Of all things, the most controversial issue of President George Washington’s first term swirled around a bank. While Alexander Hamilton championed the establishment of the First Bank of the United States, Thomas Jefferson believed it would endanger liberty, ignite a constitutional crisis, and set a dangerous precedent.
In his first inaugural address, Thomas Jefferson articulated a vision of “peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none.” But how did he think this would be best accomplished?
The 1803 Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the United States, adding the massive territory at the mere price of three cents per acre. But did you know that the arrangement sparked a sectional secession movement and constitutional crisis?
Iconoclasm has provided no net benefit to humanity. The removal of monuments, religious imagery, and other cultural items has simply made it harder for individuals to learn from the past.
Despite the typical narrative, Thomas Jefferson was deeply opposed to slavery, and the question of freeing his slaves was much more complex and complicated than most assume.
Kevin Gutzman offers a fresh look at the famous statesman, described as “a revolutionary who effected radical change in a growing country.” Although often described as an American political enigma, whose image is claimed by almost everyone, Gutzman’s new exposition does much to sort fact from faction. Additionally, it brilliantly impresses a Jeffersonian imagine upon the minds of its audience.
