#10 Thomas Jefferson
How is the great Thomas Jefferson only number 10? Let’s not forget that some heroic Founding Fathers (Adams, Madison, Monroe) are ranked below him already. And yes, authoring the Declaration of Independence alone is enough to warrant his place on Mt Rushmore. However, this is a presidential ranking only and only his actions as President are considered.
The most well-known action of the Jefferson presidency would be the Louisiana Purchase. The price from France ($15 million) was seen correctly as an incredible bargain. Napoleon, facing his own financial troubles at home, was desperate to unload the land. Jefferson pounced. Before we crown this decision as pure brilliance, it is important to consider the consequences. The Constitution offered no guidance for the legality of the President deciding to purchase land and thus increase the size of the country. Jefferson, who saw himself as a strict Constitutionalist, knew the correct course of action was a constitutional amendment. However, he feared that the time it would take to pursue that may give Napoleon a chance to change his mind. The purchase was made.
Some would say that no overreach is justified. But let’s face it, the Louisiana Purchase allowed our country to eventually reach the Pacific Ocean. It also eliminated the real fear of a foreign power controlling New Orleans (the mouth of the Mississippi River). Without this, there is a great likelihood that we never would become a world power. But it’s inarguable that Jefferson, the strict Constitution guy, had found his exception. And Presidents ever since have taken advantage of the precedent.
Jefferson believed in small government, which was a needed change from the Adams administration. He immediately slashed the federal budget in half! That alone makes me comfortable putting him in the top tier of Presidents. When he took office, the national debt was $83 million. It was down to $57 million when he left eight years later. If only his example of fiscal restraint was copied by the many men who followed him.
War. There was a lot of public pressure for the country to fight back against harsh British and French trade embargos. The two world powers were taking advantage of the new country whenever it could. Jefferson knew the country was in no condition to fight either country. Instead, Jefferson began instituting our own tough trade rules with the two countries. It affected the American economy much worse that England or France, but it was an effective way to stand up to the powers without actually going to war. On the other hand, the Barbary pirates were targeting American trade ships. The countries responsible for this (northern Africa) demanded huge blackmail payments to make sure American ships were left alone. Jefferson opted for war instead of paying these extortion demands. The swift ass kicking delivered to the Barbary states put the world on notice that the new nation was not a pushover.
Jefferson correctly criticized John Adams for prosecuting citizens who spoke out against his presidency. However, being a brilliant man himself, Jefferson also had a low tolerance for those who disagreed with his views. He was not the free speech absolutist he claimed to be. Jefferson believed Adams was at fault for instituting the Sedition Act because it was Federal overreach. Instead, the Jefferson administration pursued state charges of sedition against those who spoke out. Maybe taking it to the state level was an improvement, but that’s being generous. It was still an attack on free speech and a gross sign of hypocrisy.
Finally, Jefferson had a poor reaction to a Supreme Court decision (Marbury v. Madison) that did not go his way. He was outraged at the decision, perhaps rightfully so. However, his reaction was to initiate impeachment proceedings against one of the Supreme Court justices who had done nothing wrong, much less illegal. It was the first instance of impeachment being used vindictively for political reasons. This was a terrible precedent that is still being used hundreds of years later.
When removing the Founding Father aura from the equation, Jefferson still has to be seen as a very good President. The Louisiana Purchase and fiscal responsibility alone are enough to laud his presidency. However, there are certainly a couple of precedent setting flaws that cannot be ignored either.
If you ever get a chance to visit Monticello in Virginia, I highly recommend it.
How is the great Thomas Jefferson only number 10? Let’s not forget that some heroic Founding Fathers (Adams, Madison, Monroe) are ranked below him already. And yes, authoring the Declaration of Independence alone is enough to warrant his place on Mt Rushmore. However, this is a presidential ranking only and only his actions as President are considered.
The most well-known action of the Jefferson presidency would be the Louisiana Purchase. The price from France ($15 million) was seen correctly as an incredible bargain. Napoleon, facing his own financial troubles at home, was desperate to unload the land. Jefferson pounced. Before we crown this decision as pure brilliance, it is important to consider the consequences. The Constitution offered no guidance for the legality of the President deciding to purchase land and thus increase the size of the country. Jefferson, who saw himself as a strict Constitutionalist, knew the correct course of action was a constitutional amendment. However, he feared that the time it would take to pursue that may give Napoleon a chance to change his mind. The purchase was made.
Some would say that no overreach is justified. But let’s face it, the Louisiana Purchase allowed our country to eventually reach the Pacific Ocean. It also eliminated the real fear of a foreign power controlling New Orleans (the mouth of the Mississippi River). Without this, there is a great likelihood that we never would become a world power. But it’s inarguable that Jefferson, the strict Constitution guy, had found his exception. And Presidents ever since have taken advantage of the precedent.
Jefferson believed in small government, which was a needed change from the Adams administration. He immediately slashed the federal budget in half! That alone makes me comfortable putting him in the top tier of Presidents. When he took office, the national debt was $83 million. It was down to $57 million when he left eight years later. If only his example of fiscal restraint was copied by the many men who followed him.
War. There was a lot of public pressure for the country to fight back against harsh British and French trade embargos. The two world powers were taking advantage of the new country whenever it could. Jefferson knew the country was in no condition to fight either country. Instead, Jefferson began instituting our own tough trade rules with the two countries. It affected the American economy much worse that England or France, but it was an effective way to stand up to the powers without actually going to war. On the other hand, the Barbary pirates were targeting American trade ships. The countries responsible for this (northern Africa) demanded huge blackmail payments to make sure American ships were left alone. Jefferson opted for war instead of paying these extortion demands. The swift ass kicking delivered to the Barbary states put the world on notice that the new nation was not a pushover.
Jefferson correctly criticized John Adams for prosecuting citizens who spoke out against his presidency. However, being a brilliant man himself, Jefferson also had a low tolerance for those who disagreed with his views. He was not the free speech absolutist he claimed to be. Jefferson believed Adams was at fault for instituting the Sedition Act because it was Federal overreach. Instead, the Jefferson administration pursued state charges of sedition against those who spoke out. Maybe taking it to the state level was an improvement, but that’s being generous. It was still an attack on free speech and a gross sign of hypocrisy.
Finally, Jefferson had a poor reaction to a Supreme Court decision (Marbury v. Madison) that did not go his way. He was outraged at the decision, perhaps rightfully so. However, his reaction was to initiate impeachment proceedings against one of the Supreme Court justices who had done nothing wrong, much less illegal. It was the first instance of impeachment being used vindictively for political reasons. This was a terrible precedent that is still being used hundreds of years later.
When removing the Founding Father aura from the equation, Jefferson still has to be seen as a very good President. The Louisiana Purchase and fiscal responsibility alone are enough to laud his presidency. However, there are certainly a couple of precedent setting flaws that cannot be ignored either.
If you ever get a chance to visit Monticello in Virginia, I highly recommend it.
