How Thomas Jefferson Became President
Like John Adams, Thomas Jefferson also served as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress beginning in June 1775, soon after the outbreak of the Revolutionary War. He was 32 years old and didn't know many people in the Congress, but he soon formed an alliance and friendship with Adams. When Congress began considering a resolution of independence in June 1776, Adams worked to have Jefferson appointed to the five-man committee to write a declaration in support of the resolution. After discussing the general outline for the document, the committee decided that Jefferson would write the first draft. At first, the committee wanted Adams should write the document, but Adams persuaded the committee to choose Jefferson. A final draft was presented to the Congress on June 28, 1776.
Jefferson viewed the Independence of the American people as the natural outcome of being separated by the Atlantic Ocean. After voting in favor of the resolution of independence on July 2, Congress turned its attention to the declaration. After three days of debate, that included deletion of a passage critical of the slave trade, on July 4, 1776, the Congress ratified the Declaration of Independence and the delegates signed the document.
After the colonies declared their Independence, Jefferson returned to Virginia and was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates for Albemarle County in September 1776. He served as a Delegate from September 26, 1776 to June 1, 1779, as the war continued. In 1779, at the age of thirty-six, Jefferson was elected Governor of Virginia by the two houses of the legislature. The term was then for one year, and he was re-elected in 1780. As governor in 1780, he transferred the state capital from Williamsburg to Richmond. Jefferson served as a wartime governor, as the colonies continued the War against Great Britain. In late 1780, as Governor he prepared Richmond for attack by moving all military supplies to a foundry located five miles outside of town. In January 1781 General Benedict Arnold captured the foundry during his invasion of Richmond. Jefferson called for the Virginia militia to defend the city, but by the time the militia arrived, it was too late to prevent the siege. Jefferson evacuated Richmond as the armies met.
In early June 1781, British General Lord Cornwallis sent a 250-man cavalry force commanded by Banastre Tarleton on a secret expedition to capture Jefferson and members of the Assembly at Monticello but Jefferson was warned of the plan and escaped to Poplar Forest, his plantation to the west. His decision to flee the capital was heavily criticized at the time. The members of the General Assembly reconvened in June 1781 in Staunton, Virginia. They considered an official inquiry into Jefferson's actions, as they believed he had failed his responsibilities as governor. Jefferson was not re-elected.
Following its victory in the Revolutionary War and peace treaty with Great Britain in 1783, the United States formed a Congress of the Confederation, called the Continental Congress, to which Jefferson was appointed as a delegate from Virginia. Jefferson was sent by the Confederation Congress to Europe to join Benjamin Franklin and John Adams as ministers for purposes of negotiating commercial trade agreements with England, Spain, and France. Jefferson's wife Martha had died two years earlier, and Jefferson's grief was strong. Many believed that sending him to France would help him work through his wife's death. He took his young daughter Patsy and two servants and departed from Boston on July 5, 1784. They arrived in Paris on August 6. Franklin resigned as Minister to France in March 1785 and Jefferson was appointed his successor.
In January 1785, Lafayette, who had just arrived from America, broke the news to Jefferson that his daughter Lucy had recently died of whooping cough. His two youngest daughters were in the care of friends in the United States. In 1787, Jefferson sent for his youngest surviving child, Polly, then age nine. She was accompanied by Sally Hemings, a slave and younger sister of James. While in France he became a regular companion of Lafayette, who used his influence to help Jefferson procure trade agreements between America and France.
France was on the brink of Revolution, and Jefferson permitted his residence in Paris, the Hôtel de Langeac, to be used as a meeting place by Lafayette and other republicans. With revolution looming Jefferson often found his mail opened and wrote his important communications in codes throughout his public career. Jefferson was in Paris during the beginning of the French revolution, including the storming of the Bastille. He left Paris on September 26, 1789. He was a supporter of the Revolution, although he was opposed to some of its very violent and bloody aspects.
When Jefferson returned home, President George Washington wrote to him asking him to accept a seat in his Cabinet as Secretary of State. Jefferson accepted the appointment. While in Cabinet, Jefferson argued with Alexander Hamilton, the Secretary of the Treasury, over a number of issues, including the funding of the debts of the war. Their opposition led to the two-party system with Jefferson and James Madison organizing the Republican Party, known later as Democratic-Republican. He worked with Madison to build a nationwide network of Republican allies. Washington disliked the party system and Jefferson left the cabinet voluntarily at the end of 1793. It is said that Washington never spoke to him again.
