Thomas jefferson presidency biography of rory

In this book, we present a full century of American presidents — from Thomas Jefferson to William McKinley — in chronological order.

The presidency of Thomas Jefferson began on March 4, , when Thomas Jefferson was inaugurated as the third President of the United States , and ended on March 4, Jefferson assumed the office after defeating incumbent president John Adams in the presidential election. The election was a political realignment in which the Democratic-Republican Party swept the Federalist Party out of power, ushering in a generation of Jeffersonian Republican dominance in American politics.

Jefferson took office determined to roll back the Federalist program of the s. His administration reduced taxes, government spending, and the national debt, and repealed the Alien and Sedition Acts. In foreign affairs, the major developments were the acquisition of the gigantic Louisiana Purchase from France in , an embargo against trade with both Great Britain and France, and worsening relations with Britain as the United States tried to remain neutral in the midst of the Napoleonic Wars that engulfed Europe.

He established a military academy, used the Navy to protect merchant ships from Barbary pirates in North Africa , and developed a plan to protect U. During his second term, Jefferson's attention was focused on the trial of then former Vice President Aaron Burr for treason, which resulted in an acquittal, and on the issue of slavery, specifically the importation of slaves from abroad.

In , he denounced the international slave trade as a "violation of human rights" and called upon Congress to criminalize it. Congress responded by approving the Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves the following year. Rising tensions between the United States and Britain dominated the final years of Jefferson's second term, as the Royal Navy began impressing sailors from American ships and attacking American shipping.

In this history book, discover the US Presidents from the 19th century, the main events of their presidency, their legacy, and impact on America's history!

Jefferson rejected war and instead used economic threats and embargoes that ultimately hurt the U. The disputes with Britain continued after Jefferson left office, eventually leading to the War of Despite the economic and political troubles caused by naval tensions with Britain, Jefferson was succeeded by his preferred successor in the form of James Madison.

His legacy remained highly influential until the American Civil War, but his reputation has ebbed and flowed since then. Nonetheless, in surveys of academic historians and political scientists, Jefferson is consistently ranked as one of the nation's most esteemed presidents. Jefferson ran for president in the election as a Democratic-Republican , but finished second in the electoral vote to Federalist John Adams ; under the laws then in place, Jefferson's second-place finish made him the Vice President of the United States.