Jefferson and the Presidency

1801 - 1809

“a splendid misery”

- Thomas Jefferson, 1797

Path to the Presidency ... First Term ... Second Term ... Legacy

The Path to the Presidency

Jefferson entered politics in 1769, serving 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: Jefferson's Political Career
The Revolutionary Jefferson The Declaration of Independence set Jefferson on the path to the Presidency of the nation he helped to create.
Vice President Jefferson As Vice President, Jefferson believed his role was limited to presiding over the Senate and created "A Manual of Parliamentary Practice" that remains in use today.
The "Revolution of 1800" Jefferson described his ascent to the Presidency following the bitter campaign between the Federalist and Democratic-Republican Parties to decide the nation's future as "The Revolution of 1800."
Timeline: Jefferson's Political Career

"When I retired from this place and the office of Secretary of state, it was in the firmest contemplation of never more returning here...The second office of this government is honorable and easy. The first is but a splendid misery."

Thomas Jefferson to Elbridge Gerry, Writing from Philadelphia, May 13, 1797

Watch as 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.

Jefferson's First Term

“Let us then, fellow citizens, unite with one heart and one mind.”
-Thomas Jefferson, March 4, 1801

Jefferson's First Inauguration
Jefferson Asks the Nation to Unite Read Jefferson's full inaugural address for his first term of office.
The Louisiana Purchase Massachusetts Senator John Quincy Adams rejected his Federalist Party's opposition to the Louisiana Purchase as a wasteful expenditure, supporting the measure as a means to peacefully double the size of the nation and ensure its future growth and prosperity.
Pirates of the Mediterranean In 1801, Jefferson inherited troubled relations with the Barbary states which quickly bubbled over into what was later termed the Frist Barbary War. This podcast discusses the conflict and how Jefferson's actions stretched the limits of executive powers.
Jefferson's First Inauguration
Jefferson’s First Year A new administration meant a new Cabinet for President Jefferson. Learn more about the men who helped shaped the third Presidency of America.
Jefferson’s Protocol Problems In 1801, Jefferson wondered whether the new Republican system of government didn't call for a new, more democratic model of diplomatic behavior.
An Author, Not an Orator Presenting addresses before audiences was often a daunting task for Jefferson. Learn more about how he handled public speaking - or bypassed it entirely - during his years of public service.

Jefferson' 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.

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Jefferson's Second Term

“As for what is not true, you will always find abundance in the newspapers”
- Thomas Jefferson to Barnabas Bidwell, 1806

Jefferson’s Second Inaugural Address Read the full text of Jefferson’s Second Inaugural Address, delivered March 4th, 1805.
Twice is not as Nice? Watch as first-person interpreter Bill Barker discusses Jefferson’s Second Inauguration and troubled Second Term as President.
“ …the artillery of the Press has been levelled against us…” Jefferson devoted nearly a third of his Second Inaugural Address to attacking the press. Check out our resources on the never-ending tension between the press, politicians, and the public.
Impressment and Embargo Listen to this podcast about Jefferson’s greatest presidential challenge - and failure.
Lewis and Clark Expedition Jefferson selected Captain Meriwether Lewis to lead the "Corps of Discovery" expedition to explore the newly-acquired American West and find a direct trade route to Asia.
Passing the Torch Read Margaret Bayard Smith’s account of Thomas Jefferson’s last day as President and James Madison’s Inauguration

  

Legacy

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.

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