The selection of Washington, DC as the capital city arose from a compromise between Jefferson and Hamilton. Hamilton wanted the capital to be close to the major centers of commerce, i.e. New York and Philadelphia, while Jefferson wanted it to be close to the agricultural south. The two men struck a compromise at a private dinner on June 20, 1790 that Jefferson hosted in New York City. Under the terms of this agreement, the nation's capital would be located on the Potomac River, and the federal government would assume the huge war debts of all 13 states.
Jefferson supported France against Britain when the two nations fought in 1793. Jefferson believed that political success at home depended on the success of the French army in Europe. Jefferson retired to Monticello, from where he continued to oppose the policies of Hamilton and Washington.
Jefferson was chosen as the Democratic-Republican (then called Republican) presidential candidate in 1796. He finished second to President John Adams of the Federalists, but had enough electoral votes to become Vice President. As Vice President, unlike Adams who threw himself into the middle of the debates, Jefferson let the Senate conduct their own debates and confined his activity to deciding issues of procedure.
When the Quasi-War began with France, the Federalists began rebuilding the military, levied new taxes, and enacted the Alien and Sedition Acts. Jefferson believed that these acts were intended to suppress Democratic-Republicans rather than dangerous enemy aliens. Jefferson and Madison anonymously wrote the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, which declared that the federal government had no right to exercise powers not specifically delegated to it by the states. In the Kentucky Resolutions, Jefferson warned that the Alien and Sedition Acts would lead to disunion.
In the spring of 1797, Jefferson held confidential talks with the French consul Joseph Letombe. In these meetings, Jefferson criticized Adams and encouraged France to invade England. Pressure against the Adams Administration from Jefferson and his supporters, led Congress to released the papers related to the XYZ Affair, which rallied a shift in popular opinion from Jefferson and the French government to support for Adams.
In the presidential election of 1800, Jefferson worked closely with Aaron Burr, together they rallied enough support to defeat Adams. Jefferson and Burr received a majority of the electoral votes, but the two were tied and the electoral voting at the time did not distinguish between President and Vice President. The election was decided in the outgoing Congress, by the Federalist-dominated House of Representatives.
Though the Federalists opposed both Jefferson and Burr, Alexander Hamilton, leader of the Federalists, convinced his party that Jefferson was the lesser of two evils, and Jefferson was ultimately selected as President by Congress, ironically with support from his political enemy. On February 17, 1801, after thirty-six ballots, the House elected Jefferson President and Burr Vice President.
Many historians have considered Jefferson to be a forward thinker, a renaissance man who promoted science and scholarship. Abraham Lincoln called Jefferson "the most distinguished politician in our history." Many recent historians are critical of Jefferson for his inconsistent views on race and slavery, his disloyalty under Washington and Adams, and his advocacy of nullification and secession. Despite these criticisms, many scholarly rankings of Presidents continue to rate him among the top ten presidents.
Jefferson viewed the Independence of the American people as the natural outcome of being separated by the Atlantic Ocean. After voting in favor of the resolution of independence on July 2, Congress turned its attention to the declaration. After three days of debate, that included deletion of a passage critical of the slave trade, on July 4, 1776, the Congress ratified the Declaration of Independence and the delegates signed the document.
After the colonies declared their Independence, Jefferson returned to Virginia and was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates for Albemarle County in September 1776. He served as a Delegate from September 26, 1776 to June 1, 1779, as the war continued. In 1779, at the age of thirty-six, Jefferson was elected Governor of Virginia by the two houses of the legislature. The term was then for one year, and he was re-elected in 1780. As governor in 1780, he transferred the state capital from Williamsburg to Richmond. Jefferson served as a wartime governor, as the colonies continued the War against Great Britain. In late 1780, as Governor he prepared Richmond for attack by moving all military supplies to a foundry located five miles outside of town. In January 1781 General Benedict Arnold captured the foundry during his invasion of Richmond. Jefferson called for the Virginia militia to defend the city, but by the time the militia arrived, it was too late to prevent the siege. Jefferson evacuated Richmond as the armies met.
In early June 1781, British General Lord Cornwallis sent a 250-man cavalry force commanded by Banastre Tarleton on a secret expedition to capture Jefferson and members of the Assembly at Monticello but Jefferson was warned of the plan and escaped to Poplar Forest, his plantation to the west. His decision to flee the capital was heavily criticized at the time. The members of the General Assembly reconvened in June 1781 in Staunton, Virginia. They considered an official inquiry into Jefferson's actions, as they believed he had failed his responsibilities as governor. Jefferson was not re-elected.
