Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence and the third U.S. President was a leading figure in America's early development. Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743, at Shadwell, a plantation on a large tract of land near present-day Charlottesville, Virginia. When he grew up he became an Democratic-Republican, opposing a strong central government and wanting to give the states more individual freedoms. Through his work in the Declaration of Independence he promoted personal freedom. Jefferson used his presidential powers to build economic stability, start the their of the emancipation of slaves, and write Americans freedom. Jefferson was an immediate influence on fiscal freedoms when he was appointed as President. Shortly after …show more content…
During his term as President the Senate proposed a bill that vetoed the slave trade completely; slaves who were in the process of transport were directly administered to the government. Violation of the bill resulted in “imprisonment, a fine and forfeiture of cargo” (Sisung and Raffaelle.) Even though this didn’t directly eliminate slavery Jefferson helped further the idea of African-American freedom. Even before Jefferson worried about the emancipation of slaves, he wrote the Declaration of Independence encouraging the United States to free themselves from the grasps of Great …show more content…
His contributions to the Declaration of Independence, along with those others of the Committee of Five, would become legendary including the opening statement “We the People”. That opening was written to encourage the separation of Great Britain and the United States. As a young politician, Jefferson believed in a less fiery route, where he “reminded Britain’s King that he was just a part of the process of governing, but it did not endorse any form of separation from Great Britain” (Gale.) After Jefferson was promoted within the Second Continental Congress and as the country’s frustration with Britain increased, his position hardened and he wrote the Declaration of Independence including “the king a tyrant and said that all men have equal rights that are given by the creator, not the king or any other government entity” (Gale.) Inside the Declaration of Independence Jefferson portrayed three distinct parts. In the preamble, he preached the belief that all men would be created equal and given the freedom of liberty. The second part listed the sins of the King of Great Britain. Finally, the third part, declared our Independence from Britain and stated clearly that all political connections between the British crown and the “Free and Independent States” of America should be totally