On his tombstone are inscribed the words, "Here was buried Thomas Jefferson, Author of the Declaration of Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom and Father of the University of Virginia." This inscription bears testimony to the beliefs of Thomas Jefferson. Entwined in his accomplishments is the heart of the Jeffersonian philosophy —an emphasis upon human potential and the adherence to individual liberty. His faith in the human spirit, free from the shackles of government interference, echoes throughout his writings.

Jefferson stands out among the founding fathers as one dedicated to the twin democratic principles of liberty and equality. It was no accident that he, among a distinguished committee of five, was designated to write the draft of the Declaration of Independence. The conventional wisdom of the time was to question the ability of the majority to guide the political process, but Jefferson had confidence in the majority's will.

A statesman's main endeavor, Jefferson believed, is to create an atmosphere in which individuals can pursue happiness. Any factors which interfere with individual choice — war, tyranny, bigotry, ignorance, slavery, oppression — were repugnant to Jefferson. As Secretary of State during the Washington administration, he collided with Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of Treasury, and eventually resigned. From Jefferson's view, human nature and liberty were at variance with the tone of the first United States administration. Liberty, to Jefferson, was equated with the absence of an all-powerful government. In his eyes government was to serve as a negative force, not by doing good, but by creating conditions in which individuals could flourish by their own means, as he indicates here:

A wise and frugal government which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government.

This laissez-faire attitude permeated his philosophy of freedom. Throughout his years in Washington's Cabinet, he was uncomfortable with Hamilton's fiscal policies. Hamilton's emphasis upon the business community, the bankers and the eventual growth of industry and cities, was contrary to Jefferson's belief in the farmer as the backbone of the economy. His distrust of city life, with its destructive seeds, was part and parcel of his disagreements with Hamilton. It was the latter, from according to Jefferson, who represented a return to monarchy and the aristocratic way of life.

Having spent years in Paris before the French Revolution, Jefferson had seen that every Frenchman was either a hammer or an anvil. Most of the population had no freedom, no happiness and no human spirit. Jefferson was sympathetic with the plight of the common people in France, and this brought him into conflict with those who feared the masses and thought the French revolution would lead to anarchy. Several years before the French Revolution, when armed clashes were taking place in Massachusetts between government forces and a group of farmers, led by Daniel Shay, Jefferson refused to be alarmed.

The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions that I wish it to be always kept alive. It will often be exercised when wrong, better so than not to be exercised at all. I like a little rebellion now and then. It is 1ike a storm in the atmosphere.

Are these sentiments that one would expect from a future president?

When Jefferson finally did become president in 1801, it marked this nation's first bloodless revolution. With his ascendancy to the highest office in the land, Jefferson brought with him a set of personal values concerning freedom and democracy. Since then, Jefferson's ideas have become a fundamental part of the American political tradition. Jefferson was a product of his times, but he has become a symbol of the principles of equality and liberty.

Background Questions:

1. Which of Jefferson's accomplishments is missing from his tombstone? Why?
2. State and explain his two democratic principles.
3. What was his view concerning the role of government? Which political party comes closest to this view today? Explain.
4. What was meant by "every Frenchman was either a hammer or an anvil"?
5. Cite several present-day examples that would have pleased Jefferson, in light of his thoughts on "a little rebellion now and then."
6. Why is Jefferson so often quoted today?