The Third President of the United States

         After a close election for the seat of the presidency in 1800, Thomas Jefferson was ultimately elected as the third President of the United States. Beginning his first term as president in 1801, Jefferson was at last at the helm of the American Experiment that he began. According to John Meacham's description of Jefferson's governing style, “Jefferson governed personally” and “preferred to project power without being showy about it.”

          During his tenure as President, Jefferson accomplished a number of notable feats, including the reducing federal taxes and spending, ending the uncouth practices of the Barbary pirates, funding the expedition of Lewis and Clark to explore the western region of the North American continent, and most notably doubling the size of the continental United States with the Louisiana Purchase as a result of his political maneuvers. Furthermore as president, Jefferson tried to redefine the balance of power between the state and federal governments, shifting power from the national government to the states, according his Democratic-Republican beliefs. Although not always true to his philosophy regarding strict adherence to the Constitution, as seen by his purchase of the Louisiana Territory, Thomas Jefferson was a visionary who sought to aggrandize the fame of the United States of America. The contradiction between Jefferson's actions and ideology can be further exculpated in light of the tense political climate at the time. During Jefferson’s presidency, there was intense partisan politics between the Federalist Party and the Democratic-Republican Party. Moreover the Napoleonic Wars that were occurring in Europe complicated the foreign policy of the United States as relations with one European power would lead to antagonism from another. Jefferson, to keep his nation out of war, attempted to keep America neutral to the best of his ability.

          In this manner, Jefferson redefined politics in the United States. Jefferson, unlike the presidents before him, did a better job a placing the safety of his country ahead of his prestige as president. By viewing his country from a global picture, Jefferson was one of the first presidents who sought to solidify the United States at the international stage, as seen by his dealings with the Barbary Pirates, the Louisiana Purchase, and Neutrality. In doing so Jefferson developed a unique foreign policy that was continued by his successors. Furthermore, by accomplishing these feats, Jefferson reshaped the presidency of the United States into a position of both concealed power and effective leadership, an ideal that has been followed by numerous presidents since.