rubber soul

We'll get there. Right now I'm just getting started on Martin Van Buren (trying to stay ahead of the game ) . In the meantime...



1. GEORGE WASHINGTON (I cannot tell a lie- John Adams did it!)




Born: February 22, 1732, Westmoreland County, Virginia
Died: December 14, 1799, Mount Vernon, Virginia

Term: April 30, 1789- March 4, 1797
Political Party: Federalist

Vice President(s): John Adams

First Lady: Martha Dandridge Washington

Before the Presidency: George Washington’s childhood is chock full of myths such as the legendary cherry tree story. Of course, in reality, his father died when he was eleven and he would be raised by his older brother thereafter. Though home schooled, Washington could have been considered fairly well educated for his day and it would come in handy with his military career.

And what a military career he had. He fought in the French and Indian War as a Lieutenant Colonel when he was only in his twenties. He embarked on a political career later as he was elected to the Virginia House of Burgess in 1759. It was while with the House that he took a stand against what was perceived as unfair tax practices by the British Government. He was subsequently appointed to the First Continental Congress in 1774 and the following year he returned to his military roots as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army. Though not always successful, he and his troops were able to outlast the British and, in the end, accepted a surrender from General Charles Cornwallis. The rebels had won the American Revolution.

Once the war was over, Washington surprised the world by giving up his commission and returned to a private life. This impressed people as he proved to be a man who was not hungry for power. This sparked Virginians to send Washington with a delegation to the Constitutional Convention in 1786. After the Constitution was ratified in 1788, Washington was drafted to be the first President of the new United States.

Summary: 1753: Major, Virginia Militia

1754-1755: Lieutenant Colonel, Virginia Militia, fought in Seven Years War

1755-1758: Commander of troops, Virginia Militia

1758-1775: Member, Virginia House of Burgesses

1774-1775: Delegate, Continental Congress.

1775-1783: Commander in Chief, Continental Army

1787: President of the United Sates Constitutional Convention

What was going on: The Bill of Rights, the Cotton Gin, The Whiskey Rebellion, Jay’s treaty,

Scandals within the administration: None that we know of

Why he was a good President: George Washington was the perfect choice for America’s first President. He was considered to be above reproach. Though officially a Federalist, he detested the idea of party politics as he would suffer from partisanship even in his day. He also signed bills such as the Bill of Rights that would keep the United States solvent, if not perfect, to this day.

Why he was a bad President: He failed at stemming the tide of partisanship between the Federalists and Democrat-Republicans. His Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson, would resign under protest in 1793. It is questionable whether he handled the Whiskey Rebellion in Pennsylvania as well as he could have. Then there was the controversy over the Jay Treaty of 1795 in which the US would claim neutrality in the wars between England and France. It still didn’t solve the immediate problems with France and the US would inevitably go to war with Britain anyway.

What could have saved his Presidency: Irrelevant. Despite his actual flaws, Washington was a very successful and well respected President. He continues to go down in history as one of the Presidents with the most integrity, even when you put all the Father of our Country myths aside.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: A lot of things. But especially had the Jay Treaty exploded into war with France, something his successor, John Adams would have to contend with.

Election of 1788: This was a long drawn out election as the United States was just beginning to take form. There were also some odd voting rules in place. Technically, every man had the right to vote (Of course women had no rights at all in those days). But the catch was you had to be a landowner. Free blacks could also vote but they only counted as 3/5 of a vote. Progress goes slow, I guess. There was also the matter of the electoral college, seen as quite controversial now given that the winner of the electoral vote lost the popular vote in both 2000 and 2008 and in other elections won with just a plurality. The idea of the Electoral college (and slavery was a major player in all of this) would be that the less populous states, mostly in the South at the time, would have more clout in deciding who the President would be. Yes, New York would have more electoral votes than, say, Delaware for example, but the three electoral votes in Delaware would be just a little more equal than New York’s eight.

