What were Thomas Jefferson's beliefs and values?

Answer 1

Jefferson valued self-reliance, intelligence, honesty, and hard work. He was perhaps the most able, and intelligent of all the "founding fathers" - a gentleman, farmer, inventor, educator, a strong believer in personal liberty and responsibility. His republican values grew to be at odds with the views of others of this time like John Adam and Alexander Hamilton, who were in favor of a stong central government similar to the English monarchy they had just overthrown.

He was not a big fan of the centralized government called for in the Constitution, and you can thank Thos. J. for a good bit of the Bill of Rights. He was very concerned about any government usurping the rights of the common man. He felt that man had rights, natural rights (such as freedom of speech, expression, etc) that were not granted by any government, but were from 'nature' - and that government could not GRANT rights, only take them away. He was distrustful of the merchant and moneyed class, the banking establishment, and general mercantilism. This rural, independent, "leave me the hell alone' feeling pervaded the southern colonies, but was soon crushed into oblivion by the rapidly industrializing northern colonies.

President Kennedy once hosted a gathering of about 50 Nobel Prize winners at the White House, and he said, "this is probably the greatest collection of talent and human knowledge ever assembled in this place, except for when Thomas Jefferson dined alone."now that's alot of words

Answer 2

Thomas Jefferson favored poor farmers rather then rich business men. This was the major difference between him and John Adams, and is a huge part in why he won the election. John Adams didn't realize that most of the population was made up by the poor farmers. Although, Thomas Jefferson didn't believe in rights for women, this didn't impact his election because the only people that could vote were adult men who owned property. Also, in the Declaration of Independence where it stated that all men are created equal, it wasn't addressing women, children, or men that didn't own property.

Answer 3

Jefferson was a Deist, meaning he believed in God but not that God interferes in the affairs of man. Deism focuses on the understanding of God. There were some facts later in Jefferson's life that indicate he might have eventually become a Christian.

Answer 4

there's no place like the declaration of Independence!