Similarities Between Monticello And Thomas Jefferson

Although Thomas Jefferson’s views seemed to evolve, he was always adamant about his belief that the United States should be an agrarian nation. His home in Monticello, his views of the French Government and his role in the Louisiana Purchase all supported his agrarian beliefs. In 1770 he began the construction of his world renowned home in Monticello. Jefferson spent six years in France as a Commissioner and Minister, where he developed views of the French government and later used them to help form the government of the United States. In 1803, Jefferson more than doubled the size of the United States by carrying out the Louisiana Purchase. Although, Jefferson made some contradicting statements while in Monticello, Monticello itself was not …show more content…
Jefferson was the architect of his beautiful home; it had magnificent gardens all around, a gorgeous view and a farm that was primarily self-sufficient. He spent numerous hours thinking about politics, one of his most thought about subjects being agrarianism. He also spent many hours establishing his own views about the government; quickly his views transformed into confidence in an agrarian nation. Even though Jefferson strongly believed in a nation of farmers, he did not believe that they should be dirt farmers; he believed in educating them. Furthermore, Jefferson felt that educating the mass population would benefit everyone by widening opportunities and bringing out people’s natural talents. Although, “when Jefferson spoke of ‘the people’ he meant ‘the farmers.’ … He believed deeply that rural living and rural people are the wellspring of civic virtue and individualized vitality… ” In one of Jefferson’s famous writings, the Notes on Virginia, he proclaimed, “Those who labor in the earth are the chosen people of God, if ever he had a chosen people.” This solidifies the commitment Jefferson had to an agrarian government. Additionally, Jefferson used Monticello as a place to invent; he invented helpful farming tools, such as the hempbeater and the formula for a moldboard plow of least resistance. In spite of all Jefferson’s agrarian beliefs, people argued that he was an industrial capitalist because he …show more content…
He observed the harsh conditions that the workers of England were exposed to and the atrocious peasantry of France. Jefferson was disheartened at the immense wealth and the despair of the European countries. Europe was even in agreement that the new America was the place to be, with its broad distribution of land and its agrarian economy. Even though, Jefferson found much to idolize in Europe, he found much more to despise; his examination of the European government allowed him to sum up his lifelong prejudice, “The yeomanry of the United States are not the canaille of Paris.” In France Jefferson formed the opinion that the working class, merchants, speculators, and cities were all corrupt and only farmers were thoroughly good. Many would say that this was hypocritical of Jefferson to say because, he himself, was born into an aristocratic family and was the President of the United States. Jefferson needed to become a powerful man that people respected in order to get the nation to follow his agrarian beliefs, so that’s what he did, even if it meant his words and actions would contrast. Commerce was allowed in Jefferson’s ideal government, only because it was necessary to supply the needs of agriculture but this was as much acknowledgment the urban class received from him. He has no trust in the urban classes, all of his trust was