Not that it mattered much in 1788. Washington had been all but drafted and the vote, which Washington won easily despite some states not voting for their electors in time, was more or less a foregone conclusion.

At the time, the Presidential Candidate did not choose a running mate. Instead, the person who finished second automatically became the Vice-President. In 1788, that was Federalist John Adams. Other notables who received votes were John Jay, John Rutledge, and John Hancock.

First term: George Washington took the oath of office on April 30, 1789. During this term, Congress enacted the first tariff and Washington signed the first Naturalization Bill into law. The Capital was temporarily moved from New York to Philadelphia though a permanent Capital would soon be established on the Potomac River, which divided Maryland and Virginia. All of the Thirteen colonies would ratify the Constitution. The Bill of Rights would also be ratified during this term. Vermont was admitted as the 14th state. And President Washington would appoint his first Minister as Thomas Pinckney was appointed the first minister for England. Washington also created a superstar administration that included Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State, Henry Knox as Secretary of War, and Alexander Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury.

Election of 1792: The election again took a month to complete, but it was again a foregone conclusion that the popular Washington would be re-elected as he would be unopposed. The only real drama was if John Adams would be re-elected Vice-President. The Democratic- Republicans ran George Clinton against Adams. Adams would win 77 electoral votes to 50, while Washington’s election was unanimous, something that would never happen again.

Second Term: Washington’s second term was considerably less peaceful than the first as he would have to deal with International affairs for the first time. France was having its own revolution and their relations with Britain (never all that peachy to begin with) was getting quite warlike. Washington very much wanted to stay out of it despite pressure from France and the Democratic- Republicans. Partisanship over this issue in particular would take a toll on Washington, who clearly had no desire to fight another war on either side. He also had to send troops to quell the Whiskey Rebellion in Pennsylvania. They were upset over, surprise, higher taxes. Guess some things never change.

Despite the problems now besetting the administration, Washington remained quite popular and there was a draft for him to run for a third term. But Washington graciously turned them down, believing that no one should be able to be President for more than that. Like other veterans of the Revolution, there was a fear that someone would want to be king, thus ending the idealism of democracy.

So, Washington left with grace as he delivered his now famous farewell address. And he left believing the country would be in capable hands with fellow Revolutionary John Adams.

Post Presidency: George Washington retired to a quiet life at his plantation in Mount Vernon. He died, possibly from pneumonia, in December 1799, less than three years after leaving the Presidency. He did, however, state in his will that all slaves owned by him and Martha would be freed upon Martha’s death.

Odd notes: All the myths surrounding George Washington are of legend. Of course, he didn’t cut down a cherry tree and then fess up to it. He did have wooden teeth, however

He wouldn’t shake hands as he felt the gesture was beneath the Presidency (The Presidents- History Channel)

Final Summary: Even during his life, he was referred to as the Father of Our Country. I still have to think that was a little presumptuous. After all, George Washington was just a man like everyone else. He wasn’t anymore of a wise man than any of the other Founding Fathers. He made his fortune by living off the work of his slaves, certainly nothing unusual given the times and maybe not all that damning when you consider he would ensure their freedom later. I suspect Washington was conflicted when it came to slavery, something that I think would haunt Thomas Jefferson even more.

What can be noted is that, flawed or not, George Washington was a man of great integrity. He was clearly someone that put his country ahead of his own interests, something that will sadly be a rarity with our Presidents. Though he led the United States with a steady hand for the most part, he did not believe in dictatorships, and he certainly frowned at the idea of a monarchy. King George the American was not in his vocabulary.

Do I think he was a great President? I’m probably going to get flak for this, but I really don’t think so. I do think he was a good President who tried to do his best, and with some success, but I’m not one that would want to put him on a pedestal. Was he a good man? Of course, but I don’t think he was a political genius or even a military genius. He was just a guy who tried to be the best person he could be and, for the most part, succeeded. And you can’t argue with that, can you?

