Thomas Jefferson - Essay Example

Thomas Jefferson the Third President of the United s Affiliation Thomas Jefferson the Third President of the United s Thomas Jefferson was the third President of the United States of America. The Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom are two of his achievements. In the book on the three emperors that introduces Thomas Jefferson, the author begins by highlighting the scenario where Jefferson accepted a plaster copy of a bust of Tsar Alexander as a gift. The author is perplexed that the author of the Declaration of Independence admired the autocratic Tsar.

According to Jefferson, all the other monarchs had failed in their mandate except for Tsar. In his opinion, Alexander was different from his peers and would relieve the people from oppression.Jefferson believed that the monarchy system was a flawed system, but also understood that not all societies had reached the level required to sustain a republic. He had a great admiration for Tsar Alexander and even wrote to him constantly to commend him for his good character. He believed that Alexander was an enlightened monarch who would alleviate the suffering of his people.

He even asked Alexander to mediate the ongoing dispute between the United States and Britain. The author of the ‘Three Emperors’ feels that it is because of this admiration for Alexander that Jefferson accepted the gift.In the parlor, President Jefferson placed the bust opposite the bust of Napoleon to show that the two were totally different. The author of this book feels that these two rulers were not different from each other, but just had different ways of doing the same thing. The author feels that the distinction should have been Jefferson and the European rulers.

Jefferson was concerned with access to land and the international trade for the state to flourish. The author states that Jefferson was pragmatic in the means he used to achieve the success of his people, although he was guided by clear ideological visions.Jefferson used statecraft means to achieve his goals of protecting the interests of the people of America from a world that he believed was hostile. Jefferson’s way of leadership showed that he belonged to the idealist school of thought that believes that the policies that determine action in America, should be based on moral principles.

Jefferson was able to achieve his long-term diplomatic success by using moral principles and a righteous tone. He envisioned a world where disputes between nations were resolved amicably without resulting in war. He used different means to attain whatever he wanted, but the results were consistent.I would hold the same opinion about Thomas Jefferson as the author of this book. For example, if we would look at some of his greatest achievements we find consistency in the results. He had a clear vision for the American republic, but made sure to use rational means to achieve this.

During his rule, he was able to quell the problem of the barbaric pirates. He was also able to expand the territory through the purchase of Louisiana from France in 1803. His acquisitions doubled the size of the United States. Thomas Jefferson was determined to rule in the same way he had risen to power. His character as a political leader was depicted in the way he did things that shows that the means he used to achieve what he set to do were different.ReferenceJefferson, T. (2012). Autobiography of Thomas Jefferson.

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