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- In office since
- March 4, 1801
- Left office
- March 4, 1809
- Born
- April 13, 1743
- Died
- July 4, 1826
- Religion
- Anglicanism, deism[2]
Life phases1
One octagon for each phase of the life of Thomas Jefferson. Each of the eight axes is scored 0 to 5 against a written rubric from documented evidence, with its source; an axis without evidence is a gap, not a zero. There is no total and no ideal shape: it is a profile, not a ranking. Appearance and personality are not axes, because they cannot be scored from evidence.
President, two terms1801–1809Cut the national debt and doubled the country's area with the Louisiana Purchase, but the 1807 Embargo Act damaged trade.
No total and no ideal shape: a longer spoke means more of that axis, so a long Misconduct spoke is more documented misconduct.
Scores, rubric and sources
- 01Education2 of 5
- Medium confidenceEntered the College of William & Mary in 1761 and concluded formal studies in April 1762; no degree is mentioned. He then read law under George Wythe.[1]Highest attainment by then: 1 secondary school, 2 some college, 3 bachelor's degree, 4 master's or professional degree, 5 doctorate.
- 02WealthNo evidence
- Net worth or income against the national thresholds of the time: 1 below the median household, 3 top 5%, 5 top 0.1%.
- 03Position5 of 5
- High confidencePresident of the United States, head of state and government, 1801-1809.[6]Scope of the role held: 1 entry level, 3 senior manager or legislator, 5 head of state or government, or the top role of a major institution.
- 04Public standingNo evidence
- Public approval or favourability where it was measured: 1 under 20%, 3 35 to 50%, 5 over 65%.
- 05HealthNo evidence
- Documented health where an examination or disclosure exists: 5 no documented concern, 1 a serious documented condition.
- 06Misconduct0 of 5
- Medium confidenceThe presidency article records no impeachment or formal investigation of Jefferson himself; his Burr-trial subpoena was met by releasing some documents under executive privilege. Impeachments in the period (Pickering, Chase) targeted judges.[6]The documented legal and ethics record within the phase, as in the misconduct meter: 0 none documented, 1 only matters resolved in their favour, 2 an open matter, 3 one finding, 4 two or three, 5 four or more. More is more documented misconduct.
- 07Social good2.5 of 5
- Low confidenceCalled for and saw enacted the ban on the international slave trade (effective January 1808; the legal trade had averaged about 14,000 a year, with about 1,000 a year smuggled afterwards); Louisiana Purchase of 827,987 sq mi; but the Embargo Act hurt coastal communities and slavery expanded west. Judgement-heavy.[6]Assessed effects of what they did in the phase on health, safety, education, rights and the environment, from official statistics or peer-reviewed evidence: 0 clearly harmful, 2.5 mixed, 5 clearly beneficial.
- 08Economic good2.5 of 5
- Low confidenceNational debt lowered from $83M to $57M and internal taxes repealed (over 90% of revenue from import duties); Louisiana Purchase cost $15M financed by borrowing; Embargo Act made imports and exports 'fall immensely' and Joseph Ellis calls it 'an unadulterated calamity'.[6]Assessed effects of what they did in the phase on efficiency, growth and fiscal sustainability, from CBO and peer-reviewed evidence, as in the good-for-society reading: 0 clearly harmful, 2.5 mixed, 5 clearly beneficial.
Laws and contributions1
Health, weight and religion appear only where the person, their physician or a reputable outlet has published them; each links to its source.