Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

To: exnavy; Right_Wing_Madman; equaviator; woodpusher

"Jefferson the Jacobin will bring guillotines to America!":

exnavy: "TJ was the founder of what became the republican party."

No, just the opposite.

What's true is that Jefferson referred to himself as a small-r "republican".
But Jefferson was also a huge fan of revolution and the "democratic" French Revolution (1789 to 1799) especially.

Commenting on the French Revolution itself, Jefferson said: Jefferson was so enamored of the "democratic" French Revolution that his Federalist opponents began calling Jefferson's political party the "Democratic-Republicans", and Jeffersonians embraced the name, kept it and shortened it to the "Democratic Party", even referring to themselves as "The Democracy".

The threat of revolution was so real, Jefferson's Federalist opponents in 1800 claimed: "Jefferson the Jacobin will bring guillotines to America!"

That's what "Democratic" and "Democracy" meant in 1800.

1807 Jefferson's Gallatin Plan for massive road, canals & other infrastructure spending:

So Jefferson was elected in 1801 (barely) and none of it proved true.
What was true is that Democratic Pres. Jefferson did everything in office he had accused the Federalists of doing, or wanting to do, plus a lot more, notably:

  1. Lousiana Purchase (unconstitutional according to strict constructionists)

  2. Barbary War (not a declared war)

  3. Embargo Act against US exports (the source of Federal revenues, bankrupted New England shippers)

  4. Arrest of his former VP Aaron Burr for treason in Burr's plot to secede Louisiana.

  5. Jefferson's Gallatin Plan for massive Federal infrastructure spending -- more than the cost of the Louisiana Purchase!
By 1816, Jefferson's Democratic-Republican Party was so successful it destroyed the old Federalist party in an "Era of Good Feelings" reelecting presidents Madison and Monroe with little opposition.
That lasted until 1824 when splits within the ruling Uni-party led to Jeffersonians becoming officially Democrats and ex-Federalist followers of Pres. John Quincy Adams becoming the new National Republicans cum Whig Party.

Bottom line: Jefferson -- while calling himself a small-r republican -- was the founder of the Democratic-Republicans, shortened to Democratics and "The Democracy".
His opposition Federalists eventually became Whigs, then after 1854, today's Republicans.

Jefferson in many ways was typical of Democrats to this day.

23 posted on 09/23/2026 6:29:37 AM PDT by BroJoeK (future DDG 134 -- we remember)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies ]


To: BroJoeK

In your wisdom you completely missed my point.


65 posted on 09/26/2026 1:23:14 AM PDT by exnavy (See article IV section 4 of our constitution.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson