One of the integral founding fathers, the country would not have become what it was without him. While he was a great founding father, he was only a good president. He did many positive things, like pardoning those imprisoned under the Alien and Sedition Acts, and removing the "midnight judges" of Adams (the previous president) which led in part to the decision of Marbury v. Madison. He also purchased the Louisiana Territory, essentially doubling the size of the U.S., and sent two guys on their relatively unknown trek across some mountains where they met some Native American woman that may or may not have been on a coin recently. But Jefferson also had his errors. The Embargo Act is the most famous, and was repealed within a couple years after being recognized as ineffective. He also signed a law that made it illegal for African Americans to handle mail, which doesn't look quite as smart as he must have thought it was.

TJ's contributions to the States were undeniable, he was one of the pillars on which the country was built. His presidency was a good one, but like most of his fellow head's of state he had his political flaws. I'd still take him over all but a few of the presidents since.

We need to go back and listen to the advice this man left us.

Few can deny the contributions he made to America that persists to this day.

Jefferson was a leader in developing republicanism in the United States.

Can you say Declaration of Independence?.....Nuf said!  The intelligence level of  ALL these colonial presidents astounds me.

First president to send American troops to protect Americans in another country - Tripoli, Libya in 1803. Besides writing the Declaration of Independence, he was one of the movers and shakers so to speak who came up with not only a brand new form of government, but a whole new way of life too. You can thank Thomas Jefferson that the social classes are not inpenetrable. In the U.S., if you work hard enough and long enough, you can go as far in life as you desire. In Europe and other places, no matter how hard you tried, you stayed in the same socio-economic class your whole life, unless you did something so outstanding that a monarch gave you a formal title and lands. This didn't happen often.

was ok despite his secret affair can you imagine the scanda;l if he was in politics now??

The real father of our democracy and republic. It would be great if all citizens would read some of this great writer and statesman. He would be disgusted over the current state of our presidency and its betrayal of both democracy and the republic in the name of party loyalty.

He was a great president, he expanded our land and gave the power to the people.

He helped build our country and make it into the nation it is today. Too bad he was racist, though.

One of the best leaders our country's ever had. Huge advocate for separation of church and state.

yes, he initiated the Declaration of Independance...however, I know that most of the men that signed that had ulterior motives...nuff said

A visionary.

Excellent choices in "man of few words" department at a time when articulating American values was a work in progress. Loses one point for owning slaves, and one more for admiring the French a little too much.

The original Republican, small government. The original revolutionary (he REALLY felt revolution...just look up any of his quotes.) "Dissent is the greatest form of patriotism..."
Kinda screwed the French out of Louisiana though...

Jefferson was the first to ignore the rules of his position, thus providing a precedent claimed and utilized by some of the worst officials to fill the office of President.

I agree with Mysteryman that without Jefferson there may not have been a United States. Let me up that one, without a Constitution based on The Ten Commandments and God fearing, there would not be a U.S. The great Forefathers understood that it cannot be left up to man to decide what is right and wrong. The only thing that divides a Democracy and Communism is GOD. "The GOD who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time." ~~~Thomas Jefferson

THOMAS JEFFERSON POONS ASS.

If we rate him simply as a president, rather than as a man with many other accomplishments to his name, Jefferson must be regarded as a mixed success. His administration was unprincipled, and he tended as president to violate the precepts he'd established earlier in his writing. As a congressional representative he counted the ballots that ensured his own election. As President he purchased Louisiana on the sly, without consulting congress. His Embargo was a thorough disaster. Jefferson was a fascinating and fallible human being, and one of those fascinations is the fact that, for me, he was a great writer but only a somewhat above-average president.

A great President!  Very astute, well-read, and practical.  His famous quotes mean more today than they ever did!

one of the best

this man was the author of the declaration of independence. he was the third president of the united states. he was an OVER-achiever in any sane-thinking persons' books.

Over-rated underachiever. He managed almost to destroy USA economy with his bone-headed embargo and foreign relations.

He was a coward during the Revolutionary War. He was Governor of Virginia and totally dropped the ball. He fled when the going got tough and the Fathers of Virginia had to replace him!

Louisiana purchase moves him up to two stars.

He cribbed the Declaration of Independence and was heavily edited, in any case.

If you dispute my analysis, why, look it up for yourself. The Iron Verdict of History is there for everyone to peruse!

A great president. One of the countries founding fathers. Wrote parts of the United States Constitution. Recieved the best bargain in American History when the French sold the Louisiana Purchase for $15 Million. However, he was a hypocrit in the sense that he spoke out against slavery even though he had slaves himself.

I believe that Jefferson would have ended slavery had that been a viable option at the time. He warned repeatedly that future generations would bleed because of the institution. He made some bad decisions regarding trade and economic policy, but overall a great President. On a side note- I find him perhaps the most interesting of all the Presidents. He was such a genius that I believe he sort of lived in his own world, operating on a different plane. Probably the only "Mozart" to ever serve as Pres.

A great man who presided over a good although uncongenial presidency, Jefferson didn't think enough of his time in office to have it listed on his tombstone. It was eight years of peace and rapid expansion for the U.S. under Jefferson's Administration.

The most well-rounded President in history with talents in not just leadership, but writing and architecture as well.

The writer of the Declaration of Independence (One of the greatest written documents of all time) Was a man of superlative intelligence- and along with Madison are the two pillars of the 'checks and balances' that are the framework of our form of Government. Of all the Presidents ,Jefferson was truly a renaissance man of the ages.

This president loved the "sistas." Different strokes for different folks dudes.

Major author of the declaration, and key member of the constitutional convention.

The best of them all. I think he did the most for our country and was also the brightest. I would have loved to know him. Did you ever see the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. - it says it all!

