The Rise and Threats to Agrarian Republicanism: Jefferson’s Vision and the Challenges of 1826 Thomas Jefferson’s idea of agrarian republicanism was a vision of America as a nation of small, self-sufficient farmers who would uphold strong, democratic values. He believed that independent farmers made the best citizens because they were virtuous, responsible, and less likely to be corrupted by money or power. Jefferson thought these rural communities would keep government power local and balanced, helping to prevent tyranny. However, by the time of his death, his vision was under serious threat from issues like slavery, westward expansion, and increasing divisions between the North and South. Agrarian republicanism was Jefferson’s belief that …show more content…
As the U.S. expanded westward, Jefferson’s vision was challenged by the spread of slavery into new territories and the difficulties of life on the frontier. Unlike the well-established farms in the East, the frontier settlements were rough, isolated, and less structured, which Jefferson saw as a threat to the values he held dear. The expansion of slavery was even more concerning. Congressman John Tallmadge’s proposed amendment in 1820 Document B, which tried to limit slavery in Missouri, sparked a huge debate and deepened the divide between the North and South. Although Jefferson believed slavery was wrong, he feared that getting rid of it suddenly would tear the country apart. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 Document C attempted to keep the balance by allowing Missouri to enter as a slave state and Maine as a free state, but it also set a boundary for future states, making everything north of the 36°30′ line free and south of it slave. This division foreshadowed the conflict that would lead to the Civil War. Jefferson, in a letter to John Holmes in 1820 Document D, expressed his deep fear that this compromise was a temporary fix and that the division over slavery would destroy the unity of the