Overall rating: B+ (Well above average but not quite great)

https://millercenter.org/president/washington

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Trollheart

Truly excellent article, rs! I had no idea the cherry tree thing was a myth, though yes I did hear about his teeth. Wasn't there something about buying either the teeth of poor people or slaves? He suffered badly with his teeth I believe, and they did try to make him king but he said take that ****ing crown away and shove it up your arse, actual quote.

I like your honesty. Most people (me included) would be licking up to Washington and daring anyone to find fault. You raise some very interesting points. Can you elaborate a little (if you have time, or care to) about the "Democrat-Republicans"? I'm a little confused there; thought they were always two separate parties at war with each other?

Looking forward to more entries. Well done.

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

music_collector

Nice read. For what it's worth, my only knowledge of Chester A Arthur comes from Die Hard 3.

rubber soul

The Democrat- Republicans (known as the Republicans casually) were basically formed as a more Libertanian alternative to the Federalists, who believed in a more centralized Government. They (the Dem-Repubs) supported states rights, which made them more popular in the South. The original Democrat- Republicans had little to do with the two parties we know today. Of course there were a lot of factions within the party and many of them broke off to what would become simply the Democrat Party. The Republican party that we know of today grew, unbelievably enough, as part of the Abolitionist movement just about the time Lincoln arrived on the scene.


I'll delve into the parties a little more as we cover the Presidents one by one. But after the Democrats- Republicans more or less wiped out the Federalists, they would have to contend with the Whigs who would also have some pretty strange characters. They started out as National Republicans (again nothing to do with today's GOP). Then, finally around the late 1850s's we got the Democrat and Republican two party ystem that we have today.

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rubber soul

I should also add that the term Jeffersonian originated from the Democratic- Republican party. Jefferson, as one of the party's founders, believed in a limited Government.

I'll post John Adams on Monday. Meanwhile, to stay ahead of the game, time to do a little research on Mr. James Polk

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Mindfulness

Nice thread, are you going over all presidents?

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February 28th, 2024

rubber soul

Yes, but it's going to take some time. I'm just working on Zachary Taylor now.

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rubber soul

2. JOHN ADAMS (Don't slander me)




Born: October 30, 1735, Braintree, Massachusetts
Died: July 4, 1826, Braintree, Massachusetts

Term: March 4, 1797- March 4, 1801
Political Party: Federalist

Vice President: Thomas Jefferson

First Lady: Abagail Smith Adams

Before the Presidency: John Adams grew up comfortably in rural Massachusetts. His father insisted on his education in hopes that he would join the ministry but Adams, who would become well educated, had other ideas. He taught for a time before entering law school. Launching his legal career in 1758, he gradually built up a reputable law practice in Boston and would be called upon to defend the British soldiers accused of killing Crispus Attucks in the Boston Massacre of 1770. This, of course, did not go well with his more radical cousin, Samuel Adams.

Adams was a reluctant participant in the events leading to the American Revolution. He didn’t believe the British meant any malice with their tax laws. Still, he assisted the popular movement and, in time, began to side with the radicals on the independence issue.

Adams was chosen as one of four delegates from Massachusetts to attend the Continental Congress in 1774. It would be Adams who nominated George Washington to be Commander in Chief of the Continental Army. Adams was also one of a group called on to create what would be known as the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Very active in his work, he was sent to France in 1778 to procure help in their quest for independence. He returned for a brief period in 1779 to help draft the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780.

After the war, he remained in Europe where he was busy creating trade treaties with various nations.

A prolific writer, Adams was a believer in the separation of powers and wrote essays based on that premise.

Adams returned to the US in 1788 in hopes he could be elected as Washington’s Vice President. He was elected and would serve two terms in that capacity. As such, he would be considered the heir apparent to Washington once the latter retired.

