Rhetorical Analysis Of Thomas Jefferson's First Inaugural Address

Thomas Jefferson’s First Inaugural Address Rhetorical Analysis The beginning of the 19th century was a period in which political turmoil was prevalent. This turmoil was often the direct result of the vastly different viewpoints and ideals maintained by major political figures. Thomas Jefferson was one prominent example of a leading political influencer in the history of the United States who was often at the center of this turmoil. Jefferson was an adamant supporter of the Constitution, and he ultimately believed in preserving the rights of the general public to the highest degree possible. He also believed that the creation of political parties was an inherent evil, and that rather than unifying America, these parties divided the country, corrupting American government and politics in the process. The incipience of America as an independent state brought to fruition the variety of opposing viewpoints as to how the nation should be managed. The two primary schools of thought at the time were those of federalists who believed in a strong central government, and thus more restrictive rights on the

Jefferson centralizes the importance of minimizing the power the government maintains, so that the general public will have their rights protected, and also criticizes the divisiveness that political parties have created in politics. Jefferson’s opinions were not commonplace during his time period, however his calls for unification and improvement struck many as sincere, and he was able to successfully attain presidency in 1801. Though it has been over 2 centuries since his campaign, Jefferson remains an iconic figure in American history to this day, and his first inaugural address serves as a great indicator of the rights that were intended to be granted to American citizens at the founding of the