Jefferson as Leader

Webinar Leader

Peter Onuf

Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation Professor of History, Emeritus
University of Virginia

Webinar Details

When Thomas Jefferson ascended to the presidency on March 4, 1801, his great challenge was to reassure his fellow Americans that they were a united people, dedicated to common principles and still inspired by the Revolutionary "Spirit of '76." This was no small task: vicious party battles in the 1790s and a protracted deadlock in the Electoral College had led some observers to fear for the very survival of the union. The new president did not aspire to be another George Washington, "whose preeminent services had entitled him to the first place in his country's love." Jefferson instead promised to follow the people's lead, casting himself as their modest and self-effacing public servant. Join us to discover how his celebration of the power of the people pointed toward a new conception of leadership in a democratic republic. How did Jefferson plan to preside over "the strongest Government on earth"?