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Commemorating Jefferson
Taylor Smith
Age of Jefferson
Running Head: Commemorating Jefferson 2
Amidst the protests over the lack of institutional response regarding racism on the
campus of the University of Missouri, some students began demanding the removal of a
statue of Thomas Jefferson. Reason being, these students believed that they needed to
shed light on the other side of Jeffersonthe slave owner. Juxtaposed with the words
all men are created equal across his forehead, students, one being Bryant Hill, covered
this particular memorial in sticky notes with words like racist, misogynist, and slave
owner. On the other hand, proponents of the statue see Jefferson as a important figure, as
the University of Missouri was the first University established in the Louisiana Purchase
territory (Guthrie, 2015). Furthermore, the Mizzou College Republicans draped the
Jefferson statue in a U.S. flag to garner support for the preservation of the memorial,
while responding with their own sticky notes that commemorated Jefferson as a father of
freedom whom helped laid the foundation of American ideals (McClain & Serve, 2015).
Regardless of the contention surrounding the Jefferson statue, this sheds light on how to
properly commemorate the third President of the United States. However, not to negate
the realities of his participation in the institution of slavery, when considering his vision
Jefferson for his quest for liberty, his expansion of the republic, and the spirit of 1776
that he embodied which shaped America through the founding years, as well as after the
Revolution of 1800.
Beginning with his vision of the expansion of the American empire of liberty,
Jefferson sought the West as a vast frontier for the sowing of republican institutions.
Unlike many Federalists, Jefferson saw the land that he would eventually purchase from
Napoleon as the key of unification amongst the nation. In Jeffersons Empire, Peter S.
Running Head: Commemorating Jefferson 3
secure American politics from European influence. Onuf cites a letter to John
Breckinridge that Jefferson wrote in 1803, where he claims that Federalists should
embrace the expansion of Western lands, as the descendants would be American, not
European. Essentially, Jefferson viewed the Louisiana purchase as a means of binding the
nation, and eliminating foreign influence, uniting the East and West through common
principles. It is this theory of union that sheds light on Jeffersons vision of liberty, a
marvel that characterizes the contributions that are necessary for consideration when
the American brethren, one must understand his conception of a spiritthe spirit of 1776.
In a letter to Philip Mazzei on April 24th, 1796, Jefferson conveys a fear of the Americans
losing their noble love of liberty. Reason being, as Jefferson claims, a monarchical
and aristocratical partythe Federalists rose to power and subverted the American
system of republican government. Jefferson believed that through the Executive and
Judicial branches, especially with the policies established with the John Adams
administration and the establishment of the national bank were evidence of the
1801, where he proclaims that his sudden victory has saved America from the rough
waters of the previous administrations corruption (Jefferson, 1781). While describing his
victory to the presidency as a naval victory or conquest, Jefferson used the spirit of
1776 to propagate the need for his vision of an American empire, where all citizens
Running Head: Commemorating Jefferson 4
would enjoy a free republic that would consist of a layer of sovereign governments. In
commemorating his spirit that drove the quest past the Mississippi is worthy of
Lastly, in his First Inaugural Address on March 4th, 1801, Thomas Jefferson called
upon the citizenry to complete the revolution of 1800 to unite under the Constitution and
the American republican principles as a way to promote the common good. As he claims
in this address, the American public will prosper that all, including the minority, will
possess their equal rights, which equal laws must protect. Therefore, he claims that any
previous administration, one being the Sedition Acts, since some of the protections he
refers to be that of speech and expression. Yet, it is important to note that Jefferson
continues his address by necessitating the responsibility of the American citizenry to rid
the nation of the societal ills commonly associated with European nationsreligious
warfare, despotic rule, and political intolerance. He demands that the American people
carry on the spirit of 1776, by living in harmony and continuing the quest for liberty.
With this address, he further claims that the Western territories provide a space for the
influence. Jeffersons marvel of the Western lands, and rhetoric of freedom demonstrate
his desire to expand the ideals that embody the Spirit of 76 a spirit we must
remember him for. In other words, Jeffersons trail-blazing visions of an empire for
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liberty was the tide that sailed America to the shores of todays achievements (Jefferson,
1801).
With the rising tensions on some American college campuses regarding racial ills
that still persist, some college students, one being the University of Missouri, deem that
institution of slavery. However, what must be understood is that Thomas Jefferson was a
leader in the expansion of American liberty from the Atlantic seaboard to the Pacific
coast. That being said, it is appropriate to commemorate Jefferson for his contributions in
this expansion. In order to understand his purpose for this expansion of the American
empire, and in order to commemorate it, one must fully understand the rhetoric of the
Spirit of 1776, as well as how this sprit would work to shape America in the years after
Works Cited
Guthrie, C. (2015). Students protest Thomas Jefferson statue, call for its removal. The
Columbian Missourian.
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/local/students-protest-thomas-
jefferson-statue-call-for-its-removal/article_8c1d6bb2-6d57-11e5-9051-
17eb054002a6.html
Jefferson, T. (1801). First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1801
http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-33-02-0116-0004
Jefferson to Philip Mazzei, April 24, 1796.
http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-29-02-0054-0002.
McClain, M & Serven, R. (2015). MU students petition in support of Jefferson statue
and legacy on campus. The Columbian Missourian.
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/higher_education/mu-students-
petition-in-support-of-jefferson-statue-and-legacy/article_6275b192-7762-11e5-
89b9-37af30e4f167.html
Onuf, P. (2000). Jefferson's empire the language of American nationhood.
Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia.
Jefferson to John Dickinson, March 6, 1801!
http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-33-02-0156