Following its victory in the Revolutionary War and peace treaty with Great Britain in 1783, the United States formed a Congress of the Confederation, called the Continental Congress, to which Jefferson was appointed as a delegate from Virginia. Jefferson was sent by the Confederation Congress to Europe to join Benjamin Franklin and John Adams as ministers for purposes of negotiating commercial trade agreements with England, Spain, and France. Jefferson's wife Martha had died two years earlier, and Jefferson's grief was strong. Many believed that sending him to France would help him work through his wife's death. He took his young daughter Patsy and two servants and departed from Boston on July 5, 1784. They arrived in Paris on August 6. Franklin resigned as Minister to France in March 1785 and Jefferson was appointed his successor.
In January 1785, Lafayette, who had just arrived from America, broke the news to Jefferson that his daughter Lucy had recently died of whooping cough. His two youngest daughters were in the care of friends in the United States. In 1787, Jefferson sent for his youngest surviving child, Polly, then age nine. She was accompanied by Sally Hemings, a slave and younger sister of James. While in France he became a regular companion of Lafayette, who used his influence to help Jefferson procure trade agreements between America and France.
France was on the brink of Revolution, and Jefferson permitted his residence in Paris, the Hôtel de Langeac, to be used as a meeting place by Lafayette and other republicans. With revolution looming Jefferson often found his mail opened and wrote his important communications in codes throughout his public career. Jefferson was in Paris during the beginning of the French revolution, including the storming of the Bastille. He left Paris on September 26, 1789. He was a supporter of the Revolution, although he was opposed to some of its very violent and bloody aspects.
When Jefferson returned home, President George Washington wrote to him asking him to accept a seat in his Cabinet as Secretary of State. Jefferson accepted the appointment. While in Cabinet, Jefferson argued with Alexander Hamilton, the Secretary of the Treasury, over a number of issues, including the funding of the debts of the war. Their opposition led to the two-party system with Jefferson and James Madison organizing the Republican Party, known later as Democratic-Republican. He worked with Madison to build a nationwide network of Republican allies. Washington disliked the party system and Jefferson left the cabinet voluntarily at the end of 1793. It is said that Washington never spoke to him again.
The selection of Washington, DC as the capital city arose from a compromise between Jefferson and Hamilton. Hamilton wanted the capital to be close to the major centers of commerce, i.e. New York and Philadelphia, while Jefferson wanted it to be close to the agricultural south. The two men struck a compromise at a private dinner on June 20, 1790 that Jefferson hosted in New York City. Under the terms of this agreement, the nation's capital would be located on the Potomac River, and the federal government would assume the huge war debts of all 13 states.
Jefferson supported France against Britain when the two nations fought in 1793. Jefferson believed that political success at home depended on the success of the French army in Europe. Jefferson retired to Monticello, from where he continued to oppose the policies of Hamilton and Washington.
Jefferson was chosen as the Democratic-Republican (then called Republican) presidential candidate in 1796. He finished second to President John Adams of the Federalists, but had enough electoral votes to become Vice President. As Vice President, unlike Adams who threw himself into the middle of the debates, Jefferson let the Senate conduct their own debates and confined his activity to deciding issues of procedure.
When the Quasi-War began with France, the Federalists began rebuilding the military, levied new taxes, and enacted the Alien and Sedition Acts. Jefferson believed that these acts were intended to suppress Democratic-Republicans rather than dangerous enemy aliens. Jefferson and Madison anonymously wrote the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, which declared that the federal government had no right to exercise powers not specifically delegated to it by the states. In the Kentucky Resolutions, Jefferson warned that the Alien and Sedition Acts would lead to disunion.
In the spring of 1797, Jefferson held confidential talks with the French consul Joseph Letombe. In these meetings, Jefferson criticized Adams and encouraged France to invade England. Pressure against the Adams Administration from Jefferson and his supporters, led Congress to released the papers related to the XYZ Affair, which rallied a shift in popular opinion from Jefferson and the French government to support for Adams.
In the presidential election of 1800, Jefferson worked closely with Aaron Burr, together they rallied enough support to defeat Adams. Jefferson and Burr received a majority of the electoral votes, but the two were tied and the electoral voting at the time did not distinguish between President and Vice President. The election was decided in the outgoing Congress, by the Federalist-dominated House of Representatives.
Though the Federalists opposed both Jefferson and Burr, Alexander Hamilton, leader of the Federalists, convinced his party that Jefferson was the lesser of two evils, and Jefferson was ultimately selected as President by Congress, ironically with support from his political enemy. On February 17, 1801, after thirty-six ballots, the House elected Jefferson President and Burr Vice President.
Many historians have considered Jefferson to be a forward thinker, a renaissance man who promoted science and scholarship. Abraham Lincoln called Jefferson "the most distinguished politician in our history." Many recent historians are critical of Jefferson for his inconsistent views on race and slavery, his disloyalty under Washington and Adams, and his advocacy of nullification and secession. Despite these criticisms, many scholarly rankings of Presidents continue to rate him among the top ten presidents.