Thomas Jefferson and the Embargo Act

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the life of Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence and the third President of America. In particular it discusses how the Embargo Act of 1807-1809 caused him to leave office resented by many Americans. It looks at how many these believed him to have violated the individual liberty of American citizens that he had championed throughout his career. It attempts to analyze his motives in initiating the embargo and its eventual manifestation in order to understand Jefferson and the early history of American trade and foreign policy.

From the Paper:

"Jefferson was a classical liberal and perhaps the foremost moral and political authority of his day. As a thirty-three year old lawyer and delegate to the Second Continental Congress, Jefferson was almost singularly responsible for drafting the Declaration of Independence. Far from a mere announcement of the young nation's sovereignty, the Declaration served as a mission statement, relying heavily on John Locke and other philosophers to provide a legal case for the country's existence. Subsequently, Jefferson served as Governor of Virginia and Secretary of State. Because the Articles of Confederation left the United States without a strong executive (as was evidenced by the obscurity of Peyton Randolph, its first President,) it can be argued that the Virginia governorship was the most powerful executive role prior to the establishment of the Presidency."

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