This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1903 edition. Excerpt: ...in the matter of the navy, he advised the building of a sufficient number of vessels to protect our commerce in the Mediterranean. On account of suggestions like those he made in Paris and during his secretaryship, John Adams called Jefferson the father of the American navy. CHAPTER XXVII HIS SERVICES ABROAD What did Mr. Jefferson do for his country while minister to France? To answer fully would certainly be tedious and would probably be useless. Whale-oil, salted fish, tobacco, rice, and salted pork are important items in commerce, having much to do with the balance of trade and the prosperity of individuals and of nations; but when the reader is assured that Mr. Jefferson struggled long, hard, and with partial success to prevail upon France to be lenient with us upon those subjects, he has perhaps learned as much as he cares to know. The grip of the protectionist, the monopolist, was almost irresistible on the France of that day, as it is on America now, and Mr. Jefferson's task was well-nigh hopeless. Yet, by great perseverance and the bringing to bear of the pressure of Lafayette and other personal friends, he did manage to loosen the iron bands a little. Whale-oil and salt fish from New England began to have better treatment, so did rice from the South. For tobacco he was not able to do so much, that article of commerce being in the control of the Farmers-General, a corporation which held France by the throat. The sum and substance of it all was that Mr. Jefferson succeeded in getting the United States treated as the most-favored nation. France not only yielded to him better trade relations than she had ever conceded to Dr. Franklin, but she agreed to put her consular arrangements with us on a far more satisfactory basis than Dr....

Drawing heavily from the original letters and papers of Thomas Jefferson and his contemporaries, this resource chronicles the world of the Founding Father who wrote the Declaration of Independence. From his early critiques of the colonial policies of Great Britain and King George III to his governmental roles as the first secretary of state, the minister to France, and the third president of the United States, Jefferson's groundbreaking achievements are described in historical context. The contradictions in Jefferson's character--most notably the fact that he owned 600 slaves in his lifetime despite penning the immortal phrase "all men are created equal"--are also explored, giving kids a full picture of this skilled politician. Creative activities that invite children to experience Jefferson's colonial America include designing a Palladian window, building a simple microscope, painting a "buffalo robe," and dancing a reel.

NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER Following Thomas Jefferson from the drafting of the Declaration of Independence to his retirement in Monticello, Joseph J. Ellis unravels the contradictions of the Jeffersonian character. He gives us the slaveholding libertarian who was capable of decrying mescegenation while maintaing an intimate relationship with his slave, Sally Hemmings; the enemy of government power who exercisdd it audaciously as president; the visionarty who remained curiously blind to the inconsistencies in his nature. American Sphinx is a marvel of scholarship, a delight to read, and an essential gloss on the Jeffersonian legacy.

The definitive life of Jefferson in one volume, this biography relates Jefferson's private life and thought to his prominent public position and reveals the rich complexity of his development. As Peterson explores the dominant themes guiding Jefferson's career--democracy, nationality, and enlightenment--and Jefferson's powerful role in shaping America, he simultaneously tells the story of nation coming into being.