Thomas Jefferson- Laws Changes to American Government and
Impact on the World
Thomas Jefferson changed many of
the policies and customs that were often seen in government during George
Washington and John Adams’ presidency. For instance, Thomas Jefferson changed the
Federalist “etiquette” atmosphere that was initially brought up by George
Washington. Jefferson established the rule of pel-mel, meaning that there was
seating without rank. Jefferson pardoned martyrs that were serving their
sentences due to the Alien and Sedition Acts, unjustly imposed during Adams’
term and unappreciated by the states. Jefferson established the Naturalization
law of 1802; directing the clerk of the court to record the number of aliens
and their biography. Aliens were permitted in the states and were given many of
the same rights as natural born citizens. All immigrants had to declare and ask
for permission to be granted citizenship. 
Thomas Jefferson got rid of the
excise tax on whiskey that had started the Whiskey Rebellion. This was used as
a way to increase central government power as said by Alexander Hamilton.
Farmers who used left over corn and grain in form of whiskey had to pay a tax.
Jefferson reduced the military establishment and had more police enforcement.
This showed that the states had an indirect peace treaty; however Jefferson
ordered that two hundred tiny gunboats were constructed. Jefferson made a
significant impact through the Louisiana Purchase. As Americans were moving
westward into Ohio River and the Missisippi but the Spanish were going to give
back the lands to France. The U.S was scared that France, under the rule of
Napoleon Bonaparte, he would take away those resources from the U.S. Livingston
and James Monroe were asked to negotiated with French minister Charles Maurice
de Talleyrand for the purchase of New Orleans. It was sold for ten million dollars.
Treaty dated on April 30th and the bargain price was for less than 3 cents and
acre. In 1804 territorial government was established.
The purchase of the Louisiana
Purchase contributed to the discovery of an overland trail to the Pacific.
During Jefferson’s presidency, the navy was weak. He also settled the Embargo
Act of 1807 that forbade export of all goods from the U.S. This deeply hurt the
commerce of New England because there were mounting piles of tobacco, corn and
grain. On the contrary, the Embargo Act did not hurt Europe’s economy due to
other ports in Latin America that were willing to export with Europe.
Jefferson’s ideal view of an agricultural society came crashing down when New
York decided to reopen its factories due to the Embargo Act.
