Monday, October 14, 2019
Thomas Jefferson Essay Example for Free
Thomas Jefferson Essay What do we know about Thomas Jefferson as far as his life and work are concerned and did he really deserve to have his name on the Declaration of Independence?            Thomas Jefferson operated on two levels, as his opposition to slavery as a slave owner attests. Willard Sterne Randall argues, (Randall, 1994) this duality is what made him so effective. Whether Thomas Jefferson’s 1784 draft of Virginia’s constitution â€Å"prefigured the founding documents of republics in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America, as well as the Confederate States Of America,†as Randall claims, is questionable, but his impact on international trade, diplomatic discussions and the success of the state of Virginia cannot be disputed.            In the book, â€Å"Life of Thomas Jefferson) author B.L. Rayner tells us (Rayner, 1834) that Thomas Jefferson was born April 13, 1743 on the farm called Shadwell, adjoining now what is called Monticello, in the county of Albermarle, Virginia. He was inaugurated as President in 1801.            At the age of five, young Thomas Jefferson was placed in an English school where he attended faithfully for four years and he was left an orphan at the age of fourteen.            Willard Sterne Randall also explains that the acquaintances that he formed in college probably determined the route of his ambition. These were the first characters in the whole province, among who he has placed on records the names of three individuals who were particularly instrumental in fixing his future destinies. Dr. Small was one of his professors in college who made him his daily companion. Governor Fauquier to whose acquaintance and familiar table, he was admitted, and George Wythe, his faithful and beloved mentor in his youth and one of his most affectionate friends and allies, during his life.            â€Å"After having proved the original motion asserting their independence, Congress proceeded the same day, July 2, to consider The Declaration of Independence, which had been reported to lie on the table.†Rayner tells us. The debates were again renewed with great violence. It’s progress was continually disputed.            I strongly believe that Thomas Jefferson’s name should be signed on the Declaration of Independence, since the Declaration of Independence was chiefly written by Thomas Jefferson and he created the first rough drafts of the papers and he also made several emendations to it, including alterations he ascribed to John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, who along with Jefferson, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston made up the committee charged by the Continental Congress with the drafting of a declaration in which Thomas Jefferson was one of the most important characters in which the Declaration of Independence was written and signed.            Thomas Jefferson made a huge impact on our nation during his life and with his important work, which included being a national leader; The President of the United States of America, and an important figure who was especially involved in the creation of the Declaration of Independence. Randall, Willard Sterne, (1994), Thomas Jefferson: A Life, Harper Perennial. P. 18 Rayner, B.L., (1834), Life of Thomas Jefferson, Lilly, Wait, Colmon Holden, p. 45
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