Summary of offices held:

1774-1778: Member of the Continental Congress

1778-1785: American Diplomat to France and Europe in general

1785-1788: American minister to England

1789-1797: First Vice President of the United States

What was going on: The XYZ affair, The Alien and Sedition acts, the French quasi-war.

Scandals within the administration: The XYZ affair

Why he was a good President: Like Washington before him, Adams was a man of impeccable character. He was known for his blunt candor and, despite the crises that would fall before him, he led the country with a steady hand.

Why he was a bad President: It basically comes down to the Alien and Sedition Acts. By 1798 there was enough anti-French hysteria going on that Adams, in his infinite reasoning, decided to fight the wages of tyranny by becoming a tyrant himself. It was against the law to criticize the President as a result of these laws, and it would certainly lead to Adams’ own downfall in the 1800 election.

What could have saved his Presidency: A less radical approach to the French situation and perhaps an olive branch to the opposition Democrat- Republicans couldn’t have hurt either.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: Well, it wasn’t exactly destroyed but a loss in the French Quasi-War certainly would have been disastrous. Enforcing the Sedition Acts more than he did would not have been a wise move either (As if the acts themselves were wise to begin with).

Election of 1796: With Washington retiring, Adams all but considered himself the heir apparent. Of course, the Democrat-Republicans had other ideas. They weren’t going to be giving Adams a free pass like they had Washington. Instead, they nominated Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr to run against Adams and Thomas Pinckney. Again, they weren’t running mates as of yet. The winner got the Presidency; second place got the Vice Presidency and that was that. 1796 may also be the first instance of actual mudslinging. No one dared to throw dirt on Washington but with Adams and Jefferson, it was fair game. Jefferson was accused of being a Francophile at a time when that wasn’t cool as well as being accused of being an atheist (a ploy that is still used to this day). With Adams, it was divide and conquer season as ally Alexander Hamilton was accused of playing Machiavellian politics in support of Pinckney. In the end, Adams won in a squeaker over Jefferson, who would become Vice President.

First term: The Adams term was dominated by the troubles with Franco-American relations. It was at the point where Adams had to form a militia in case the Americans went to war with France, which they would unofficially do in 1798. Things really exploded in the fall of 1797 when the XYZ affair was brought to Adams’s attention. He had sent three diplomats to try to mend fences with Foreign Minister Talleyrand in Paris only to be told they had to pay bribes to see him. This, needless to say, didn’t go well with Adams. The Department of the Navy was formed in the Spring of 1798, again, in preparations for war with France. He also pushed through the controversial Alien and Sedition acts which did several things, notably barring the French from entering America, making permanent citizenship harder, and making it a crime to publicly criticize the President. This would, of course, be Adams’ death knell, and even some military successes against France in what would be known as the Quasi War couldn’t save his Presidency.

Election of 1800: It goes without saying that President Adams was in heap of trouble upon this election. His policy against France was not popular though some was hoping the war would continue for their own political reasons. The Quasi War would ultimately end in a stalemate.

Meanwhile, the parties began to show real differences. The Jefferson led Republicans were now emphasizing less government, sort of a libertarian bent really. The Federalists, of course, more than overplayed their hands with the Alien and Sedition acts and the Republicans strongly emphasized their opposition to that as tyranny not unlike what the British had done a generation earlier. Indeed, the Federalists were splintering over the French issue themselves with Hamilton all but turning against Adams. The rumors that Hamilton was out to stop Adams was all but true in this election and he publicly spoke against the President (somehow, he avoided prosecution). Hamilton tried to convince the Federalists to vote for the Vice Presidential candidate, Charles Pinckney, but that scheme backfired. Neither Adams nor Pinckney would see the White House, now in Washington, come next year. It would be up to the House to determine the next President of the United States, but we’ll cover that later. What was true was that John Adams goes down as the first incumbent to lose a re-election bid.

