and it did not hide its sympathies Francophile S. Propriétaire of a Plantation in Virginia, it had many Esclave S. Pourtant, Jefferson was attached to the Human rights for which it fought on the level of his State and the country. It belonged to the elite of the Lumières and knew the great minds of its time. Writer of part of the Declaration of independence, it doubled the surface of the the United States by the purchase of Louisiana.

Biography

Beginnings in Virginia (1743-1773)

Thomas Jefferson is born the April 13rd 1743 in Shadwell in the Comté from Albemarle in Virginia. His/her parents, Peter Jefferson and Jane Randolph, belong to families of notable installed in the area since several generations. Thomas Jefferson is the first wire of a family of ten children. His/her father is owner of a Plantation in the county of Albemarle and devotes part of his time to the Cartographie and the land surveying. Self-educated, the latter holds so that his/her Thomas son has a solid education.

In 1752, Thomas Jefferson attends a school directed by the Scottish reverend William Douglas who teaches several languages to him, of which the Latin , the old Greek and the French. With died of his/her father in 1757, it is old only 14 years and it inherits its immense property, on which work of tens of slaves. Perfect Jefferson its traditional culture, learns the natural science and the history near the reverend James Maury with Fredericksburg.

In 1760, Jefferson undertakes off higher learning with the College William and Mary with Williamsburg where it is formed with varied disciplines (Greek Botanique, Géologie, Cartographie, , Latin, Droit, Histoire, Philosophie). It improves its French. Its professor of Philosophy, William Small, gives him the taste for the English authors John Locke, Francis Bacon, Isaac Newton and learns how to him to use the methodical doubt. Jefferson attends the Flat Hat Club , a Secret society and a fraternity coed. Graduate in 1762, it studies then the right near his friend and mentor George Wythe. He is allowed with the Barreau in 1767 before being elected with the Parliament of Virginia in 1769. Jefferson sits at the Chambre of the Middle-class men of Virginia, between 1767 and 1775. After the fire of the family manor in 1770, Jefferson begins the construction of its house which becomes later Monticello. In 1772, it marries a widow, Martha Wayles Skelton, with which it has six children: Martha (1772-1836), Jane (1774-1775), a son still-born child (1777), Mary (1778-1804), Lucy Elisabeth (1780-1781) and Lucy Elisabeth (1782-1784).

Engagement in the American Revolution (1774-1779)

See also: Declaration of independence of the United States of America, American Revolution

The rise of the dissatisfaction with the American colonists against the Great Britain causes the engagement of Jefferson in policy. It decides to join the protestor group of Patrick Henry. It is not characterized by its oratorical talents but the value of its writings is appreciated.

Nourished works of the philosophers of the Age of Enlightenment, Jefferson publishes in 1774 its famous summary Pamphlet Aperçu of the rights of British America , report/ratio intended for delegated of Virginia of the first continental Congrès. This test opens a new way towards the independence of the colonies and arranges Jefferson among the patriots of the American people.

In spring 1775, Jefferson is selected to be deputy second continental congress with Philadelphia. In June 1776, Jefferson takes share with the drafting of the Constitution of the Virginia, which enables him to propose the principles in which he believes.

July 1st 1776, the assembly of Philadelphia decides the drafting of the Déclaration of independence of the United States; an editorial board is formed which includes/understands five men, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston and Thomas Jefferson. This last is charged to prepare an outline and becomes in fact the principal author of the text. Jefferson takes up the ideas of John Locke on the natural right . After several modifications, the document is approved the July 4th 1776: the declaration represents one of the fundamental texts of the country since he proclaims American independence and the right to revolt against Great Britain. In September, Jefferson is made elect with the new room of deputy of the State of Virginia. Within the framework of this function, he collaborates in the legislative reform towards more democracy: in the field of the religion, the Freedom of worship as well as the separation of the Church and the State are established. The religions are not financed any more by the public money. The public office from now on is opened with all, without reference to belief. Jefferson seeks to make of Virginia a République model for the whole world. It makes proposals to reform the education system and slave of its area. Under its impulse, the Traite Blacks is prohibited in 1778.

