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Thomas Jefferson Inaugural Address Summary

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The first inaugural address of President Thomas Jefferson was delivered on March 4, 1801, in the Capitol Building of the new capital of Washington DC. As Thomas Jefferson was considered to be one of the most brilliant men who held office, also having authored the Declaration of Independence, he had very strong ideals for the role of government in the new republic. As an advocate for states’ rights, he thrived for a limited role for the federal government. He wanted to keep the government out of honest citizen’s lives and strongly supported individual freedom. Jefferson thought each person was entitled to equal rights. He announced that to silence anyone’s differential opinion would be an act of oppression. Each person should be honored with the right of having their own opinion. If our people were not allowed to openly disagree, it would fuel an unjust nation. Jefferson states we should proceed as “one heart and one mind.” By saying “one heart and one mind,” it allows the people …show more content…

He also believed we are entitled to equal justice, religious and political freedoms, peace, honest friendships, and the right of election. This tells us that Jefferson’s beliefs in the importance of personal freedoms and individual rights was genuine and sincere. Surely, without access to our freedoms and rights, we would have an unhappy nation. With an unhappy nation might spawn rivalry from the people against the government. Jefferson avoids this by promising liberty to the people. Jefferson says that we are all Republicans and we are all Federalists. He believed that we behold the strongest government on Earth. While he wants happiness and freedom for all, it seems as though the government’s power rests with the people. A fluctuation of power within the government that is powerless enough to abide with the people, but powerful enough to council and execute. Nonetheless, Jefferson advocates for a more limited

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