Post Presidency: Now out of the White House, Adams settled for a quiet family life in Braintree with his wife and children. He continued to write and would reconcile with his former friend, former nemesis, Thomas Jefferson, also now retired from public life. The late friendship of two former Presidents was something of a rarity in American History ( I can only think of Ford and Carter for a comparable example). Indeed, both would barely make it to the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, John Adams dying that evening. Allegedly, his last words were, “Thomas Jefferson lives.” Adams couldn’t have possibly known Jefferson himself had died just hours before.

Odd notes: According to a biography by David McCollough, Adams was known as a bad dancer

Final Summary: With France and the domestic impact at home taking up most of his time, Adams could not have been the happiest President in history. He did a reasonably decent job as Commander in Chief given that he never actually served in a military capacity. As mentioned, he did manage to fight France to a stalemate. Of course, what really sunk him was the very undemocratic Alien and Sedition Acts (for comparison, check out Woodrow Wilson’s Sedition and Espionage Acts and, to a lesser extent, Bush’s Patriot Act). Otherwise, domestically speaking, he didn’t do anything all that terrible.

But he didn’t exactly set the world on fire either, then again, maybe if he had nuclear weapons…

Overall rating: C-

https://millercenter.org/president/adams

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rubber soul

3. THOMAS JEFFERSON (I did not have sex with that woman, Sally Hemmings.)



Born: April 13, 1743, Albemarle County, Virginia
Died: July 4, 1826, Monticello, Virginia

Term: March 4, 1801- March 4, 1809
Political Party: Democratic- Republican

Vice President(s): Aaron Burr, George Clinton

First Ladies: Martha Jefferson Randolph/ Maria Jefferson Eppes (Jefferson’s daughters, his wife died in 1782)

Before the Presidency: Thomas Jefferson grew up in an affluent family. As such, he was well educated, attending the William and Mary College during the 1760s. He dined with the important people of the day in Virginia, including Governor Fauquier. He was admitted to the Virginia Bar in 1767.

He started his legal career simply enough, practicing as a country lawyer. He was elected to the Virginia Houses of Burgesses in 1769. He vaulted into the national spotlight five years later when he wrote, the Summary View of the Rights of British America. It marked him as one of the more articulate radicals of the period and, as such, was sent to Philadelphia in 1776 for the Second Continental Congress. It was there that he was called upon to draft a document known as the Declaration of Independence. Though a biting attack on King George III was edited out, the document met with great approval and the Unanimous Declaration of the 13 United States of America was established on July 4, 1776.

The idealistic declaration would be enough to put Jefferson among the mythical founding fathers that included George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and James Madison (Note: that of the five founding fathers, only Franklin was never President).

Like most of the early delegates, Jefferson never actually fought in the war. Instead, he served in the Virginia House of Delegates. Jefferson, along with Madison, was a staunch advocate of the separation of church and state. He also believed in compulsory education, at least for white men. He would also serve as Governor of Virginia for two years as the Revolutionary War played out. He was forced to flee Richmond, the Monticello, his home, to avoid capture by the British. Because of those circumstances, he was branded a coward in some political circles and was something he had to fight in all of his subsequent political campaigns.

After the war, Jefferson retired to Monticello where he began to write again after the death of his wife. He could be controversial by today’s standards as he believed blacks to be inferior to whites (the common thought of the time sad to say). Later he served in the Confederation Congress and, in 1785, was appointed as America’s minister to France, a post he held for four years. He also secretly began a relationship with Sally Hemmings, a mulatto slave, and the daughter of his father in law. During this period, he kept in touch with James Madison to keep up with the goings on in the States.

Upon his return from France, Jefferson was called upon to serve as President Washington’s Secretary of State. Though well liked by Washington, the early divide in Government was becoming more obvious with Alexander Hamilton, who was, more or less, Washington’s closet adviser, supporting a centralized government, while Jefferson was more of the Libertarian type. Indeed, in some ways, you could argue that Thomas Jefferson was the first true American Conservative and is one of the first names mentioned within the Republican Party when they talk of great Presidents.

