Thomas Jefferson.

[jedstivers]

Thomas Jefferson was a very remarkable man who started learning very early in life and never stopped.
At 5, began studying under his cousin's tutor.
At 9, studied Latin, Greek, and French.

At 14, studied classical literature and additional languages.

At 16, entered the College of Williamand Mary.

At 19, studied Law for 5 years starting under George Wythe.

At 23, started his own law practice.

At 25, was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses.

At 31, wrote the widely circulated "Summary View of the Rights ofBritish America and retired from his law practice.

At 32, was a Delegate to the Second Continental Congress.

At 33, wrote the Declaration ofIndependence .

At 33, took three years to reviseVirginia 's legal code and wrote a Public Education bill and a statute for Religious Freedom.

At 36, was elected the second Governor of Virginia succeeding Patrick Henry.

At 40, served in Congress for two years.

At 41, was the American minister toFrance and negotiated commercial treaties with European nations along with Ben Franklin and John Adams.

At 46, served as the first Secretary of State under George Washington.

At 53, served as Vice President and was elected president of the American Philosophical Society.

At 55, drafted the KentuckyResolutions and became the active head of Republican Party.

At 57, was elected the third president of the United States .

At 60, obtained the Louisiana Purchasedoubling the Nation's size.

At 61, was elected to a second term as President.

At 65, retired to Monticello .

At 80, helped President Monroe shape the Monroe Doctrine.

 

[melking]

Now there was a smart man...

 

[Kingfisher]

He also died in heavy debt from what I understand. He spent a lot of money on his farm!

 

[Hook]

Banged a lot of his slaves too

 

[TexasBred]

Banged a lot of his slaves too

That was pretty standard practice. Get that "High Yeller" cross with hybrid vigor. ;-)

 

[Ryder]

Now there was a smart man...

Remarkably so.

 

[Bigfoot]

Implemented a lot of progressive agricultural practices to, for his day.

 

[greybeard]

At 41, was the American minister toFrance and negotiated commercial treaties with European nations along with Ben Franklin and John Adams.

It was during this time that America got it's first taste of Islam and according to The Jefferson Papers, TJ was shocked by what he was told and witnessed:

In March 1785, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams went to London to negotiate with Tripoli's envoy, Ambassador Sidi Haji Abdrahaman (or Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja). When they enquired "concerning the ground of the pretensions to make war upon nations who had done them no injury", the ambassador replied:
It was written in their Koran, that all nations which had not acknowledged the Prophet were sinners, whom it was the right and duty of the faithful to plunder and enslave; and that every mussulman who was slain in this warfare was sure to go to paradise. He said, also, that the man who was the first to board a vessel had one slave over and above his share, and that when they sprang to the deck of an enemy's ship, every sailor held a dagger in each hand and a third in his mouth; which usually struck such terror into the foe that they cried out for quarter at once.[21]

It was also Thomas Jefferson, the father of modern liberalism, that first set the precedent for this country going to war without a Declaration of War from Congress. He dispatched US ships to the Mediterranean in Early 1801 to deal with the Barbary pirates, did not ask congress for authorization and didn't even inform congress of his actions until he wrote them a letter.

It was not until 1802 that Congress actually voted on the matter at all.

"Immediately prior to Jefferson's inauguration in 1801, Congress passed naval legislation that, among other things, provided for six frigates that 'shall be officered and manned as the President of the United States may direct.' ... In the event of a declaration of war on the United States by the Barbary powers, these ships were to 'protect our commerce & chastise their insolence—by sinking, burning or destroying their ships & Vessels wherever you shall find them.'"[24] On Jefferson's inauguration as president in 1801, Yusuf Karamanli, the Pasha (or Bashaw) of Tripoli, demanded $225,000 from the new administration. (In 1800, Federal revenues totaled a little over $10 million.) Putting his long-held beliefs into practice, Jefferson refused the demand. Consequently, on 10 May 1801, the Pasha declared war on the U.S., not through any formal written documents but in the customary Barbary manner of cutting down the flagstaff in front of the U.S. Consulate.[25] Algiers and Tunis did not follow their ally in Tripoli.
In response, "Jefferson sent a small force to the area to protect American ships and citizens against potential aggression, but insisted that he was 'unauthorized by the Constitution, without the sanction of Congress, to go beyond the line of defense.'" He told Congress: "I communicate [to you] all material information on this subject, that in the exercise of this important function confided by the Constitution to the Legislature exclusively their judgment may form itself on a knowledge and consideration of every circumstance of weight."[24] Although Congress never voted on a formal declaration of war, they did authorize the President to instruct the commanders of armed American vessels to seize all vessels and goods of the Pasha of Tripoli "and also to cause to be done all such other acts of precaution or hostility as the state of war will justify." The American squadron joined a Swedish flotilla under Rudolf Cederström in blockading Tripoli, the Swedes having been at war with the Tripolitans since 1800.[26]

In 1802, in response to Jefferson's request for authority to deal with the pirates, Congress passed "An act for the Protection of Commerce and seamen of the United States against the Tripolitan cruisers", authorizing the President to "…employ such of the armed vessels of the United States as may be judged requisite… for protecting effectually the commerce and seamen thereof on the Atlantic ocean, the Mediterranean and adjoining seas."[28] "The statute authorized American ships to seize vessels belonging to the Bey of Tripoli, with the captured property distributed to those who brought the vessels into port."[24]

So, when you see the media claim that it was Reagan or one of the Bush presidencys that abridged the US Constitution by skirting congress in the ways of conducting war, look a little further back in history to see who really got that ball rolling.
LBJ knew this as well, and it's why he never bothered asking Congress to declare war on N. Vietnam.

