Background: Thomas Jefferson was born in Virginia in 1743. When his father died in 1757, Jefferson inherited a great deal of property. Three years later he entered the College of William and Mary, where he studied law. In 1769, he was elected to the Virginia state legislature. Six years later he was appointed to the Virginia delegation of the Second Continental Congress. During this time, his skills as a writer were recognized, and he was selected as the principle author of the Declaration of Independence. After the American Revolution, Jefferson served as the U.S. Minister to France until President Washington called him back to serve as the country's first Secretary of State. Jefferson served as Vice President under John Adams, and then in 1800 as elected the third President of the United States. He served two terms as president and then retired to his Virginia plantation, Monticello. Ironically, Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
View of the Nature of Human Beings: Despite Jefferson's well-to-do upbringing, he was a strong believer in the abilities of the "common man". He was convinced that people, when given enough information on an issue, were capable of making smart decisions. On the other hand, he believed that power concentrated in the hands of a few leaders was dangerous. Jefferson thought that people who had too much power might be tempted to govern for their own benefit and not to do what was best for everyone. Therefore, according to Jefferson, the power of any government must ultimately rest with the people, so that all interests are represented. The purpose of the government, he believed, is to carry out the wishes of the people.
View of the Nature of Human Beings: Despite Jefferson's well-to-do upbringing, he was a strong believer in the abilities of the "common man". He was convinced that people, when given enough information on an issue, were capable of making smart decisions. On the other hand, he believed that power concentrated in the hands of a few leaders was dangerous. Jefferson thought that people who had too much power might be tempted to govern for their own benefit and not to do what was best for everyone. Therefore, according to Jefferson, the power of any government must ultimately rest with the people, so that all interests are represented. The purpose of the government, he believed, is to carry out the wishes of the people.