Summary of offices held:

1769-1774: Virginia House of Burgesses

1776: Second Continental Congress

1776-1779: Virginia House of Delegates

1779-1781: Governor of Virginia

1783-1784: Member Confederation Congress

1785-1789: Minister to France

1790-1797: Secretary of State

1797-1801: Vice President of the United States



What was going on: War with Tripoli, Louisiana Purchase, Burr- Hamilton duel, Lewis and Clark expedition, the National Road,

Scandals within the administration: Aaron Burr was a scandal. He had a conspiracy named after him and, of course, the duel where he killed Alexander Hamilton. And of course, there was the affair with Sally Hemmings, which would have been pretty scandalous had it been known at the time.

Why he was a good President: Expansion for all extensive purposes began under Jefferson with the Louisiana Purchase. As President, he noted the importance of the separation of powers. He was also something of an idealist. Though he would use his executive powers when necessary, he used the powers sparingly. He was also known for his eloquence and was able to articulate the ideals of limited governmental powers.

Why he was a bad President: He had a hard time controlling his scandals, or, more to the point, his Vice President, Aaron Burr, who not only shot Jefferson’s Secretary of the Treasury, but would also be up for treason. He was also accused of hypocrisy not only for owning slaves of his own and never emancipating them but allowing the expansion of slavery in the south and west.

What could have saved his Presidency: The question is what he could have done to improve his Presidency as Jefferson is considered by historians as one of the truly great Presidents. I’d go with addressing the slavery issue more forcefully. If he could have stopped the expansion of the slave trade (and he did end the exportation of new slaves to be fair), maybe the inevitable Civil War decades later could have been averted. Maybe he could also have been more active at trying to nip issues in the bud with Britain. It was during the second term of his administration where the impressing of Americans into the British Navy became an issue.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: Well, the downside of the Louisiana Purchase, while great for America, was that it wasn’t so great for Europe as Napoleon now had more funds to wage his wars with. Had we known the horrors of what was going on in Europe then (not sure even how much Jefferson knew, or if he really cared), maybe that would have hurt Jefferson from a historical standpoint. He also may have had to deal with more flak had the slavery issue been more on the front burner like it would be about thirty years later.

Election of 1796: With President Washington retiring. The next election would be something of an open field and it was this election where you saw the split in political philosophies and the forming of parties. In one corner, you had the Federalists, which supported John Adams and Thomas Pinckney while the opposition Democratic- Republicans supported Jefferson and Aaron Burr. It was a heated election aided by some tomfoolery by Federalist Alexander Hamilton, who tried to push Pinckney to woo southern electors. In the end, the ploy backfired, but Jefferson would still lose by three Electoral votes and have to preside as Vice President for the next four years.

Election of 1800: Once again, the President would be elected by a group of appointed electors with little input from the few men who actually had a right to vote as well as the 60% of each eligible black man (Not sure what part was not allowed to vote, the head and torso or the legs and feet). In any event, thank to the Alien and Sedition acts in particular, President Adams was not a very popular man, and he faced an uphill battle in his quest for re-election. He had proven the flaws of having a centralized Government though more good than bad would come out from that concept, which other Presidents would utilize (Lincoln, FDR, LBJ, etc). Jefferson, essentially a moderate Libertarian, was the opponent Adams all but dreaded.

And though the Federalists were split on issues such as with relations with France, they were united in trying to beat Republican Jefferson to a pulp. It was a nasty campaign from the Federalists side as they lambasted Jefferson as godless among other things (Jefferson was essentially a believing agnostic). It was worse for Adams as he not only had to contend with the Republicans, he had to deal with a faction in his own party, led by Alexander Hamilton. There were also rumors planted (by the Republicans) that Adams planned to marry one of his daughters off to royalty. And, in the end, Adams unpopularity was so profound, he ended up finishing a distant third in the election.