 

[hurleyjd]

Jefferson bible: http://www.beliefnet.com/resourcelib/do ... eth_1.html

 

[jltrent]

I visited his home. Probably the most disappointed visit to a historical site I have ever been to. It sure isn't worth the trip or cost. Also the man died broke and as another said banged a lot of his slaves.

 

[3waycross]

A lot of great men died broke and a lot of sorry b@stards died rich. He was a genius and a visionary. Why not let it go at that.

 

[Hook]

Because that's boring. ;-)

 

[Tim/South]

DNA did not prove he was in relationships. Did prove they were related. Most credit that to his brother who was known to lack a moral compass.
Not certain anyone is still alive who can testify one way or the other.

 

[Ryder]

A lot of great men died broke and a lot of sorry b@stards died rich. He was a genius and a visionary. Why not let it go at that.

Agreed.
An example that a man's financial state is often not indicative of his worth.

 

[Nesikep]

I certainly ain't worth chit in that case!

I'm not sure how you see this, but TJ sent ships abroad to protect against a direct threat, specifically saying

In response, "Jefferson sent a small force to the area to protect American ships and citizens against potential aggression, but insisted that he was 'unauthorized by the Constitution, without the sanction of Congress, to go beyond the line of defense."

That's a little different than a lot of what has happened since then.

Regardless of his possible infidelities, the world could use a few boatloads of people like him again!

 

[artesianspringsfarm]

TJ in my opinion is a truly mixed bag (as is pretty much anyone who rises to that political level). A truly amazing diplomatic and political mind, but one area I disagree with him in is how much can actually be accomplished through politics. I sure wish he never would have created the USDA to try to help us poor farmers by having the government involved. That being said, this excerpt from his letter to Madison does sound like exactly where we are headed again and probably explains what the only good outcome is going to have to be:


"Societies exist under three forms sufficiently distinguishable. 1. Without government, as among our Indians. 2. Under governments wherein the will of every one has a just influence, as is the case in England in a slight degree, and in our states in a great one. 3. Under governments of force: as is the case in all other monarchies and in most of the other republics. To have an idea of the curse of existence under these last, they must be seen. It is a government of wolves over sheep. It is a problem, not clear in my mind, that the 1st. condition is not the best. But I believe it to be inconsistent with any great degree of population. The second state has a great deal of good in it. The mass of mankind under that enjoys a precious degree of liberty and happiness. It has it’s evils too: the principal of which is the turbulence to which it is subject. But weigh this against the oppressions of monarchy, and it becomes nothing. Malo periculosam, libertatem quam quietam servitutem. Even this evil is productive of good. It prevents the degeneracy of government, and nourishes a general attention to the public affairs. I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical. Unsuccesful rebellions indeed generally establish the incroachments on the rights of the people which have produced them. An observation of this truth should render honest republican governors so mild in their punishment of rebellions, as not to discourage them too much. It is a medecine necessary for the sound health of government." - Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, Paris, January 30, 1787[2]

 

[kerley]

A lot of great men died broke and a lot of sorry b@stards died rich. He was a genius and a visionary. Why not let it go at that.

x2

 

[jltrent]

I visited his home. Probably the most disappointed visit to a historical site I have ever been to. It sure isn't worth the trip or cost. Also the man died broke and as another said banged a lot of his slaves.

First off...he died broke because he kept being called to service for his country...and away from his farm. He abhorred debt...and it was while he was away that his estate fell into financial issues. I also have visited his home and have the exact opposite view...well worth the trip. The man was a genius. Mathmatically designed the perfect shape for a plow, experimented with multiple crops generating the best for his area, was a architect in his spare time. Oh yea, wrote the Declaration of Independence, served in numerous positions in government and was the 3rd President of our great country. A great thinker, philosopher, scientist, and farmer. Great man no matter how you slice it. Definitely not perfect...but great none the less. I don't know about you, but I personally think we all owe our founding fathers gratitude for the great (FREAKING GREAT) country we enjoy. I'm sick of revisionist history of many of these great men making them out to be less than what they were...I'll bite my tongue now.

Tim

Bill Clinton done some banging and he didn't get a free pass. It has been 12 years since I went through his home and I guess I was expecting more, but there is old farm houses in the poor ass place I live that would equal his. Also to this day I still don't see how he slept on that short bed as he was a tall fellow. The house is small, rooms cramped and maybe for its day great. The man was extremely smart as from reading the DOI, but if he was president today he would have a hard time. I am not taking anything away from him either as I remember in my history books it talked about his relationships.

 

[TexasBred]

Bill Clinton done some banging and he didn't get a free pass. It has been 12 years since I went through his home and I guess I was expecting more, but there is old farm houses in the poor ass place I live that would equal his. Also to this day I still don't see how he slept on that short bed as he was a tall fellow. The house is small, rooms cramped and maybe for its day great. The man was extremely smart as from reading the DOI, but if he was president today he would have a hard time. I am not taking anything away from him either as I remember in my history books it talked about his relationships.

What the heck do the room sizes in a house have to do with a man?? Too many little people today trying to appear to be "big men" by building big houses hoping the outward appearance of "success" will hide the failure within.

 

[HDRider]

A lot of great men died broke and a lot of sorry b@stards died rich. He was a genius and a visionary. Why not let it go at that.

x2

+1

I like TJ better than BO.