Return in Virginia (1779-1785)

Jefferson occupies then the station of Gouverneur of Virginia between 1779 and 1781. It is under its mandate that the Capitale of Virginia is transferred from Williamsburg to Richmond. During the war of independence, its State is invaded twice by the English. It failed to be captured by the British cavalry with Charlottesville, but he succeeds in fleeing. Its action is criticized hard: one reproaches him his lack of effectiveness at the time of the English attack. Jefferson ends up being withdrawn on its grounds of Monticello to deal with his expectant mother and patient. The death of this one in 1782 plunges it in a deep sorrow and he promises never remarier. For this period of retirement, Jefferson writes the Observations on Virginia (in English Notes one Virginia ), in which it analyzes the statutes of the State.

Jefferson returns to the businesses in December 1782: it becomes deputy of Virginia to the continental congress; he proposes in 1784 a procedure of adhesion and cutting for the new territories of the Union. The Congress takes as a starting point these proposals which were used as a basis for the ordinance of the North-West of 1787.

The ambassador (1785-1789)

During the summer 1784, Jefferson arrives to Europe to negotiate treaties at the sides of Benjamin Franklin. It succeeds to him as a ambassador in France, of May 1785 in August 1789. After having resided in several Parisian hotels, the ambassador fixes himself at the Hôtel of Langeac, close to the current Fields-Élysées. He takes taste with Parisian life, attends the literary living rooms and the booksellers of the capital. He visits several regions of Western Europe (France, Italy, England, Holland, the Rhineland). Its action as an ambassador aims at developing the commercial relations between the two countries. It gets busy to rectify the image of the United States near the French elites.

Jefferson thus could not take part in the debates carrying on the American Constitution in 1787. It follows them by far, thanks to its correspondence, and affirms its support for the declaration of the rights (in English Bill off Rights ). It is into 1785 that appear in France his Notes one Virginia . At the time of its French stay, Jefferson benefits from the cultural life of Paris. It is very attached to France, but is critical with respect to the Absolute monarchy and of manners of the French, whom it judges dissolues. It is pilot first episodes of the French revolution. Jefferson comments on and annotates a declaration plan of the rights presented by his/her friend Fayette during the debates on the Déclaration of the Human rights and the citizen of 1789. Jefferson returns to the in November 1789 United States.

Jefferson with the government (1790-1800)

In March 1790, Jefferson is selected like Secretary of State of the first government of George Washington (1789-1793). Its functions enable him to organize the Secretariat of State and to unify the weights and measurements. Jefferson subjects the idea of a Metric system for the country, but its proposal is not adopted. It enters in confrontation with the Secrétaire to the Treasury Alexander Hamilton about the importance of the expenditure which digs the deficit in 1790. These dissensions take a national dimension and contribute to the formation of two distinct political parties (in English two-party system ): the Democrat-Republicans of Jefferson, against the Federalistic of Hamilton. The first preaches a very restricted federal capacity and wants to give to the federate States it quasi totality of the capacities on the interior policy. Two political trainings use the press to convince the opinion and the members of the Congress. It is the beginning of the First Party System with the United States.

Jefferson and Hamilton are not more agreement on the foreign policy: the first supports France when Great Britain declares the war with the Convention in 1793. The second does not hide his sympathies anglophiles. After the Treated of London (1795) ( Jay Treaty ) which grants the support from Washington to London against France, Jefferson prefers to be withdrawn on its grounds of Monticello. It is presented to the presidential election in 1796: it arrives second behind John Adams, and becomes its vice-president. Its function enables him to frequently turn over to Virginia.

With the Quasi naval war against France (1798 - 1800), the Federalists carried out by John Adams make build a navy of combat and raise new taxes. The Congress adopts the Alien and Sedition Acts (Laws on the foreigners and sedition) to which is opposed Jefferson. In 1800, Jefferson launches out again in the presidential campaign. Its political adversaries describe it like a deist, an atheistic and an enemy of the Christian religion. Its rival Alexander Hamilton treats it demagog. Jefferson retorts by showing Hamilton to want to establish a monarchical mode. This last wants to subject the individual interests to the size of the nation. Jefferson considers that the Republic must ensure the individual rights expressed in the Déclaration of Independence . Finally, the Federalists lose the presidential election. The electoral College meets the December 3rd 1800 but it cannot decide between the two candidates democrat-republicans Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr. In accordance with the Constitution, it is the Chambre of the representatives which elects the president then; after 36 turns, Jefferson carries the presidency the February 17th 1801, paradoxically thanks to the support of its enemy Alexander Hamilton. This last indeed prefers it in Aaron Burr, that it finds dishonest person and who does not deserve, according to him, to reach the capacity. Jefferson had also promised in Hamilton to remove all the excise taxes, the federal government being financed only starting from the Customs duties. Jefferson will propose the same year a progressive abolition of the slavery which will be rejected by the Senate.

