A Year With George Washington
On January 21, 1790, President Washington wrote to Thomas Jefferson, urging him to accept his appointment as Secretary of State and to make haste in arriving at his post.
Washington’s choice of Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State led to one of the most enduring legacies of his presidency, even if it was not his intention.
The intense Jefferson / Hamilton “feud,” which began almost immediately, formed the political divisions that amazingly persist to this day. Alexander Hamilton tilted toward a more robust federal government and thus a more flexible interpretation of the Constitution.
Thomas Jefferson, in contrast, believed that the language in the Constitution should be strictly construed and that the Bill of Rights, which he was instrumental in drafting, was of equal importance. He often cited the Tenth Amendment to make his argument. It states that the powers not expressly granted to the Federal government in the Constitution were reserved to the states, or to the people.
These differing interpretations of the Constitution caused a continual rift in Washington’s administration and eventually led to Jefferson’s resignation.
Washington, in his letter to Thomas Jefferson, outlined his philosophy on government, the role of the Secretary of State, and the reasons he desired Jefferson in that office. With Benjamin Franklin old and frail, few, if any, were more qualified than Jefferson to assume the role of the first-ever Secretary of State.
Jefferson served as the Foreign Minister to France for five years under the former Confederation and had extensive experience in foreign affairs. His accomplishments were many. He successfully negotiated with Morocco regarding its demand for tribute (bribes to prevent its preying on American shipping). The tribute demands ceased, and ultimately, Jefferson secured the release of American hostages held prisoner by the African state.
He successfully negotiated a commercial treaty with France, another with Frederick the Great of Prussia, and still more with Denmark and Tuscany.
He traveled extensively in Europe and, possessed of an infinitely curious mind, had become familiar with many cultures and their varied customs.
Jefferson, along with his friend the Marquis de Lafayette, authored a charter of rights titled The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which was presented to King Louis XVI.
After five years abroad, the seasoned statesman longed to come home. After the storming of the French prison Bastille on July 14, 1789, and sensing the turmoil that was to come, Jefferson requested that he be granted a leave of absence from his duties as Foreign Minister.
In October 1789, Jefferson and his family returned to the United States but he did not learn of his appointment until he docked at Norfolk, Virginia.
Jefferson was unsure of whether he would accept Washington’s offer and wanted to take a much-needed respite from the world at Monticello. But Washington needed him and needed him now. Jefferson, moved by Washington’s letter, accepted the appointment and made plans to travel to New York.
He did, however, delay his departure to host his eldest daughter, Patsy’s, wedding. On the way, he braved a snowstorm and stopped in Philadelphia to visit the ailing Benjamin Franklin, who would die not long after the visit.
In March of 1790, much to Washington’s delight, Jefferson was sworn in as the nation’s first Secretary of State and agreed to serve one year into Washington’s second term.
On December 31, 1793, Jefferson tendered his resignation, choosing to continue the fight against Federalist Alexander Hamilton as a civilian leading the Republicans. The two-party system was born.