Instead, the front runners ended up being between two Republicans, Jefferson and Aaron Burr. And guess what? In the well though out brainstorm of the Electoral College idea, Jefferson and Burr tied with 73 electoral votes each, thus the runoff would be decided by the House of Representatives. This was another well though out brainstorm of someone who didn’t trust the American voter (and maybe with good reason at times). It wasn’t decided by the majority of each House member. No, it would be decided by the majority of states that each congressman represented. Thus, for example. If three Representatives from Maryland voted for Jefferson and two voted for Burr. It would be considered as one vote for Jefferson. No three fifths vote here. It also needed a majority, something neither candidate could muster for 35 ballots. (The Federalists decided to back Burr while the Democratic- Republicans stayed loyal to Jefferson). Finally, the great Machiavellian, Alexander Hamilton, was able to convince a few Federalists to switch their vote for Jefferson and he would become the nation’s third President.

Two things would come out of this circus of an election. Most importantly, an Amendment would be ratified to ensure that the President and Vice- President would be elected separately instead of just a vote for President. The electors would also be elected by way of popular vote in each state and, in general, The President and Vice President of the winning party (They would now run together as opposed to against each other like before). Not perfect but still a lot better than the shenanigans that were the 1800 election.

The other thing would have more tragic consequences as Hamilton’s involvement in the House election would cause bad blood between him and the ambitious Aaron Burr, who was not a happy camper at having to settle for being Jefferson’s VP.


First term: Though tensions with the French were dying down, The United States, already a player in global politics, had to deal with a declaration of war from Tripoli. The war never went beyond a couple of well publicized skirmishes but in the end, Tripoli got their butts proverbially handed back to them.

Again, relations with France were mended as Jefferson had supported the goals of the French Revolution. This opened up an opportunity as France, who had recently been ceded the part of the territory called Louisiana that they didn’t already own from Spain, needed money to support the wars Napoleon was waging all over Europe. Napoleon, needing the funds badly, sold the territory cheap, for $15 million as a matter of fact. Not a bad deal considering the fertile land the United States would now inherit. Despite some constitutional concerns (by Jefferson himself as a strict constitutionalist) and charges of hypocrisy by the more activist Federalists, the Senate happily ratified the purchase in October 1803 and the size of the US more than doubled. It would also be the last time large swaths of land were gained without force. (Yeah, I know, there’s the Gadsden purchase and Alaska but tell the Mexicans that- they didn’t sell us California after all. Okay, so they did, but only under force).

Jefferson also signed the Enabling act which made it easier for a territory to vote to become a state. Ohio would take advantage of the new law and it was admitted as a state in 1803.

But now we get to the worst moment in the Jefferson administration. Jefferson himself was widely popular after the Louisiana Purchase and people were eager to stake their claims on newly acquired lands (or, more to the point, lands they could legally take from the natives by any means necessary). The economy was booming, and people were happy.

But let’s face it. His Vice President was an A-hole. And he had it in for Alexander Hamilton, a former Secretary of the Treasury. In some ways Burr admired Hamilton as the only gentleman out of the many who were critical of him. It is speculated that was the reason it was Hamilton whom Burr challenged to a duel. Hamilton was reluctant at first, out of concerns for his family and his financial interests, but he relented as he couldn’t recant his criticisms of Burr.

So the two dueled off in Weehawken, New Jersey. Hamilton intentionally missed and that should have been the end of it.

But, like I said, Aaron Burr was an A-hole and he shot Hamilton in the abdomen. It was a fatal wound.

And with Hamilton gone, the Federalists died with him. Meanwhile, Aaron Burr suffered the curse of surviving, and his political career was all but over. Indeed, he would have to go on trial for treason three years later and though he was acquitted, his place in American history would be forever tarnished.

