Jefferson and His Time - Vol. 5 of 6 - Jefferson The President - Second Term 1805 - 1809 - Illustrated

Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1970. Third Printing . Hard Back. Fine/Good. 6 1/2" X 8 3/4. 704 Pages Indexed. Blue cloth with gold spine lettering and decoration to front. Blue top page edges. No defects noted to this tight book with pointed corners and flawless interior text pages. Dust jacket has some minor edge wear, shelf rubbing, and a 3 inch tear to the jacket front. Illustrated with maps and drawings. In this Volume 5 Malone completes the story of Jefferson's presidency following his career that spanned some forty years. Jefferson has mounting problems even as he remained the major unifying factor in his party and the government. He was confronted by events that frustrated even his masterful statesmanship. Aaron Burr's conspiracy provided most of the drama on the domestic scene, while the highly controversial trial that followed Burr's arrest aggravated an already bitter relationship between the executive and judicial branches. In Congress, the once-cooperative John Randolph exerted his influence to obstruct land settlements in the Louisiana Territory. On the whole, it was a turbulent period of factionalism coupled with aggression from abroad, as foreign powers displayed little respect for the security of the lightly armed young Republic. Yet Jefferson's second term also produced several positive achievements. His leadership remained distinctly personal and he continued to attach fundamental importance to maintaining constitutional freedoms such as freedom of speech. He secured his greatest success with his western exploration with the Lewis and Clark expedition. He enjoyed constructive, cordial relations with most members of the Congress until near the end of his term. Jefferson left the presidency a troubled and discouraged man. Yet his withdrawal from office was only a prelude to the outstanding public service he rendered as a private citizen which is the subject of the final volume in this monumental biography.