Few eras, if any, were more influential in American History than the period between 1800 and 1824. Dr. Kevin Gutzman focuses upon this period in his newest book, The Jeffersonians: The Visionary Presidencies of Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe.
Most writers separate this period at least into two sections, 1800-1815, and then 1815-1824. Even more historians chop the era into 3 separate chunks based upon each presidential administration. In so doing, those works focus largely upon the man occupying the Presidential office, but Dr. Gutzman has a different focus in his work.
The Jeffersonians were more than just the three Presidents dominating this era. They were followers of a visionary ideal set forth from a list of principles largely derived from Thomas Jefferson’s First Inaugural Address. Those principles governed domestic, foreign, economic, and judicial policies during the only era in which three men from the same party were elected to two successive terms each.
Such was the Jeffersonian dominance that the main political opposition, the Federalist Party, ceased to exist before the era ended. But the Jeffersonian era wasn’t without controversy. Most opposition to the Jeffersonian vision came from judicial review. Madison’s administration, however, added economic and foreign policy debacles that should have at the very least undone his tenure. Still, opinion remained rather favorable even when opposition arose from the Hartford Convention that formed in order to address Madison’s mismanagement.
Favor turned into the Era of Good Feelings as Monroe’s administration was called. The young United States grew, people were genuinely happy with Monroe’s leadership, and his political appointments executed their respective jobs with aplomb. Yet, when Monroe’s time ended, so too did the Jeffersonian era. Perhaps that is not correct, given that successive generations still viewed the Jeffersonian vision admirably, but with Monroe’s retirement, an era most definitely ended.
Soon, some of the old Federalists morphed into new political parties, chief of whom were the Whigs, and many from the Jeffersonian camp were supplanted by Jackson’s newer vision. All of the movers involved in this post-Jeffersonian Era, however, found their beginning during the 24 year period dominated by the close-knit Virginian Presidents. As such, they all had been influenced by the Jeffersonians. For this reason and so many others the Jeffersonian Era is vitally important to American understanding, and Dr. Gutzman’s work illustrates the period with prescient skill, making his book a must read for scholars and enthusiasts alike.
LINKS TO THE PODCAST:
Dr. Gutzman’s Books:
- The Jeffersonians: The Visionary Presidencies of Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2022.
- Virginia’s American Revolution: From Dominion to Republic, 1776-1840. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2007.
- Thomas Jefferson – Revolutionary: A Radical’s Struggle to Remake America. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2017.
- James Madison and the Making of America. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2012.
- Who Killed the Constitution?: The Fate of American Liberty from World War I to George W. Bush. New York: Forum Books, 2008.
- The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Constitution (The Politically Incorrect Guides). Washington, DC: Regnery, 2007.
Special Links:
- Dr. Gutzman’s Website
- The Brion McClanahan Show – Episode 750: The Jeffersonians
- Law and Liberty – The Jeffersonian Republic
- The Tom Woods Show – Episode 2253: The Real Thomas Jefferson
- The Tom Woods Show – Episode 2273: The Virginia Dynasty
All photography used on this site is owned and copyrighted by the author unless otherwise noted. The Featured Image is of The Jeffersonians.
Music used for this episode – Louis Armstrong and the Mills Brothers,”Carry Me Back to Old Virginia” available on Apple Music, and Selections from the “Appalachian Spring Suite” by Aaron Copeland, performed by the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Leonard Bernstein.
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