Isabella Carter
Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, was serving as an ambassador to France when the Constitutional Convention met in 1787. He was well-informed about events in America through his correspondence with James Madison, a driving force behind the 1787 Constitutional Convention. Jefferson's constitutional thinking was marred by distance and distraction, but he eventually advocated for a strict construction of the Constitution. He opposed the secrecy of the convention, believing that the basic principles of the Articles of Confederation were sound. Jefferson's main objection to the Constitution was the lack of a bill of rights to guarantee personal liberties, such as freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom from standing armies, trial by jury, and habeas corpus. He also objected to the lack of term limits for the president and felt that the House of Representatives would be inadequate. Despite his reservations, Jefferson ultimately accepted the Constitution, and his influence can be seen in the Bill of Rights, which was introduced in the First Congress.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Lack of a bill of rights | Jefferson wanted the new Constitution to be accompanied by a written "bill of rights" to guarantee personal liberties, such as freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom from standing armies, trial by jury, and habeas corpus. |
| No term limits for federal officials | Jefferson wanted term limits for the presidency. |
| Secrecy of the convention | Jefferson opposed the secrecy of the convention. |
| Overreaction to Shays' Rebellion | Jefferson believed that Shays' Rebellion, one of the catalysts for the convention, was overplayed. |
| House of Representatives would be inadequate | Jefferson thought the House of Representatives would be inadequate and that the president would be an "officer for life." |
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What You'll Learn
Jefferson opposed the secrecy of the 1787 Convention
Thomas Jefferson was serving as the American ambassador to France when the Constitutional Convention met in 1787. He was not physically present at the convention and was opposed to the secrecy of the proceedings.
Jefferson was a prolific letter writer, and his correspondence with James Madison, a driving force behind the 1787 Constitutional Convention, reveals his cautious reservations about the new plan. In a letter to Madison, Jefferson expressed his frustration with the secrecy of the Convention, writing, "There are very good articles in it: & very bad." He believed that the basic principles of the Articles of Confederation were better than the new Constitution, which he saw as having "a bitter pill or two," including no guaranteed term limits for the president and no bill of rights.
Jefferson's constitutional thinking was shaped by his belief in natural rights and the broader American legal tradition. He wanted the new Constitution to be accompanied by a written "bill of rights" to guarantee personal liberties such as freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom from standing armies, trial by jury, and habeas corpus. He recognised that a stronger federal government would make the country more secure economically and militarily, but he feared that a strong central government might become too powerful, restricting citizens' rights.
Jefferson's correspondence with Madison helped to convince the latter to introduce a bill of rights into the First Congress. In 1791, the first ten amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, went into effect. Jefferson's influence on the drafting of the Constitution and Bill of Rights is evident through his correspondences with those present at the Constitutional Convention.
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He thought the House of Representatives would be inadequate
Thomas Jefferson was serving as the ambassador to France when the Constitutional Convention met in 1787. He was also the principal author of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and a mentor to James Madison, who was a driving force behind the 1787 Constitutional Convention.
Jefferson opposed the secrecy of the convention, believing that the basic principles of the Articles of Confederation were the best form of government. He also thought that the convention had overstepped, and that the House of Representatives would be inadequate. In a letter to John Adams, Jefferson wrote:
> "There are things in it which stagger all my dispositions to subscribe to what such an assembly has proposed... Their President seems a bad edition of a Polish king"
Jefferson believed that the president, through reelection, would become an officer for life. He also objected to the lack of a bill of rights in the Constitution, which he believed would guarantee personal liberties such as freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom from standing armies, trial by jury, and habeas corpus.
Jefferson's constitutional thinking was marred by distance and distraction initially, but he eventually caught up and advocated for a strict construction of the Constitution. His interpretation of the Constitution did not supplant the pre-1787 constitutional structure with which he was familiar.
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He believed the Convention had overstepped
Thomas Jefferson was serving as the ambassador to France when the Constitutional Convention met in 1787. He was well-informed about the events in America through his correspondence with James Madison, who was a driving force behind the 1787 Constitutional Convention. Jefferson's constitutional thinking started late and was marred by distance and distraction. However, he got up to speed quickly, and his advocacy of a strict construction of the Constitution became a crucial component of the party ideology that separated Jeffersonians from Hamiltonians.