Election of 1804: Despite Aaron Burr, President Jefferson remained a popular figure, and, with new rules in place, was given a running mate more to his liking, George Clinton of New York. The Federalists, meanwhile, nominated Charles Pinckney of South Carolina. This time, the election would be less personal (though they did try to expose the affair with Sally Hemmings) than 1800 had been and more issue oriented, the Feds criticizing the Louisiana Purchase as unconstitutional and the Republicans comparing the Federalists to something of an aristocracy.

It didn’t matter very much come election day though as Jefferson won in a landslide, losing only Connecticut, Delaware, and two electors from Maryland. Jefferson was happy that the nation, despite all its differences, could still come together at times. And indeed, until recently anyway and with the exception of the Civil War perhaps, the Nation has always come together in times of crisis (the world wars, the Great Depression, even 9/11, etc.)

Second Term: This was an era for exploring as Jefferson had dispatched Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the Louisiana territory and beyond all the way to the Pacific Coast which was still controlled by Britain. The Tripoli war officially ended.

On the downside, there was concern about a war with Spain as Jefferson wanted Florida and then there was the adventures of his former Vice President, Aaron Burr. He arrived in New Orleans with a plan to create his own country and invade Mexico. This would lead to charges of treason. Burr would be acquitted but it had to be an embarrassment to the Jefferson administration, faultless as they were in the matter.

There was also the problems brewing overseas. France and Britain were at it once again and this time the US was right in the middle of it. Both nations were capturing Americans in order to impress them into their navies. This forced President Jefferson to stop trade with all European countries in the short run with the Embargo of 1807. This problem would only get worse, and it would lead to another war with Britain, a major one, that Jefferson’s friend and successor would have to deal with.

Overall, though, good things came out of the second term. Jefferson, despite having his own controversies owning slaves himself, stopped the slave trade in America (though slavery itself survived). The National Road project was also established under the Jefferson administration. In the end, Jefferson, who refused to run for a third term, left as a very popular President.

Post Presidency: Jefferson handpicked his successor, James Madison, who he was close friends with. Madison would be elected easily, and Jefferson retired to his plantation at Monticello. An intellectual by nature, Jefferson reveled in retirement by continuing his studies science and natural history. He was President of the American Philosophical Society until 1815. He also helped to found the University of Virginia.

He also forged a friendship with his onetime nemesis, John Adams and the two enjoyed a friendly mail correspondence until both died in 1826.

Jefferson lived an extravagant lifestyle, and it would cause some financial hardship for him. He had to use many of his 150 slaves as collateral and he sold much of his library to the Federal Government after the British had burned Washington during the War of 1812. Despite this, Jefferson remained wildly popular, even as he became terminally ill in early 1826. It is said he succumbed on July 4, 1826 after he was told he had made it to that day, a wish of both his and John Adams’, who would die just hours later.

Odd notes: From https://www.bostonteapartyship.com/t...efferson-facts
Jefferson’s grave is inscribed with the three things of which he was most proud. Being President wasn’t one of them.

President Jefferson was known to greet his guests while wearing slippers (The Presidents- History Channel)

Final Summary: I can’t help but think he would have been so better off without the baggage that was Aaron Burr. And, of course, he was flawed, and politically, I’d probably be more in line with the Federalist policies of Alexander Hamilton.

But the impact he made on the history of the United States is indisputable. He doubled the size of the nation and did it peacefully. Though maybe inadvertently but with good intentions nonetheless, he started the ball rolling on the abolition of slavery when he ended the import of slaves into the United States. And he certainly has to rate as one of the more intelligent men ever to hold the office even if his personal financial acumen was , well, a little faulty.

Most importantly, he was one of the few Presidents who could keep a divided nation fairly united, especially in a time of relative peace. If that doesn’t make him one of the great Presidents, I don’t know what does.

Overall rating: A-

https://millercenter.org/president/jefferson

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TheBig3

That's really a question of what you mean when you say "America."

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