Summary review notes
Jon Meachham’s
Thomas Jefferson
The Art of Power
George Washington believed in America as its own party and John Adams was disappointed in its partisanship, “political war was to be the rule the country is so totally given up to the the spirit of party, that not to follow blindfold the one or the other is an inexplicable offense.” While Jefferson believed in bi-partisanship he built his following off of dissent from Washington and Adams policies. This created the first two party system America was to experience having Alexander Hamilton, George Washington and John Adams termed federalists by their followers and monarchical aristocrats by their dissenters and Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe and James Madison as the leaders of the Republican Party who were generally viewed as divisive trouble makers by their political opponents. The Republicans so despised the Federalists that this kind of language by Thomas Jefferson became commonplace, “a little patience and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolve and the people recovering their true sight.”
George Washington was unanimously elected as commander in chief of Revolutionary army in 1775 and president of the constitutional convention and president of the United States in 1789.
George Washington was the only president to lead an army in the field.
Washington’s philosophy and policies hinges on the idea of self-interest. His idea of foreign policy for America was only America’s interests.
George Washington on national unity
“A main pillar in the edifice of your real independence, the support of your tranquility at home, your peace abroad, of your safety, of your prosperity, of that very liberty which you so highly prize.” He would not allow an insurrection to occur in America after the revolutionary war unlike other revolutionary movements in other places.
Alexander Hamilton differed from Washington’s republican ideal of the pursuit of happiness and Jefferson’s desire to enrich average citizens but was rather making a powerful federal government, “no government could give us tranquility and happiness at home which did not possess sufficient stability and strength to make us respectable abroad.” Alexander Hamilton’s American dream was a powerful military nation state.
“All military geniuses like centralization, which increases their forces and all centralizing geniuses like war, which obliges a nation to concentrate many different powers in the hands of the state.” -Tocqueville
George Washington saw American landowners as the citizens he wanted to enrich and make happy while Thomas Jefferson also saw the value in poorer whites.
While publicly and privately despising many of George Washington’s policies when dealing with Washington as an individual he always had the utmost respect telling Washington, “the confidence of the whole union is centered in you. North and South will hang together if they have you to hang on.”
Abraham Lincoln gave “all honor to Jefferson” for including in his Declaration of Independence the idea of personal liberty that was the reason for the abolition of slavery.
Thomas Jefferson got rid of internal taxes, went to war with Tripoli, started the military academy at West Point, made naturalization of non-citizens easier and got rid of the judiciary act of 1801.
Jefferson embraced and reformed George Washington and John Adams style of republican government.
Jefferson was constantly on guard against Britain regaining authority in the United States.
Lowering taxes, the security of great wealth, and the Louisiana purchase gave Thomas Jefferson an enduring legacy.
In politics, Jefferson established a culture of personal liberty which enabled free inquiry.
Believed in a government that instilled fear and force to keep the bad citizens in check and believed the good citizen capable of minding his duty without these pressures.
Democracy to Jefferson allowed natural leaders to be elected contrary to monarchical government structure which was led by hereditary hierarchy.
To Jefferson the constitution was made for a peaceful government rather than a hawkish one.
The federalists believed it essential for America to cooperate with one another while the Republicans embraced the idea of personal liberty. So that there was an early split in thought of the essence of being a good American. Happiness to Washington was the fulfillment of moral responsibility to the nation and others while Jefferson offered voting citizens another definition of happiness by giving them whatever they wanted. The American dream to Washington was about reaping the fruits of being a good citizen while the dream Jefferson offered the people was citizens reaping the fruits of a good nation. Self-gratification and pleasure seeking were intolerable to Washington yet Jefferson’s Republicans bread and butter. If someone asks one if they are happy do they think of accomplishing good deeds or having what they want?
While giving people what they wanted was a means to an end to get elected for Republicans many still believed personally in the same values as the Federalist founding fathers, “Adore God. Reverence and cherish your parents. Love your neighbor as yourself and your country more than yourself. Be just. Be true. Murmur not at the ways of Providence. So shall life into which you have entered be the portal to one of eternal and ineffable bliss.” Contrasting, Washington simply believed that following virtue would provide bliss to the individual and nation on this side of the eternal curtain.
