Three significant actions of washington, adams and jefferson essay

Three Significant Actions of Washington, Adams and Jefferson The forging of the United States from a colony to a nation was not an easy task. The maintaining of the republic, however, had proven to be even more difficult. That is why great leadership was needed to allow the United States to remain stable and prosperous. In the early days of the United States, the leadership found in the administrations of George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson proved successful thanks to their many great accomplishments.

Of course, this leads to the question which accomplishment would be considered each administration’s greatest, most important, and longest lasting achievements. That is precisely what will be examined herein. There were a number of important directives and administration policies undertaken by George Washington. However, probably the most critical decision Washington made was signing the Militia Act of 1792 in response to the civil unrest created by the Whiskey Rebellion. Essentially, this act allowed for the establishment of state militias who would remain under the directives of the president. This was not designed, however, to create a totalitarian police state. It was designed to provide an orderly, immediate, and successful response to domestic threats. These threats included foreign invasions or severe domestic unrest.

This allowed the United States to remain stable and impose law and order when needed. In time, these early militias later developed into the modern National Guard. The National Guard has provided critical support in a multitude of national emergencies such as hurricanes and other national disasters saving countless lives. In retrospect, if it were not for Washington’s foresight to develop state militias, the ability to maintain the security of the United States may not have been possible. Without stable security, the republic could have collapsed at various times in our history. John Adams remains an intriguing president mainly because his presidency was seemingly without accomplishment. Actually, Adams’s lack of action was one of his greatest achievements.

In particular, there was much unrest in Europe as France and Britain were at war. Additionally, French pirates were pillaging American ships. While Adams did play a large role in developing a strong navy to deal with the pirates, he did not declare war on France and avoided intervening in Europe’s affairs. Some assume that Adams’ foreign policy was akin to isolationism. Actually, it was closer to proper foresight and pragmatism. A young nation such as the United States was much better off staying out of the affairs of Europe at that stage in its history. To engage stronger nations “ head on” or aggressively could have proved disastrous and may have even facilitated the end of the republic.

So, it is fair to say Adams judgment when it came to foreign policy aided in preserving the nation. Without a doubt, Thomas Jefferson was one of the greatest men in America’ history and his presidency was quite accomplished. But, without a doubt, Jefferson’s greatest accomplishment was the Louisiana Purchase. The Louisiana Purchase was the negotiated sale of North American territory owned by France to the United States. This purchase essentially doubled the size of the United States and launched the great expansion westward. The Louisiana Purchase was not popular with many of the US’ population and it took critical skill on Jefferson part to succeed with the deal. As a result, the road to what would eventually become the continental United States was launched.

Bibliography “ Presidents of the United States.” The White House. 1997. 5 October 2008.