Thomas Jefferson in the History of the US Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Thomas Jefferson in the History of the US - Essay Example There is an impulse, a curiosity, in humans that seeks sensible explanations. In the 17th century, the Enlightenment began. Motivated by trade, the printing press, and a number of very significant intellectual leaders, this period of history saw a lot of the superstitions that guided people’s lives beaten back. Men like Diderot, Adam Smith, and Thomas Jefferson revolutionized the way we think about the world and our place in it. Scientific innovation was also telling us more and more about our world, was exposing the fact that it was not run by ghosts and gods. Things began to change dramatically. People believed that a better world could be created through reason. From this period America was born and Jefferson was there to watch and guide it. Jefferson had many great accomplishments. Among them surely we should count drafting the Declaration of Independence and the Louisiana Purchase (Peterson 1960, 35). But it was partly his losing battle against Hamilton in shaping the form political parties should take that is most inspiring. He should himself first and foremost to be an advocate of liberty and opponent of tyranny. The truth is that early America was divided over whether political parties were truly necessary. In the beginning, there were no real parties. Then a great debate began about whether political parties served the common good.