The Presidency (1801 - 1809)
“ The second office of this government is honorable and easy. The first is but a splendid misery.”
The Path to the Presidency
Jefferson entered politics in 1769 and served as a member of colonial Virginia's House of Burgesses, a Virginia delegate to the Continental Congress, Governor of Virginia in the American Revolution, U.S. Minister to France, the new nation's first Secretary of State, and Vice President under John Adams before being elected the third president in 1801.
Timeline of Jefferson's Life and Political Career
Jefferson's authorship of the Declaration of Independence set him on the path to the Presidency of the nation he helped to create.
Jefferson believed presiding over the Senate was the Vice President's sole function, creating "A Manual of Parliamentary Practice" that remains in use today.
Jefferson described his ascent to the Presidency following a bitter campaign to decide the nation's future as "The Revolution of 1800."
“ Let us then, fellow citizens, unite with one heart and one mind.”
Jefferson and his Cabinet
The bitterly contested campaign and the drawn-out election process, plus the predictions of resistance to the new administration and whispers about the possibility of civil war, inspired Jefferson to use his inaugural address to unify the nation.
Read the complete text of Jefferson's First Inaugural Address
Jefferson and his Cabinet moved quickly to transform the Federal Government and make his vision of America a reality..
Protocol Problems: Jefferson's informality shocked the diplomatic community in Washington.
Pirates of the Mediterranean: Jefferson inherited troubled relations with the Barbary states which quickly erupted into what was later termed the First Barbary War.
The Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis & Clark Expedition: Jefferson was already planning Lewis and Clark's exploration of the American West when France suddenly offered to sell the Louisiana Territory to the U.S.
Jefferson's Landslide: The Election of 1804
Jefferson's well-organized Democratic-Republican Party faced little opposition from the Federalist Party, leaderless and disorganized after Alexander Hamilton's death in a duel with Vice President Aaron Burr. Jefferson easily defeated Federalist Charles C. Pinckney, winning almost 73% of the popular vote. He accounted for his success as the result of his administration's policies to improve foreign relations, eliminate internal taxes, and double the size of the nation with the Louisiana Purchase. Despite this electoral triumph, Jefferson's second term ended with the nation divided and on the brink of war.
“ As for what is not true, you will always find abundance in the newspapers”
Read the full text of Jefferson’s Second Inaugural Address, delivered March 4th, 1805.
“ …the artillery of the Press has been levelled against us…” - Jefferson attacked the press in his Second Inaugural Address, which he saw as a necessary evil for the survival of representative government.
British impressment of American citizens into the Royal Navy and Jefferson's unpopular embargo to deter the practice resulted in his greatest presidential challenge - and greatest presidential failure.
Passing the Torch: Thomas Jefferson's "splendid misery" ended on March 4th, 1809 when James Madison was sworn in as President.
Jefferson's two terms as president left behind a mixed legacy. The first Barbary War ended in victory, yet that peace did not last. The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the country and provided the natural resources to make the U.S. a world power, but displaced and disrupted the culture of Native Americans. Unresolved issues with Great Britain would lead to the War of 1812 and the problem of slavery would eventually tear the nation apart. In Jefferson's words: "the boisterous sea of liberty is never without a wave" and the experiment in self government begun in 1776 remains a never ending work in progress.
Reflections on Jefferson's Inaugurations and Presidency with first-person interpreter Bill Barker
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First-person interpreter Bill Barker shares the story of bitter political rivalry, an election thrown into the House, and the ultimate peaceful transfer of power from one political party to another.
![Portrait of Thomas Jefferson in his 70s with gray hair parted in the middle wearing a high-collared black coat with a white scarf around his neck]()
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First-person interpreter Bill Barker discusses Jefferson’s Second Inauguration and troubled second term as President.
![Close up of the hands of a modern-day Jefferson first-person interpreter sitting at a desk and writing on a document.]()
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