Synthesis Essay - Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson The Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy defines a leader as “…someone who influences others to achieve a goal.” (CF02, FRLD, p. 9, 2012) Thomas Jefferson was a visionary and ethical leader that fought for and ensured that a group of colonies in a new land achieved the ultimate goal of creating the United States of America. While he was the third President of our nation, one could argue that his most influential work came years before his Presidency. Jefferson’s visionary and transformational leadership was crucial to inciting the Colonists and his passion was evident in the words he used to declare our independence from British tyranny. His ethical character was also
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Thomas Jefferson played a key and influential role in the American Revolution by putting his thoughts on paper. Before the Declaration of Independence was imagined, discussed, or signed, Jefferson was publishing works to promote his vision. He unknowingly used the Transformational Leadership and developed a plan that was broken down into three steps. First, in 1774, he published the Summary View of the Rights of British America, which was a pamphlet used to inform the Continental Congress of their standing with the British Crown. The goal of the pamphlet was to intellectually stimulate Colonial leaders and appeal to their emotions. (www.loc.gov, 2014) Jefferson’s saw the inequality in a special way and he wanted the Colonial leaders to fully understand their plight. Step two came a year later in 1775 when Jefferson wrote the Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms. (www.loc.gov, 2014) This time Jefferson’s intent was to start a fire within the Colonists and he achieved this through Inspirational Motivation and Idealized Influence. (CF02, FRLD, p. 22, 2012) Finally, Jefferson was able to bring the Colonial leaders on board with revolution and step three was to write the Declaration of Independence and rally the public. Thomas Jefferson was selected to chair the group that wrote the Declaration of Independence. This time he used Inspirational Motivation and Idealized Influence to gain public approval and rally the Colonists to fight for their
One reason that The Declaration of Independence was so influential was that Thomas Jefferson’s claims against the King of England were easy to understand and logical. Typical complaints include “For quartering large Bodies of Armed Troops among us;” and “For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent.” Jefferson uses plain language that everyone can understand to point out large injustices done by the king. His statements about the King are short and to the point. He does not waste any words or bore the reader with abstract writing or excess words and thoughts. He goes from one point to the next to the next in such a fashion that the reader’s concentration is never broken. His points are logical and everyone living in the colonies at that time and many people around the world probably had some idea of the incidents behind all his grievances against the king. Jefferson raps up the injustices done by the king by declaring the United Colonies to be free and independent states.
Before the Declaration of Independence was signed, colonists were treated very unfairly by their mother-countries leader, King George III. King George had not helped the 13 colonies in any way and really only used them to gain wealth for Great Britain and himself. George’s method of gaining wealth from the 13 colonies was that they could only trade to Great Britain, which did not help the 13 colonies expand as a country. Also, he heavily taxed colonists on the western hemisphere because he needed aid to pay off his former war debts. The colonists were not happy about his acts because it gave them little opportunity of expanding their wealth or fortune which, is the main idea of coming to the “New World.” This made colonists very angry now was thickening the hatred for their leader they were now just as motivated as the politicians; resulting in, plenty of change, leading to the American Revolution. Jefferson understood the colonists and he was able to express or summarize their ideas, thoughts, and motivations through the document; “We the People”. Even though the Declaration of Independence was a main contribute to the ending of the American Revolution, the war had lasted an extra five years with Britain. Britain did not want to lose the 13 colonies
Thomas Jefferson was the third American President. Due to the fact that he was such an early President, he influenced our political system greatly, both in the short and long term with his seemingly quiet approach to congressional matters. During his presidency, many things happened that changed the United States as we know it. He coordinated the Louisiana Purchase, assisted in implementing the twelfth amendment, formed the character of the modern American President, and cut the U.S.’s war debt by a third.
He is best remembered as a great president and as the author of the Declaration of Independence. He also won lasting fame as a diplomat, a political thinker, and a founder of the Democratic Party. Jefferson's interests and talents covered an amazing range. He became one of the leading American architects of his time and designed the Virginia Capitol, the University of Virginia, and his own home, Monticello. He greatly appreciated art and music and tried to encourage their advancement in the United States. He arranged for the famous French sculptor Jean Houdon to come to America to make a statue of George Washington. Jefferson also posed for Houdon and for the famous American portrait painter Gilbert Stuart.
Thomas Jefferson's ideals and beliefs were derived from a deep regard for life, liberty, and freedom. His concept of individual freedoms strongly disagreed with the notion of a "guided republic" which he believed concentrated a great deal unchecked power among a few people. This could have the potential of tyrannical government that might suppress personal freedoms of any kind especially those of religion, which Jefferson feels very strongly felt should be protected. After fighting hard to rid America of British domination, Jefferson was determined to create a government that was responsible to, and derived its powers from, a free people. As the writer of the Declaration of Independence and the Virginia Statute for
Eugene R. Sheridan is a member of the Princeton University Department of History and Senior Associate Editor of the Papers of Thomas Jefferson. He has written books and articles on a number of subjects in early American History. To begin with, the author cites specific achievements that Thomas Jefferson made, starting with the contributions he did when he was part of the Continental Congress. “As a member of the Continental Congress, he proclaimed in the imperishable prose of the Declaration of Independence the values of liberty, equality, and natural rights that always have been at the heart of the American experiment in self-government” (Sheridan 64). He specifically speaks about his participation as the main author of the Declaration of Independence.
