Thomas Jefferson was a follower of the constitution, a necessary army, and state rights.

When Jefferson became president in 1800, his ideas changed widely. His executive power was shown through the purchasing of Louisiana, involvement in the War along the Barbary Coast, and the Embargo Act of 1807. His interpretation of the constitution went from strict to loose, the army of the U.S. became larger, and he used his power in the economic stand point to pursue his ideals. Thomas Jeffersons ideas altered greatly when Louisiana was purchased in the young years of the 19th century. Thomas Jefferson wrote to John Breckinridge that the Constitution let us annex other nations (Document C). Napoleon offered the land to the America for $15 million. Thomas Jeffersons went ahead and purchased the land without Congresss okay. Jefferson went against his belief. Here he had a loose interpretation of the constitution. His change in his prepresidential belief increased the nations land by two-fold. He believe his powers to make treaties gave him the position to go ahead and buy land. If the price wasnt so good he would have been in big trouble with the legislative branch. Altering his tactics, Jefferson increased our nations military force and got us in a war in the Mediterranean. A main belief of his was that this land should keep out of other nations ways and have an army that was only as big as necessary. He changed route on his belief by starting an undeclared war with the Barbary States over in North Africa (Document D). This went against his earlier beliefs. His reason for doing this was that we were being mocked by the Barbary Pirates. They were blacking mailing us and taking over our merchant ships. He also didnt confront Congress about the war until he already declared it. Of course this only made matters worse. Thomas Jefferson used restrictive economic standpoints pursue his ideals for this nation. Jefferson neutrality was at stake during the war between France and England in the early 1800s. They wanted America to join war on their side by trading with them or fighting with them. In 1808, The Federalist Circular in Massachusetts exhibited the states discontent with Jeffersons economic policies (Document E). In 1807 Thomas Jefferson kept the nations neutrality and created an Embargo Act, which restricted trade from American ports to any foreign country (including the fighting England and France). An economic downfall came shortly after because the states couldnt trade big. The embargo of 1807 proved to be highly disliked. They felt this was unconstitutional and put too much control in the hands of the central government. The Louisiana Purchase, the 1807 embargo with outsiders, and our involvement in the Barbary Coast brought about suspicion to his beliefs surrounding the constitution and the power of the states and the federal government. As an Avid Federalist critic, Thomas Jefferson, whose philosophy professed a democratic-republican, strictly constituted, farmers nation allowed his beliefs to alter as he slowly, but surely became engorged in his two terms as chief of state.