Thomas Jefferson First Inaugural Address

Thomas Jefferson First Inaugural Address

Thomas Jefferson - First Inaugural Address

Thomas Jefferson's presidency was "decided by the voice of the nation," making it particularly important for him to devise an inaugural speech that would act as gratitude toward the people and as set of guidelines that would define his position regarding a series of matters needed to be addressed at the time. One of the main reasons for which this speech became more than just another First Inaugural Address was that Jefferson emphasized several fundamental theories in it. The fact that he insisted that people should not be differentiated on account of their political preferences increased people's awareness regarding political discrimination, making them more conscious on the topic of how people's characters made them unique, and not the fact that they chose different paths in life.

In spite of the fact that he lectured to both his voters and to the people who did not vote for him, Jefferson proved that he did not wish to favor either group, as he believed that everyone had been equal and people should not be judged on account of whom they favor. What is surprising for the era and for an American politicians (considering that most of these people are known for the ardent support they display toward the political party they belong to) is the fact that he chose to be impartial when concerning his position regarding the political scene in the U.S.

One of the main points raised during Jefferson's First Inaugural Address was related to the divergences taking place between Federalists and Republicans. Also, the speech speaks about the importance of religion in every domain, especially politics, further causing the public to become confused, considering Jefferson's reputation as a man who had little to do with religion. He disapproved the religion intolerance that largely shaped the past of humanity, stressing the fact that it had been very important for people to get actively engaged in supporting freedom through any means available.

Jefferson's discourse is somewhat philosophical in nature, given that it deals with concepts of morality and to the fact that people should refrain from putting across a biased behavior. He deals with problems that were contemporary to him, such as the difficult times the U.S. experienced and the wars Europe went through at the time. He highlighted the fact that in comparison to the rest of the world the U.S. was advantaged due to several factors, such as that relating to its position and that regarding the principles Americans lived by.