We always hear about Thomas Jefferson in our history classes, as one of the most influential American politicians at the time of the nation’s birth. Though, we don’t always take the time to understand why this is the case. Looking at what he accomplished as president and politician seems mind boggling. In my blog, I will discuss Thomas Jefferson’s major accomplishments, his leadership lessons, and criticisms of his actions.
Thomas Jefferson was a man with many beliefs. He believed in many different things such as, Man was created equal, but at the same time he believed that those of color was “Without necessity” and they are by their habits. He had a very different side to him that need to be revealed to these here truths and dignity!
Author of the Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson was a leading figure, in America's early development he wrote with such influential words in which help shape our government.
Thomas Jefferson was a leader when he took control during the revolutionary war. Thomas Jefferson wrote all of the first draft of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and after it was done very few changes were made to it, and it was considered treason, which could have soon lead to prison.(Donald Phillips and Deborah Kent) On July 4th 1776 the Declaration of Independence was officially approved by the second continental congress. He also published a summary view of the rights of British America. During the revolutionary war he was elected to governor of Virginia and he wrote his statue of Virginia for religious freedom.(Thomas Jefferson Celebrate America)He was also elected to the Virginia Colonial Legislature. Therefor Thomas Jefferson was a very big risk taker.
Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13,1743 in west Virginia on Shadwell Plantation. He was the third oldest of his eight siblings of Peter Jefferson and Jane Randolph. Jefferson’s earliest education began in 1752 at the school ran by a Scottish minister named William Douglas. At the age of nine , Jefferson began learning French, Greek, and Latin. After his father’s death in 1757, Jefferson gained control of his father's land and many slaves.In the years of 1758 to 1760, he attened a scooled owned by James Maury where he gained knowledge in the areas of classic education such as history and science. In 1760, HE enrolled at The College Of William and Mary in Williamsburg. There he studied math,Metaphysics and philosophy. He graduated with honors
Five little words made Thomas Jefferson one of the United States founding fathers. He believed that “all men are created equal”even slaves. For many years he was known as a great man, but he was a lifetime slaveholder. Some historians think that because he wrote that all men are created equal, but he neither freed his slaves nor took action on the idea of slavery that the idea of him of being a founding father was diminished because he was a slaveholder. Other historians believe that he was a good man because he cut the nations debt in half, got rid of most taxes, and doubled the size of the U.S. when he bought the louisiana purchase from Napoleon. This shows that there are two strict views on Thomas Jefferson that he was no a founding father
Thomas Jefferson had strong views on independence. As a farmer in the ‘wilderness’ of Virginia, he knew that people could govern themselves. Jefferson wrote opinions on the colonists’ struggles against Great Britain. Jefferson said that the colonists were a free people claiming their rights. People outside of Virginia read his opinions. Many agreed with Jefferson. They also recognized his skills as a writer and thinker. Before the Revolutionary War, the colonies had no central government that met in America. State governments were just being set up. But the state governments reacted to Great Britain’s harsh taxes and rules. They sent delegates to Philadelphia to meet and discuss the problems. The delegates called themselves the First Continental Congress.
In 1776, since Jefferson was a member of Continental Congress, he was chosen to draft the Declaration of Independence, since he was a member of Continental Congress. (Brief…Jefferson, 2005). Looking back in High School, the class discussion about The Declaration of Independence was that Jefferson predicted the coming of great changes in America within the times that he lived in. He wrote this document for the American Citizens at the time, and it still exists today. The Declaration personified many of the ideas that separated the colonies from England and therefore the process of creating a new country begun.
July 4, 1776 was a defining moment in American history. It marked the acceptance and adoption of the Declaration of Independence, the document announcing America's separation from the British Empire to form a new government and nation. As its own entity, America was distinguished by those who shaped and signed the Declaration, particularly by its author, Thomas Jefferson. The government's role and the responsibilities and rights of its citizens were crucial concepts to formalize since they were the underlying reasons for the colonies' revolt. Thomas Jefferson devoted much of his life to underlining the necessities of America and its government in order to establish a true republic for the people. Much of what Jefferson and the rest of the founding fathers demanded from the King of England stemmed from a basic desire for rights and liberties for all people, not just the wealthy barons. Jefferson developed much of his desires for the nation from his personal experiences and opinions, as well as through readings from philosophers like Thomas Paine and John Locke. In today’s society, Locke is considered an unsung hero of the American REvolution due to the contributions he made unknowingly, through his influence on Jefferson’s beliefs.