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|name=Thomas Jefferson

|name=Thomas Jefferson

|image=Thomas-jefferson-1805.jpg

|image=Thomas-jefferson-1805.jpg

|party=

|party=Republicans (Jeffersonian)

|spouse=Martha Wayles Skelton

|spouse=Martha Wayles Skelton

|religion=Christian [[Deism]]

|religion=Christian [[Deism]]

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}}

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'''Thomas Jefferson''' (1743-1826), was one of early proponents of a [[Constitutional Republic]]  in world history and one of the [[Founding Fathers]] of the [[United States]]. He was the primary author of the [[Declaration of Independence]] (1776), relying heavily on the ideas in the [[Virginia Declaration of Rights]].  Jefferson was also the first Secretary of State (1789-1793), and the founder of one of the world's two first political parties, the [[Democratic-Republican Party|Jeffersonian Republican Party]] (1793) in opposition to the [[Federalist Party]] of his arch-rival [[Alexander Hamilton]]. He "distrusted the federal government because he knew it would grow too large, become disconnected from the people, and be heir to the arrogance, insolence and prideful haughtiness that is the lot of the unrestrained ..."<ref> [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/dec/16/pruden-winning-the-war-against-civility/ PRUDEN: Winning the war against ‘civility’] - Editorial in the [[Washington Times[[</ref>

'''Thomas Jefferson''' (1743-1826), was one of early proponents of a [[Constitutional Republic]]  in world history and one of the [[Founding Fathers]] of the [[United States]]. He was the primary author of the [[Declaration of Independence]] (1776), relying heavily on the ideas in the [[Virginia Declaration of Rights]].  Jefferson was also the first Secretary of State (1789-1793), and the founder of one of the world's two first political parties, the [[Republicans (Jeffersonian)|Jeffersonian Republicans]] (1792) in opposition to the [[Federalist Party]] of his arch-rival [[Alexander Hamilton]]. He "distrusted the federal government because he knew it would grow too large, become disconnected from the people, and be heir to the arrogance, insolence and prideful haughtiness that is the lot of the unrestrained ..."<ref> [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/dec/16/pruden-winning-the-war-against-civility/ PRUDEN: Winning the war against ‘civility’] - Editorial in the [[Washington Times[[</ref>

A friend of France and the French Revolution, and a bitter enemy of Britain in the 1790s, Jefferson soured on France after [[Napoleon]] came to power and ended democracy there. As President (1801-1809) Jefferson purchased the vast Louisiana Territory in 1803, but was generally ineffective and made a big mistake in signing the [[Embargo Act of 1807]] into law, which he later extended to prohibit certain trade with Canada.  Though the embargo applied to both Britain and France, it heightened tensions with Britain, caused economic problems in the United States, and led to the [[War of 1812]].  

A friend of France and the French Revolution, and a bitter enemy of Britain in the 1790s, Jefferson soured on France after [[Napoleon]] came to power and ended democracy there. As President (1801-1809) Jefferson purchased the vast Louisiana Territory in 1803, but was generally ineffective and made a big mistake in signing the [[Embargo Act of 1807]] into law, which he later extended to prohibit certain trade with Canada.  Though the embargo applied to both Britain and France, it heightened tensions with Britain, caused economic problems in the United States, and led to the [[War of 1812]].