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Thomas Jefferson Case

Essay by   •  February 15, 2013  •  Essay  •  569 Words (3 Pages)  •  1,143 Views

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In the presidential election of the year 1800, Thomas Jefferson, by a hair's breathe won the presidential election, affecting major transfer in power from the Federalist Party to the Democratic-Republican Party. However, this swing in power was marked by being relatively peaceful and orderly, in a degree unprecedented by any other presidential elections. The third President of The United States of America, Thomas Jefferson made a few mistakes during his presidency but accomplished numerous achievements that were beneficial to the raw young nation. Jefferson left behind many legacies, but his three greatest bequests to the U.S. were the Louisiana Purchase, the Naturalization Law of 1802, and avoiding war with Great Britain.

The most notable legacy Thomas Jefferson left behind was when he official purchased Louisiana from the French in 1803. Jefferson and his administration bought Louisiana for a bargain price of $15 million. This meant that for less than three cents an acre, the Louisiana Purchase more than doubled the size of the United States. The purchase provided an outlet for farm products, enabling agriculture goods to be shipped to other areas of the nation with less expense, and gave an opportunity for economic growth in the United States. Also the Louisiana Purchase was the beginning of the end of European colonialism in the American Hemisphere and disengaged almost entirely from the ancient systems of the Old World.

Furthermore, when Jefferson enacted the Naturalization Law of 1802 was key for America. Shortly after Congress reassembled right after Jefferson won his presidential election, Jefferson had them pass the Naturalization Law. Prior to the law passing, for immigrants to be considered citizens they had to live in the US for fourteen years. This act reduced the unreasonable requirement of 14 years of residence to the previous and reasonable requirement of five years. Due to the reduced years to be considered a citizen of the United States, many people were now appealed to the idea of coming to the United States. This act helped bring a diverse group of people which allowed the young nation to grow both economically and on bases of population.

In addition to purchasing Louisiana and enacting the Naturalization Law of 1802, Jefferson third most important legacy was when he avoided war with Great Britain. Jefferson's decision not to go to war with Britain was the correct. Many argue that Thomas Jefferson

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