Jeffersonian Democracy essays

Jeffersonian Democracy essays In 1800, Thomas Jefferson was elected the chief executive of the new free world. With his foot in the door of America, he could now open it to his world of his political mindedness. He did open the door; however he did not like what was on the other side of that door. For this reason, he changed the way the government, as a whole, acted and thought. His actions and political philosophy resonated through his successors. By making the Louisiana Purchase, Jefferson made a lasting impression on future presidents; even leading to the development of a foreign policy. When, in 1803, Jefferson sent Robert Livingston and James Monroe to Paris to negotiate with Napoleon for the purchase New Orleans, Jefferson knew not that he was about to double his country. Even though he morally opposed this transaction, he still allowed it to happen to keep the close and sound ties with Europe intact. The fact that it was an excellent deal helped much in his decision. Once the transaction was completed, Jefferson was liked much more. This expansion of the country allowed for the expansion of the populus. This expansion created problems for the presidents immediately after Jefferson. His political philosophy concerning international affairs laid untouched until two presidencies later James Monroe. James Monroe took the foreign policies of Jefferson and used them to form his own ideas about said affairs, thus conceiving what would later be known as the Monroe Doctrine. James Monroe took the idea of Jeffersons sovereign, neutral, and powerful country and reinforced it with his policy stating that America would be all those things and also warned against attacks or new territorial claims on the Western Hemisphere by any other nation. In this document, he stated, also, that the United States would not interfere in the internal affairs of or the wars between European powers; would be recognized and would not interfere wit...