The most fascinating figure, and probably the most brilliant, eloquent, intelligent, and well-read man, ever to be president. His integrity can hardly be questioned, yet his contradictions make him a fascinating character study. And his commitment to the ideals of liberty and the building of a new nation leave him with few peers among the towering pantheon of Founding Fathers. His commitment to religious freedom and his unwavering desire to protect religion from government encroachment and, likewise, the government from religious encroachment, are unparalleled in American history. The "Wall of Separation" was a concept that came from his own hand. He was also, however, a philosopher and an idealist -- qualities not always suited to effective leadership, for it sometimes meant his head was in the clouds and his ideals couldn't find traction in the down-and-dirty world of politics. And when he became president, he indeed found that many of his high-minded principles didn't translate to the real world. His embargo may have been rooted in strong principle, but it was economically crippling. He believed in small government and decried extra-Constitutional actions by the federal government, yet he oversaw the purchase of a huge tract of land (the Louisiana purchase, naturally) that the Constitution gave him no authority to do. But perhaps his most enduring contribution to America is one that's not celebrated so much, probably because we take it for granted today: His ascendancy to the presidency ensured that democracy would prevail. Under the Federalists, American government was drifting toward a "Father Knows Best" type of pseudo-monarchical aristocracy, in which the common people were expected to defer their important political decisions (and opinions) to the government and essentially be happy with what rights were granted to them. Jefferson reversed that trend -- and Federalists like Adams and Hamilton were downright panicked about it -- by championing political involvement and activism from all Americans, in the democratic style that we all cherish today. For that achievement alone, he should be remembered as one of the giants of the presidency. It would take many more years for the democratic process to be opened up to all Americans, but Jefferson got the ball rolling, against considerable odds.

I used to like Jefferson a lot. IN the last year, I have read Bio's on Washington, Franklin, Adams, and Hammilton. I now see him as a guy who wrote the declaration(franklin eddited it) then disapeared during the Rev. He did not fight, in fact often fled in terror, then attacked Hamiliton (a war hero) on his war record. He acts nice in public and goes around stabbing in the back anyone who disagreed with him politically. the only good thing he did as a Pres was the louisanna purchase otherwise some bad choices. and to user Chagoth who said that Jefferson left Adams midnight packing of the courts alone.... umm justice S Chase was impeached but was not voted out, had he been Jefferson would have gone after Marshall. Thankfully he failed. He was a petty man who should have been better.

While Lincoln wrote and spoke like an idealist Jefferson was a realist.

Thomas Jefferson warned, When the government fears the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. Considering the times we live in today, Jefferson proved to be quite the visionary. Questioning ones government does not equate to treason.

With the Louisiana Purchase, he doubled the size of the United States. Jefferson believed in small government and believed that people should govern themselves. He also banned the slave trade as president and had the vision to fund the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Jefferson also knew how to handle the judiciary. Right before Adams left office, Adams packed the courts with partisan federalist judges. When Jefferson assumed the presidency, he didn't try to remove the judges or have them impeached, Jefferson simply wouldn't pay them thereby eliminating half of Adams horrible appointees. Brilliant!

Thomas Jefferson was worthless slave owning trash and I wish he never would've been Presedent!!!

Christianity neither is, nor ever was a part of the common law. -Thomas Jefferson, letter to Dr. Thomas Cooper, February 10, 1814 Just one of many quotes of Jefferson indicating that the ten commandments had nothing to do with the constitution. You have to be both brain damaged and ignorant to believe Jefferson was a Xian, he was, at best, a diest, who flatly rejected all attempts to impose Xianity into govt. I encourage people to do their own research on this.

the best. pure and simple

probably the most intelligent man ever to occupy the white house; and basically tripled the United States in size overnight with the Louisiana purchase; he also made sure he kept us out of the Napoleonic Wars in Europe

Thomas Jefferson was a brilliant man. He spoke several languages, was a very prolific writer and inventor. From this we know he was always thinking, always looking at new ideas. I believe he probably fathered children by at least one of his slaves. While I don't approve of slavery from what I've gathered it was much more complicated freeing slaves than we know. I don't know what the relationship was between these two. I do believe he probably treated his slave as well as you can treat someone you own. Though the only black mark I can give Jefferson is that he was a slaveowner. If I could I'd give a 4.5 for that.

He was an intelligent man who graced his place in history, by contributing every cell of his brain to God and his Country.

Our great national creep, famous for doing the opposite of what he said, Jefferson did greatly expand the size of the country _ bad luck, Native Americans _ as well as the power of the presidency.

The greatest president ever.

Let me go in between. There is no way in hell Jefferson should be #2. He was not a great president under any circumstances, he was average. I know this has become semi-redundant, but he was much better outside of the presidency than inside it. Should he be rated bad (2), no way. He was OK.

Sage of Monicello.

i hear he was all about the sexual chocolate

Thomas Jefferson was a paradoxical man. As secretary of state he favored paying tribute to the Barbary States to end their attacks on U.S. shipping. But as president, he stopped the bribery and launched a four-year war that led to the vanquishing of those countries. He was a Federalist because he feared a strong central government would abolish slavery and he, of course, was a slave holder. He engineered one of the great real-estate deals of all time when he negotiated the Louisiana Purchase for a paltry $15 million. Despite his slave holdings, he insisted that Montana and other western areas of the Purchase be slave free. Yet he resolutely resisted extending those guarantees to the East since he, after all, lived in the East. He made significant contributions to government and politics. He helped found the University of Virginia, and was an inveterate botanist and a creative inventor. He was also a dirty political infighter who squabbled so ferociously with Alexander Hamilton, the first treasury secretary, that Washington told both of them to cool it (they didn't). By the end of his second term, Jefferson had become a weakened, unpopular president.

Horray for Tommy J!

woo again