First presidency (1801-1805)

The first presidential mandate of Thomas Jefferson is marked by important successes (purchase of Louisiana), political reforms and a certain popularity. The president takes officially his functions on March 4th, 1801. The ceremony proceeds for the first time at Washington DC, which becomes the federal capital. The presidency of Jefferson marks a big step in the American democratic tradition: it indeed represents the first alternation between the two political principal parties of the country.

Political reforms

On the legislative level, several reforms are undertaken: the direct taxes, the tax on alcohol and the law of 1798 on the foreigners are removed. The federal government can be financed only on the customs duties. Jefferson supports immigration in softener the rules of entry on the American territory. He fights successfully against the debt of the country. The president manages to calm the federalistic opposition.

In addition, the first mandate of Jefferson marks a deepening of the institutions of the country. In 1803, the legal decision Marbury against Madison gives to the supreme court faculty to check the constitutionality of the laws. In 1804, XIIe amendment with the Constitution modifies the system of the Great Electors who henceforth vote separately for the president and the vice-president, thus decreasing the risk of a cohabitation between two politically opposite personalities.

Foreign politics

Forwarding Lewis and Clark

Second presidency (1805-1809)

The second presidential mandate of Jefferson is more difficult than the first. With its vice-president George Clinton, it must face several problems: on the plan of the foreign affairs, Jefferson tries to preserve the neutrality of its country vis-a-vis the disorders of the Napoleonean Guerres. Moreover, the party of Jefferson is weakened by the scission of John Randolph which trains the group of the “Quids” or “Old men Republican”, who line up at the sides of James Monroe. Lastly, the Conspiracy of Burr threat the unit of the country.

Interior matters

Foreign politics

Years of retirement (1808-1826)

After its second presidential mandate, Jefferson is withdrawn in its property of Monticello, where it draws the plans of the Université of Virginia and is devoted to satisfy its curiosity (see following paragraph). It collects the books, manages its plantation and pursues by far the policy of its country.

Jefferson dies on July 4th 1826, at one o'clock in the afternoon at the 83 years age. The chance wanted that he dies exactly 50 years after the signature of the Declaration of Independence, of which he was the father. John Adams, him also major actor of the American Revolution, dies out the same day, a few hours after his friend. The last words of Jefferson “Somme we would have been already the 4? ”; those of John Adams: “Did Thomas Jefferson always see? ”. At the time, Jefferson was celebrated like one of the fathers of the nation, a kind of “laic saint”.

Jefferson is buried in Monticello, at the sides of his wife and her daughters. He is the author of his clean epitaph, which does not refer any to its role of president:

“Here puts back Thomas Jefferson, Autor of the declaration of independence of the United States Autor of the law on the religious liberty in Virginie Fondator of the university of Virginia”

Jefferson, a man of the Lights

Thomas Jefferson received a traditional education and côtoyé the cultural elites of his time: as of its studies with Williamsburg, he attended the cultivated medium of the palate of the governor. He consigned his notes of reading in a book (the Commonplace Book ), which makes it possible to the historians to reconstitute its philosophical influences: Henry Home, Charles de Montesquieu, Cesare Beccaria, Thomas Hobbes, Holy Henri Jean de Bolingbroke. Jefferson read much and undoubtedly took as a starting point John Locke to write the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson discussed with the best French spirits its time (D' Alembert, Condorcet, Destutt de Tracy) in its Parisian hotel Langeac or with the Mint. It helped Jean-Nicolas Démeunier to write his articles on the United States in the methodical Encyclopédie. Curious and lit spirit, engaged in policy, Jefferson belongs to the intellectual elites of the Age of Enlightenment. He was member then president of the American philosophical Société, a circle of discussions founded by Benjamin Franklin.

Portrait

According to the criteria of the 18th century, Jefferson had a pleasant physique, without being particularly beautiful. It was thin and measured 1,87 meter. One knows few things about the private life and the character of Jefferson because it was not delivered much in its writings. In public, one said it held and timid, the French found it cold. Its contemporaries rented its good mannerss and its generosity: the banquets which it gave as a president of the United States were sumptuous. It accommodated his friends and his family in her property of Monticello, which could lodge to 50 people. But all this expenditure ended up ruining it) served its political career. Its private life remains badly known: it is known that it was enthusiast of certain Rebecca Burwell during its studies and that it was sincerely in love with his wife. For the remainder, much of rumors circulated on its relations with Maria Cosway in Paris, Betsey Walker (the woman of its friend of childhood), and finally with its slave Sally Hemings. These rumors often emanated from its political enemies, in particular of the federalistic camp.

