Thomas Jefferson On Education Research Paper

He fought to have all rights open to everyone and public education was one of them. In today’s society schools are open to anyone living within a radius. Many say, because of this, that Jefferson would approve, but with the plethora of private high schools and universities comes a great divide. Nonetheless, Hamilton would be happier because of the private and most often high price college educations that are available to a select few. Since a lot of private and college educations are exuberantly expensive many “unable” people turn away from the thought of paying thousands of dollars. This will affect who is in power because typically higher education can and will lead to a better and more powerful job. Although anyone can run for a government position it is true that the American citizens will trust, respect, and most likely vote for one with a good

Thomas Jefferson recognized the necessity for education as a form of national improvement. Like roads and canals, schools would unite and improve the nation, but this improvement is greater than roads. Jefferson writes in 1786,

“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” Thomas Jefferson is arguably one of the most influential people to Virginia and the United States before and during the American Revolution. Jefferson had been a governor for Virginia during the American Revolution, he had wrote the Declaration of Independence along with four other notable American politicians, and served as a minister to France in 1785-1789. Without Jefferson the American Revolution most likely would have played out completely different and we could possibly be living a different life today.

Thomas Jefferson once said, “When the people fear the government there is tyranny, when the government fears the people there is liberty.” Thomas Jefferson believed the best government was the one that governs the least . Jefferson stressed how a small government with limited powers is most likely to leave the people alone and have them enjoy the Blessings of Liberty. Furthermore, Thomas Jefferson was a man who had numerous accomplishments in his life. He was the author of the Declaration of Independence, author of the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom, founder of the University of Virginia, and the third President of the United States. His strict interpretation of the Constitution was due to his belief that the charter was designed to provide the people with a say in governmental affairs. Mr. Jefferson won the approval from the working class because he fought for them and not the powerful interests of the wealthy. Although Jefferson was a vocal and active leader in the rights of states, his recommendation of the Embargo Act and his support of the Non-Intercourse act resulted in his failure as the Commander In Chief.

A Vision Achieved      Jefferson envisioned a government that allowed its citizens to exercise inalienable rights. In exact words, he states, “ We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” To be more evident, how can we define these “inalienable rights” of “life”, “liberty”, and the “pursuit of happiness?” Have these inalienable rights, achieved Jefferson’s goal? I am convinced, Jefferson’s revolutionary vision of life, liberty, and happiness has at last been achieved in America.

First and foremost, the American Educational System has received numerous advocates offering crucial inputs on education from centuries ago up to the present time. Even so, with focus, shining on past advocates, three well-known men who are still receiving constant acknowledgment for their ideas and contributions regarding the system. Notably, Dewey, Man, and Jefferson all share major impacts, alike and unlike, resulting in significant effects on the American Educational System.

April 13, 1743 Albemarle County in the English colony of Virginia was the start of an American historical giant. Thomas Jefferson was born in affluence to his father, Peter Jefferson, a rising young planter in the Virginia colony, and his mother, Jane Randolph, who held a high status within the colony as well. Due to his father’s prosperity Jefferson was afforded the absolute best in the ways of education, starting with private tutors at the age of five, then moving on to learn how to read Greek and Roman in there original text and finally taking his studies to the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg which he would say is “…what probably fixed the destinies of my life…” pg 5. On the other side of the spectrum, a few years later

Of course, as history can tell us, Jefferson, an Antifederalist, or a Republican as they called them back then, favored little federal government control and more say for the small farmers and states (Davis 86-7). He believed that all Americans should be educated enough to read and understand the issues that were being voted on so that they could choose their own leaders and run for office themselves. In fact, he proposed a bill, which would guarantee some public education for all children, excluding slaves. He felt that this would allow people to have an opportunity to better themselves based on “talent and virtue” instead of “wealth and birth.” Even though his bill was voted on three times, it didn’t pass due to the fact that the majority of the Virginia Assembly thought that it was “too radical, too expensive, and too unnecessary (Davis 52-3).” Antifederalists were also anti-British, but friendly to France, their ally at the time (Davis 87).

The long-term consequences of the school laws passed by Massachusetts 4.- What did Jefferson mean by a “natural aristocracy”? Although I am not completely sure what Jefferson meant by Natural aristocracy I however, assume that he means those who appear to

Thomas Jefferson’s policies had much influence on helping the common man. Jefferson completely supported the common man and believed the states should run the government not the aristocrats. He believed the federal government should only have power when dealing with foreign affairs. Jefferson was also against the Bank of the U.S. He was against the Bank because he felt like it wasn’t in the best interest for the common man. Jefferson was also against the Alien and Sedition Acts. He was against them because he believed they took away rights from the states, such as freedom of speech and press. To show that Jefferson was strong in his beliefs, he wrote the Kentucky Resolutions, which stated the states will always have power. On the other

Jefferson wanted to create an education system for the Black children that he was releasing from slavery. He wanted children to grow up with their parents till they were twelve and then have the children be taken over by the states to be educated. Boys would receive education until they were twenty-one years of age and girls would receive education until they were eighteen. (1.B) This would help their children have a well enough education to start their own civilization of afar.

Wood claims that America’s obsession with education was started with the revolution. In 1776 there were only nine colleges in America, but in the next 25 years, six more were founded. Leaders at the time were drawing up ways to get a publicly supported school system, and would later be founded in the early 19th century. Spelling and writing were thought to be important, but at the time the most important thing was reading. Many learned from printed things, which was a huge reason why reading was so important. As the new rights came along for women it also brought education for women, there were even some schools just for females.

One major problem reformers attempted to address was education. Before the time of public schools, the main education was in the home, where the mother would embody her duty of republican motherhood, and teach their kids civil virtue: the ability to grow up and contribute to the nation. Eventually public schools were founded as the role of women in society changed, however at the time of the movement, the public school system was abysmal. Children from age three to fourteen would all be educated in one room, by one teacher who was often terribly under qualified. An excerpt written by Abraham Lincoln on his childhood explains how the only requirements for a job as a teacher was to be able to read and write (Document A). This ineffective system of education was to be extensively reformed by the secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education, a man who would go on to be celebrated as the “Father of

Education is one of the cornerstones and pillars to the establishment and preservation of democracy. In history, countless scores of philosophers and political thinkers believed that only an educated citizenry can take on the quintessential task of upholding democracy. Thomas Jefferson, the primary writer of the Declaration of Independence, stated that “an informed citizenry is the only true repository of the public will.” A renowned defender of public education, Jefferson proposed plans for an education system that included grammar schools in his presidency. As a result of these relentless policies for education, the United States expanded on the concept of public instruction through the establishment and upkeep of a practical education

In Thomas Jefferson’s legislative bill for the state of Virginia in 1776, he outlined a need for the establishment of “…a school for teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic…and every person is entitled to send their children three years gratis, and much longer as they please, paying for it,” (Smith). Jefferson stressed the need for a public-school system, in which every student had a right to a basic education. Although having gone through modifications, the basic public school system is still in place to this day. To fully take advantage of one’s public education, one must take an active and responsible role in their education. This means that one must be accountable, diligent, and productive in their work as well as contribute to the classroom