Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was one of the United States Founding Fathers. He was the primary writer of the Declaration of Independence, served as President, Vice-President, Secretary of State and Ambassador to France for the fledgling Federal government.

Jefferson's Democratic-Republican party (also called the Jeffersonian-Democratic Party) was formed in response to the Federalist Party of Alexander Hamilton. They favored a small-government view and a strict interpretation of the Constitution, particularly Article 1 (the powers of the federal government). Starting in 1800, with Jefferson's election to the presidency, and running through the next 2 presidents, James Madison and James Monroe, this Democratic-Republican Party held strong control of the government.

Speech Relevance

Jefferson is mentioned once, briefly, in 'A Time For Choosing':

Back in 1936, Mr. Democrat himself, Al Smith, the great American, came before the American people and charged that the leadership of his party was taking the part of Jefferson, Jackson, and Cleveland down the road under the banners of Marx, Lenin, and Stalin. And he walked away from his party, and he never returned to the day he died, because to this day, the leadership of that party has been taking that party, that honorable party, down the road in the image of the labor socialist party of England.

And again, in 'Encroaching Control':

Thomas Jefferson said, "If we let Washington tell us when to sow and when to reap, the nation shall soon want for bread."

This line is pulled from Jefferson's autobiography:

"Were we to be directed from Washington when to sow and when to reap, we should soon want bread."

Source Links

Thomas Jefferson (Wikipedia)