Jeffersonian America

In this lecture, Dr. Totten argues Thomas Jefferson dropped his strict constructionist proclivities upon assuming the presidency and embarked on a reign of broad constructionist governance that enabled him to mold the future of the young nation. Jefferson kept many Federalist policies intact when he assumed office, though he rejected the more pompous social affairs of his predecessors. The Federalist, despite their political decline, remained dominant in the Judicial branch, and the new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Marshall, helped establish the concept of judicial review. Under Jefferson, the country doubled in size over night, with the signing of the Louisiana Purchase from France. Though Jefferson thought the measure was unconstitutional, he approved it because it supported his vision of white settler expansion in the West and create the rural nation of farmers he desired. Jefferson's administration, like Adams, was dominated by navigating the complex diplomatic issues involved in the Napoleonic Wars. Jefferson's solution was to cut off all trade with the belligerent nations, though this too flew in the face of his strict constructionist views. The Embargo Act devastated the American economy, but sowed the seeds for industrialization that paved the way for America's future as an industrial power house. Thus, Jefferson's legacy is complex and contradictory, as he created an "Empire of Liberty" for whites at the expense of natives, and helped develop the country further, only by abandoning his principles in favor of fostering the common good.