Jefferson believed that a stronger federal government would make the country more secure economically and militarily. However, he feared that a strong central government might become too powerful, restricting citizens' rights. He, therefore, wanted the new Constitution to be accompanied by a written "bill of rights" to guarantee personal liberties, such as freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom from standing armies, trial by jury, and habeas corpus. He expressed his frustration with the secrecy of the Convention, stating that the basic principles of the Articles of Confederation, "with all its imperfections...is without comparison the best existing [government] or that ever did exist."
Jefferson's opposition to the Constitution was also influenced by his belief that the Convention had overstepped its authority. In a letter to Adams, he wrote, "there are things in it which stagger all my dispositions to subscribe to what such an assembly has proposed." He thought the House of Representatives would be inadequate, and he disliked the idea of a president who could be re-elected and become "an officer for life." He believed that the good of the new Constitution could have been achieved by adding a few new articles to the existing fabric of the Articles of Confederation, which he respected "even as a religious relique."
Jefferson's cautious reservation about the new plan was also reflected in his letters, where he ultimately accepted the Constitution but with some objections. He liked the separation of government into branches and thought it would aid in maintaining a national government without regular references to the state legislatures. However, he objected to the lack of a bill of rights, guaranteed term limits for the presidency, and the secrecy of the Convention.
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Jefferson wanted a bill of rights to guarantee personal liberties
Thomas Jefferson was serving as the American ambassador to France when the Constitutional Convention met in 1787. He was, therefore, not present at the convention and was critical of the secrecy surrounding the proceedings. Despite his absence, Jefferson was well-informed about events in America, largely due to his correspondence with his good friend James Madison, who was a driving force behind the convention.
Jefferson's constitutional thinking started late and was marred by distance and distraction. However, he quickly got up to speed, and his advocacy for a strict construction of the Constitution became a crucial component of the party ideology that separated Jeffersonians from Hamiltonians.
Jefferson wanted the new Constitution to be accompanied by a written "bill of rights" to guarantee personal liberties. This included rights such as freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom from standing armies, trial by jury, and habeas corpus. He believed that a stronger federal government would make the country more secure economically and militarily, but he feared that a strong central government might become too powerful and restrict citizens' rights. In a letter to Madison, he objected to key parts of the Constitution, including the lack of a Bill of Rights and the failure to establish term limits for federal officials.
Jefferson's correspondence with Madison helped convince the latter to introduce a bill of rights into the First Congress. In 1791, the first ten amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, went into effect. Jefferson's influence on the drafting of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights is evident in his correspondences with those present at the Constitutional Convention.
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He thought Shays' Rebellion, an impetus for the convention, was overplayed
Shays' Rebellion was an armed uprising in Western Massachusetts and Worcester in response to a debt crisis and the state government's increased efforts to collect taxes on individuals and their trades. The rebellion took place in the areas surrounding Springfield between 1786 and 1787.
Thomas Jefferson, who was serving as the ambassador to France at the time, refused to be alarmed by Shays' Rebellion. He thought the rebellion was overplayed and did not view it as a reason to revamp the national structure. In a letter, he wrote, "Our convention has been too much impressed by the insurrection of Massachusetts".
Jefferson's opinion on the matter was that the basic principles of the Articles of Confederation, "with all the imperfections... is without comparison the best existing [government] or that ever did exist". He believed that the Constitution fell short in a few areas, including the lack of guaranteed term limits or rotation for the presidency and the absence of a bill of rights.
Shays' Rebellion contributed to the movement for the Constitutional Convention and the formation of a stronger federal government. The rebellion highlighted the weaknesses inherent within the Articles of Confederation and accelerated calls for reform, eventually resulting in the Philadelphia Convention of 1787, which produced the Constitution of the United States.
Jefferson's constitutional thinking was marked by ambiguity and distance. He opposed the secrecy of the Constitutional Convention, believing it to be a misjudgment. Jefferson's cautious reservation about the new plan ultimately gave way to practical acceptance, although he maintained that the good parts of the new constitution could have been added to the old structure.
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Frequently asked questions
Jefferson believed that the Constitution should be accompanied by a written "bill of rights" to guarantee personal liberties, such as freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom from standing armies, trial by jury, and habeas corpus. He also objected to the secrecy of the Constitutional Convention, believing that the basic principles of the Articles of Confederation were the best form of government.
Jefferson feared that a strong central government might become too powerful and restrict citizens' rights. He wanted to ensure that fundamental rights were protected and provided clearly in the Constitution.
Jefferson was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and a mentor to James Madison, a key figure in the Constitutional Convention. Jefferson's correspondence with Madison helped convince him to introduce a bill of rights into the First Congress.