Ideals

Thomas Jefferson always defended the idea of a République: in the Declaration of Independence of 1776, he affirmed that the royal capacity is tyrannical. When it remained in France as an ambassador, it criticized the Absolute monarchy of Louis XVI. It supported the values of freedom and equality in its works and its correspondence. Jefferson wanted to limit the capacities of the president: in 1787, it wished to restrict its mandate at seven years nonrenewable. He was opposed to any ostentation ceremonial which would point out monarchy: when he was president, he always refused to pronounce in person the annual message with the Congress, because that pointed out to him the Speech from the throne of king d' Angleterre.

In order to establish a republican mode, Jefferson believed in the virtues of the reason and education. He wanted to generalize primary school education in Virginia: at the end of the Years 1770, it wished to open the elementary schools with all the free children, boys and girls. He imagined a free secondary education for the poor. But these proposals were not adopted because of their cost considered to be too high for the State. It is under its first presidential mandate that West Point was founded, which was in the beginning a school of engineers. In 1819, Jefferson organized the University of Virginia and became the Recteur about it. However, he preferred the Representative democracy with the Direct democracy and considered that all the Men are not equal in intelligence. Like the other Father founders, he was wary of excesses of the people. The Freedom of the press was one of its main hobbyhorses. It considered it necessary to the good walk of the democracy, with the formation of the citizen and the public opinion.

According to Jefferson, the equality was to pass by the abolition of the right of seniority, in order to prevent the concentration of the grounds in the hands of the great landowners. Inspired by the ideas of Rousseau, Jefferson dreamed of a company of free and equal land small holders. As for the political equality, it excluded the women, the Blacks and the Indians. It was persuaded that the democracy could not open out if the majority of the population remained poor.

For Jefferson, happiness belongs to the inalienable rights of the Man, like the life and freedom. The historians and the philosophers discussed much on the direction given to the word “happiness”. It is undoubtedly necessary to see there a concept of the Lumières, associated with the property right, such as John Locke heard it.

As many other personalities of the 18th century, Thomas Jefferson had ideas which can seem contradictory with its actions on the question of slavery. Its opinions and its decisions evolved/moved according to the events and of its personal course. During the American Revolution, Jefferson seemed to want to remove slavery and the Traite Blacks; but it was not followed by the Congress. He was more success in Virginia, which decided to abolish the trade of the slaves in 1778. In 1782, Jefferson made pass a law facilitating the Affranchi sow personal slaves.

However, Jefferson was itself owner of several tens of slaves on his field. It frees some from them, but the servile labor was necessary to the operation of its plantation of tobacco, the more so as it was covered with debts. Its correspondence finally testifies to racist arguments : according to Jefferson, the Afro-Americans were lower than the White. In 1791, Benjamin Banneker, a mathematician and inventive black freed, sent to Jefferson a specimen of sound Almanach , in order to convince it on the intellectual abilities of the Blacks. Jefferson was shocked by the revolt of the slaves of Santo Domingo in 1790-1791: it suggested transporting the free Blacks to the Sierra Leone, to Africa. At that time, it was convinced that the Blacks could not be assimilated and that the question of slavery threatened the fragile unit of the new country.

A collector and an impassioned bibliophile

With the Humanistic manner of the S of the Rebirth, Jefferson constituted an important collection of objects, which decorated its house of Monticello. When it was in station in Paris, it made send in Virginia books, seeds, plants, statues, pieces of furniture, objets d'art, scientific instruments and drawings of architecture of the Old continent. Jefferson charged Lewis and Clark to collect various objects of the American West (skins of animals, horns, bone and Indian craft industry). Part of these collections are always visible in Monticello.

Jefferson had the most important private library of the United States (6 500 works approximately in 1815). It decided to sell them with the Bibliothèque of the Congress after the fire of this one by the British troops.

Various centers of interest

As a man of the Lights, Jefferson was interested in multiple fields of the Connaissance such as the education, the Musique, the Linguistique or the Botanique. It was to deal at the same time of its grounds and its Propriété.

