Thomas Jefferson was a firm believer in the prosperity of America. He invested in the Louisiana Purchase in hopes to expand the country and promote his Empire of Liberty phenomenon. Through this investment, Jefferson had a major influence on the development and expansion of America.
To begin my research, I turned to Wikipedia for an encyclopedic reference on the life of Thomas Jefferson. From his biographical information, I gathered background notes on his childhood and upbringing, as well as elaboration on his greatest accomplishments. I then narrowed my search in on a few major categories. I gathered notes on how Jefferson idealized the future of America, which mainly led me to his Empire of Liberty aspiration. I found long lists of Jefferson’s accomplishments with annotations, but realized that with so many accomplishments, I would need to focus on a few of his major achievements. I chose the Declaration of Independence, Louisiana Purchase, expedition of Lewis and Clark, and US Presidency as four focal points. I also noted Jefferson’s vice presidency, delegation to Congress, and status as First Secretary of State as possible topic additions, in case I encounter any problems with my four focal points. At the Bedford High School Library, I found a book on Jefferson, which is a necessary source requirement. I began writing annotations for my bibliography, and found after drafting four annotations that my sources mainly touched on the second of my essential focuses- Jefferson’s views on American society. This led to me believe that I would need to later find more information on the four specific accomplishments I had decided to research. I was not as impressed by the book I found on Thomas Jefferson as I was on some of the websites. Many of the websites listed in a chronological format the accomplishments of Thomas Jefferson with his views mixed in. I was especially impressed with his biography found on millercenter.org, which was created by members of the University of Virginia, a university which was founded by Jefferson himself. I took many notes from this website and knew this source would be useful for my project. After receiving feedback, I decided to narrow my focus down to two points- The Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark Expedition. These two ideas focus most ideally on the physical expansion of America, and portray the American dream that Jefferson devised. I next searched for primary sources, which would have to concentrate on these two events. Thus, I discovered Thomas Jefferson’s letter of instruction to Meriwether Lewis; Jefferson’s letter of request to Congress; and Jefferson’s reference map to the Louisiana Purchase territory.
I chose to work individually because that way I only have to rely on myself to get work done, and I would be able to work on any part of my project whenever necessary. Having full control over my academics was a major concern, so working in a group would not have been a good choice for me. Using weebly.com was not a challenge for me in creating my website. My sister, who is a junior, provided me with answers to my few technical questions regarding the program. I also consulted a few of my classmates with arising questions. Otherwise, I found the website to be self-explanatory and easy to use.
Thomas Jefferson, one of America’s Founding Fathers, shaped the identity of America through both the Louisiana Purchase and the expedition of Lewis and Clark. Jefferson impacted the development of America by minimizing government control, expanding it geographically, and displaying in it his Empire of Liberty phenomenon.