Thomas Jeffereson
Garrett Tittle
Biography
He was born on April 13 1743 in Shadwell Virginia and he died July 4 1826 in Charlottesville Virginia. His wifes name was Martha Wayles and they had five children. Before he became president he was the delegate to the Second Continental Congress from Virginia. then he was the 2nd Governor of Virginia. After that he was the Delegate to the Congress of the Confederation from Virginia. He was also the United States Minister to France and the first United States Secretary of State. The last thing he was before he became President was the Vice President to John Adams. As President he began by eliminating the whiskey excise and all other federal internal taxes. The also down sized the navy becasue they were in a peacetime and it was not necessary. They also tried to dismantle the national bank fearing that it would increase the national debt of at that time 83 million. He also made the Louisiana purchase. After he was president he spent most of his time pursing educational interests, selling his vast collection of books to the Library of Congress and founded the building of the University of Virginia.
Achievments And Failures
Achievements
- Louisiana Purchase
- Advocated states rights over national institutions
- Cut Federal Spending and reduced to national debt
Failures
- Embargo Act
- Both the British and the French refused to respect Americas policy of neutrality
- The British kept conducting search and seizures of American ships and brought over American sailors to the British Navy
Thomas Jefferson was a popular President and many people loved him for all he did for America
James Madison
Secretary of State
Samuel Dexter
Secretary of Treasury
Henry Dearborn
Secretary of War