Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State

E518821

Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State refers to his role as the first U.S. Secretary of State, during which he shaped early American foreign policy and often clashed with Alexander Hamilton over the direction of the new federal government.

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Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf historical role
political officeholding period
appointedBy George Washington NERFINISHED
cabinetRelationship frequent clashes with Alexander Hamilton over fiscal and foreign policy
increasing estrangement from George Washington over Hamilton’s influence
country United States of America
domesticImpact contributed to the formation of the Democratic-Republican Party
helped crystallize the first party system in the United States
intensified ideological conflict with Federalists
endDate 1793-12-31
foreignPolicyGoal avoid entangling alliances
maintain American neutrality between Britain and France
secure favorable commercial access for American agriculture
heldBy Thomas Jefferson NERFINISHED
historicalSignificance helped define the role of the U.S. Department of State in the early republic
ideologicalPosition advocate of limited central government
critic of commercial and financial elites
influencedDevelopmentOf American diplomatic traditions
principles of republican foreign policy
keyIssue U.S. neutrality in European wars
commercial treaties with European powers
relationship between federal and state power
shape of early American foreign policy
locationOfOffice Philadelphia NERFINISHED
mainRivalInCabinet Alexander Hamilton NERFINISHED
majorEventContext French Revolution NERFINISHED
Nootka Sound crisis NERFINISHED
debates over the Jay Treaty (pre-negotiation period)
opposedPolicy Alexander Hamilton’s program for a national bank
assumption of state debts by the federal government
broad construction of the U.S. Constitution
ordinalInOffice 1
policyOrientation agrarian republicanism
pro-French foreign policy sympathies
skepticism of standing armies and large public debt
strict construction of the U.S. Constitution
politicalAffiliation Democratic-Republican NERFINISHED
position United States Secretary of State NERFINISHED
predecessor Office established
presidentialAdministration George Washington administration NERFINISHED
reasonForResignation disillusionment with direction of federal policy
frustration with Hamilton’s dominance in the Washington administration
responsibility advising the president on foreign affairs
issuing passports and overseeing consular affairs
management of U.S. diplomatic correspondence
oversight of American ministers abroad
rivalOfficeholder Alexander Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury NERFINISHED
startDate 1790-03-22
successor Edmund Randolph NERFINISHED

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

presidency of George Washington appointedOfficeholder Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State