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What Is Thomas Jefferson's Role In Drafting The Constitution

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Thomas Jefferson is considered one of the most important people in United States History. He was the third president, and he even drafted the Declaration of Independence. Many think he also had a significant role in drafting the U.S. Constitution as well. This just happens to be incorrect. Jefferson was away in France during the summer of 1787 when this important document was being drafted. He, however, was still slightly involved, but he put the majority of his efforts in the foreign affairs that were going on at the time. Because of his efforts overseas to the United States and the other Ministers, Jefferson had little to do with the Constitution but to give his position on the matter. Serving the United States During the time the Constitution was being drafted, Thomas Jefferson was overseas in Paris serving as the Minister to France. That today is equivalent to an ambassador. There …show more content…

One would think that he was in full support of the new Constitution, but that was not the case. Jefferson was sure that the federal Constitution was not close to the excellence it needed to be. He was sure to make this view and others clear on the matter in the letters that he sent to the members of the convention over the time span that the Constitution was being drafted. ("One of the most intriguing might-have-beens in American History", 2016) Jefferson says in a letter to William S. Smith that there are some good and some bad articles within the content of the Constitution draft (Jefferson to William Stephens Smith , 2016). Here, he shows his concerns with the content of the Constitution. If it was not to hold superb content, Jefferson knew that the United States would be back to where they started with the Articles of Confederation. If one does not improve on what was the past, then how is the new any better? This was his whole

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