How Did Thomas Jefferson Impact Society

Thomas Jefferson’s numerous accomplishments had profound effects on the history of the United States. Most of his actions positively affected the course of the nation, while some had a negative impact. His influence at a crucial historical time helped start the country towards where it is today. One of Jefferson’s most important contributions was his authorship of the Declaration of Independence. By outlining John Locke’s Theory of Natural Rights and logically laying out the case against King George for violating them, he provided the international community with a justification for the Revolution. His status as an educated Virginian added legitimacy to the cause and helped secure domestic and foreign support to the cause of independence. Jefferson had several ideas for the performance of certain government functions while the nation was still under the governance of the Articles of Confederation. He conceived the idea for the Land Ordinance of 1785, which ordered all land surveyed and divided into thirty-six square mile townships, which are further subdivided into quadrants; this method of organizing the nation’s land is still in use today. This allowed for convenient buying and …show more content…
When requested to find an architect to design the Virginia capitol building, he chose himself. He modeled it after a Roman temple in France, simplifying it to create a variant of the design with American qualities. He later presided over the design of several buildings prior to the construction of Washington, D.C. He continued to interject his classical yet simplistic influences by offering his suggestions for the style of the buildings and in his final choices for the designs. By creating a variant of classic designs and extensively integrating it into the government buildings of the early republic, he created an American architectural style that almost all prominent government buildings currently