Structure

Thomas Jefferson expressed an constant interest for the Architecture. He was initiated with this discipline by his father in his youth and was sensitized during his voyages in Europe. He took many sketches of the buildings which interested it and studied the work of the architect Palladio in the Quatri Libri of which he had several specimens. Its stay in France put it in contact with the Roman Architecture (Maison Carrée of Nimes, Pont of Gard) and traditional (Hôtel of Salm). Of return in America, it wishes to create buildings which reflect its republican and democratic ideals. It contributed to develop the federal Style in its country and to adapt the neo-classic Architecture European to the republican values born of the American Révolution.

Whereas he was Secretary of State, Jefferson took part in work of the charged commission to establish the plans of the new capital Washington DC. On another scale, it worked out several plans of buildings located in Virginia, among which its house of Monticello, close to Charlottesville. Jefferson also contributed to the plan of the Université of Virginia, built starting from 1817. For the Capitole of Richmond (1785 - 1796), Jefferson took the party to imitate Maison Carrée of Nimes, but by choosing the Ionic order for its columns. He was assisted by the French architect Charles-Louis Clérisseau.

He met the German naturalist Alexandre de Humboldt in 1804. It collected and classified the fossils. It made weather statements Condorcet, Jean-Baptiste Say, Joseph Priestley, Jenner or with the count de Buffon. It kept and classified its letters with the greatest care. His/her friends often asked him for council. He also wrote several testimonys on the countries which he visited, by describing the economic problems and the most beautiful monuments. Its principal works remain its lampoons at the time of the Revolution, the Declaration of Independence, the Observations on Virginia and a Autobiographie, written at the end of its life.

Homages

The Americans affirm “to venerate Washington, like Lincoln and to remember Jefferson”. According to a classification drawn up by historians for the magazine The Atlantic Montly , he is the third most influential American of the History, behind Lincoln and Washington. However, many are the homages paid to the third president of the United States: 29 counties and 24 cities (whose capital of the Missouri, Jefferson City) bears its family name. Jefferson is represented on the Mont Rushmore. It has its top (the Mont Jefferson), its monument in the federal capital (the Jefferson Memorial), its effigy is reproduced on the ticket of two dollar S and on the part of five hundreds.

The image of Jefferson evolved/moved in the opinion: in France, it remains less known than Benjamin Franklin. A commemorative plaque is in Paris with the corner street of Berry and the Fields-Élysées to indicate the Parisian residence of Jefferson, and its statue is with the accesses of the footbridge of Solférino. In the United States, one initially saw in him Virginien aristocrat and owner of slaves. He was then sacrilized during the New Deal. Lastly, one made a man progressist, pragmatic of it, attached to fundamental freedoms and American apostle of the expansionism: with Saint Louis (Missouri), the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial celebrates the departure of forwarding Lewis and Clark. One N `does not forget either qu `it was a man of the Lumières, as testifies some the Jefferson Laboratory (Jefferson Lab) or the Magalonyx Jeffersoni , a disappeared animal. Its talents of architect are recognized by the classification in 1987 of the university of Virginia and Monticello on the list of the world heritage of Humanity. The film Jefferson in Paris ( Jefferson in Paris ), realized by James Ivory recalls that it was francophile convinced.

See too

History of the United States of 1776 to 1865 Political
of the United States of America
List of the presidents of the United States of America

External bonds

a biographical card on the site of the Library of mathematics
biographical Présentation on the site of the online encyclopedia '' Imago Mundi ''
the encyclopedia of the Agora proposes a series of bonds sets of themes (in English) on Thomas Jefferson
Bonnes and bad manners: Jefferson and the evil Southerner by Jacques Pothier, professor of American literature at the university of Versailles - St Quentin-in-Yvelines. Problems of the notoriety of Jefferson.
Biography on the site of the White House
texts, speech, letters of Thomas Jefferson on the site Avalon Project, Yale University
Site of the international center of studies jeffersonniennes Robert H. Smith
the university of Virginia puts on line several letters of Jefferson.

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Pribislav (prÃ­ncipe de Hevelli)

Biography

Beginnings in Virginia (1743-1773)

Engagement in the American Revolution (1774-1779)

Return in Virginia (1779-1785)

The ambassador (1785-1789)

Jefferson with the government (1790-1800)

First presidency (1801-1805)

Political reforms

Foreign politics

Forwarding Lewis and Clark

Second presidency (1805-1809)

Interior matters

Foreign politics

Years of retirement (1808-1826)

Jefferson, a man of the Lights

Portrait

Ideals

A collector and an impassioned bibliophile

Various centers of interest

Structure

Homages

See too

Related articles

External bonds

Pribislav (prÃncipe de Hevelli)