The+Jefferson+Administration

Thomas Jefferson could be characterized as a conciliatory president, much like Barack Obama. He was quite passive in terms of conflicts; his presidency took place during relatively peaceful years in America. He said of religion that the “ the way to religious disputes is to take no notice of them.” Jefferson was a very anti-social, introverted president, comparative to Calvin Coolidge. Some sources have speculated that he may have had [|Asperger’s Syndrome], a very mild type of autism where the afflicted does not recognize common social cues and withdraws in upon one self. Though Jefferson owned a large number of slaves, he refused to take on the air of an aristocrat. He was not a bigot, saying in a letter to freed, educated slave Benjamin Banneker that “ nature has given to our black brethren, talents equal to those of the other colors of men.” Jefferson, with his insatiable thirst for education and common-man pretense, was certainly one of the most interesting presidents as a person. Jefferson the Politician Jefferson was [|Democratic Republican], meaning he favored states’ rights as opposed to a federal government. Jefferson shrunk both government spending and the military, trying to destroy national debt completely in response to Alexander Hamilton’s strategy to have a permanent national deficit. Jefferson’s major military event of his presidency was the [|Barbary Pirates] affair; when Tripoli cut down an American flag in front of the consulate there, Jefferson negotiated with the Barbary leaders. In return for releasing American prisoners captured at sea, the US would have to pay a ransom of $60,000. Jefferson dealt with the issue of impressments, specifically the British impressing deserters they found on American ships. The president, along with secretary of state James Madison, narrowly avoided war. A subsequent action resulting from this was the embargo, or a cutoff of all outside trade. It was a spectacular failure economically, causing a depression. The Louisiana Purchase, though not specifically signed into law by Jefferson (Robert Livingston and James Monroe did), helped the president set a precedent for dealing with newly acquired territory. Jefferson presided over //Marbury v. Madison//, a historical Supreme Court and Marshall Court case where the power of judicial review, of the power of the Supreme Court to “nullify an act of Congress,” was upheld.
 * Jefferson the Person **

Works Cited "Biography of Thomas Jefferson, Author of the Declaration of Independence and Third President of the United States." //Thomas Jefferson's Monticello//. Web. 25 May 2010. .Brinkley, Alan. "The Jeffersonian Era." //American History: A Survey//. 12th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2007. Print.Curtis, Jeannette. "Asperger's Syndrome - Symptoms - Yahoo! Health." //Yahoo! Health: Diet & Fitness, Mind & Mood, Longevity, Conditions & Diseases, & Drug Guide//. Web. 25 May 2010. .Newman, John J., and John M. Schmalbach. //United States History: Preparing for the Advanced Placement Examination//. Amsco School Publications, 2006. Print."Thomas Jefferson Quotes." //Find the Famous Quotes You Need, ThinkExist.com Quotations.// Web. 25 May 2010. ."Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Banneker." //Infoplease: Encyclopedia, Almanac, Atlas, Biographies, Dictionary, Thesaurus. Free Online Reference, Research & Homework Help. — Infoplease.com//. Web. 25 May 2010. .