Thomas Jefferson

From Conservapedia

Thomas Jefferson

3^rd President of the United States
Term of office March 4, 1801 - March 4, 1809^[1]
Political party	Democratic-Republican
Vice Presidents	Aaron Burr (1801-1805) George Clinton (1805-1809)
Preceded by	John Adams
Succeeded by	James Madison
2^nd Vice-President of the United States
Term of office March 4, 1797 - March 4, 1801
Political party	Democratic-Republican
President	John Adams
Preceded by	John Adams
Succeeded by	Aaron Burr

Born	April 13, 1743 Shadwell, Virginia
Died	July 4, 1826 Charlottesville, Virginia
Spouse	Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson
Religion	Deist? Christian?

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) was the 3rd President of the United States of America and often credited as the author of the Declaration of Independence, although he had considerable input from John Adams.

Jefferson was a prominent architect, inventor and scientist. Jefferson, along with James Madison, was a member of the Democratic-Republican Party, an early political group that was opposed by the Federalist Party. After first serving as Vice President under John Adams, he defeated Adams in the next election and became President in his own right, a position that he held for 2 terms (8 years). Based on the early history of elections in the United States, the Vice President was not at that time appointed by the President as is true today. The Vice Presidency went to the person with the second highest number of election delegates, which was Jefferson. Jefferson, even though he was Vice President under Adams, was not a part of Adam's Federalist Party and in fact was opposed to much of Adam's political work.

1 Presidency
2 Religious Views
3 The Right to Bear Arms
4 Death
5 References

Presidency

As President Jefferson slashed Army and Navy expenditures, cut the budget, eliminated the tax on whiskey so unpopular in the West, yet reduced the national debt by a third. He also sent a naval squadron to fight the Barbary pirates, who were harassing American commerce in the Mediterranean. Further, although the Constitution made no provision for the acquisition of new land, Jefferson suppressed his qualms over constitutionality when he had the opportunity to acquire the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon in 1803. This then controversial Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the United States of America.

During Jefferson's second term, he was increasingly preoccupied with keeping the Nation from involvement in the Napoleonic wars, though both England and France interfered with the neutral rights of American merchantmen. Jefferson's attempted solution, an embargo upon American shipping, worked badly and was unpopular.

Religious Views

Many liberal textbooks and online resources claim that Jefferson was a deist,^[2] but Jefferson's own description of his views show more complexity.

In one of his writings now inscribed on the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C., Jefferson said:

God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that his justice cannot sleep forever.

Jefferson's Second Inaugural Address implied that, unlike deists, he believed in divine intervention:

"I shall need, too, the favor of that Being in whose hands we are, who led our forefathers, as Israel of old."

In an 1803 letter to Dr. Benjamin Rush, Jefferson declared that "I am a Christian," though his view of Christianity was different from most:

I then promised you that one day or other I would give you my views of [the Christian religion]. They are the result of a life of inquiry and reflection, and very different from that anti-Christian system imputed to me by those who know nothing of my opinions. To the corruptions of Christianity I am indeed opposed, but not to the genuine precepts of Jesus himself. I am a Christian, in the only sense in which he wished anyone to be: sincerely attached to his doctrines in preference to all others, ascribing to himself every human excellence, and believing he never claimed any other.^[3]

However, despite Jefferson's self-declared Christianity, many of his views would be considered incorrect or even heretical by most Christians. Most notably, he attempted to create the Jefferson Bible - an edited version of the New Testament intended to retain Christ's moral and practical teaching, while disposing of supernatural or inconvenient elements.

Jefferson certainly believed Jesus to be a great teacher of morality, and believed the universe to be created by a God. Less clear is his views on subjects such as the divinity of Christ, the resurrection, sin and salvation. The Jefferson Bible suggests he rejects these ideas entirely, but is not definitive. Jefferson never had the Bible published during his lifetime. He did have this to say about Christianity and the message contained in the work that he created.

There will be found remaining the most sublime and benevolent code of morals which has ever been offered to man.^[4]

The Right to Bear Arms

"In a nation governed by the people themselves, the possession of arms to defend their nation against usurpers within and without was deemed absolutely necessary. This right is protected by the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution. A gun was an everyday implement in early American society, and Jefferson recommended its use." ^[5]

A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercises, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball, and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun, therefore, be the constant companion of your walks. --Thomas Jefferson to Peter Carr, 1785. ME 5:85, Papers 8:407

The constitutions of most of our States assert that all power is inherent in the people; that... it is their right and duty to be at all times armed. --Thomas Jefferson to John Cartwright, 1824. ME 16:45

One loves to possess arms, though they hope never to have occasion for them. --Thomas Jefferson to George Washington, 1796. ME 9:341

Death

Jefferson died on July 4th, Independence Day, in 1826. It was the same day as the death of John Adams. While rivals during their time in government, they started writing personal letters to each other in later life.