Thomas Jefferson was born on April 1, 1743, at Shadwell Virginia. He was the third president of the United States of America and the author of the Declaration of the U.S (Jefferson). He was a leader whose contribution to the development of the country was very significant. His contribution during the Revolutionary War was very crucial as he served in both the Virginia Legislature and the Continental Congress.

Additionally, he was the governor of Virginia, and he later becomes the U.S minister to France. Later, he became the secretary of state and vice president from 1735 to 1836. Some of his contributions in these positions are effective up to date.

One of the effects that Thomas Jefferson had on the government and are in effect today is the development of the federal government (Jefferson). During his time he did not believe in executive power and strongly against the Central government. He shaped the capital of the nation through the powers of the constitution. He advocated for limiting the powers of the federal government, and after winning the elections, it was established that power should be passed from losers to winners in a peaceful manner a principle applied even today.

Also, he wrote the Declaration of Independence which served as an announcement that the U.S was no longer part of the British Empire. This was one of his great achievement as it served as a global inspiration (Slade). The declaration was also important and is up to date for the “All men are created equal ” phrase. This phrase is used up to date in fighting for human rights. When fighting racial segregation, for example, the human right advocates use this phrase to argue that no person should be discriminated because he/she does not belong to a particular race which is viewed as greater than the others.

The third impact that Thomas made in the government that is in effect up to date is the protection of individual rights as well as the freedom of the press (Slade). He once wrote a letter to a correspondence indicating that the liberty of the people is dependent on the freedom of the press and if this freedom is limited then the freedom is lost. Even today people fight for the freedom of the press as it is through this medium that they obtain information.

References

Jefferson, Thomas. The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Volume 21: Index. Vol. 1. Princeton University Press, 2018.

Slade, Joseph W. “Thomas Jefferson.” American Literature and Science (2015): 58.