Editing Thomas Jefferson (section)

===Democracy===
[[File:Jefferson Portrait West Point by Thomas Sully.jpg|thumb|alt=Elder Jefferson|Jefferson, at age 78, depicted in an 1821 [[Thomas Sully]] portrait]]

Jefferson considered democracy to be the expression of society and promoted national self-determination, cultural uniformity, and education of all males of the commonwealth.<ref>[[#Wood2010|Wood, 2010]], p. 277.</ref> He supported public education and a free press as essential components of a democratic nation.<ref>[[#Appleby|Appleby, 2003]], pp. 57–58, 84.</ref>

After resigning as [[United States Secretary of State|secretary of state]] in 1795, Jefferson focused on the electoral bases of the Republicans and Federalists. The "Republican" classification for which he advocated included "the entire body of landholders" everywhere and "the body of laborers" without land.<ref>[[#Meacham|Meacham, 2012]], p. 298.</ref> Republicans united behind Jefferson as vice president, with the election of 1796 expanding democracy nationwide at grassroots levels.<ref>[[#Wilentz|Wilentz, 2005]], p. 85.</ref> Jefferson promoted Republican candidates for local offices.<ref>[[#Meacham|Meacham, 2012]], p. 308.</ref>

Beginning with Jefferson's electioneering for the "revolution of 1800", his political efforts were based on egalitarian appeals.<ref>[[#Wilentz|Wilentz, 2005]], pp. 97–98.</ref> In his later years, he referred to the 1800 election "as real a revolution in the principles of our government as that of '76 was in its form", one "not effected indeed by the sword&nbsp;... but by the&nbsp;... suffrage of the people".<ref>[[#Wilentz|Wilentz, 2005]], p. 97.</ref> Voter participation grew during Jefferson's presidency, increasing to "unimaginable levels" compared to the Federalist Era, with turnout of about 67,000 in [[1800 United States presidential election|1800]] rising to about 143,000 in [[1804 United States presidential election|1804]].<ref>[[#Wilentz|Wilentz, 2005]], p. 138.</ref>

At the onset of the [[American Revolution]], Jefferson accepted [[William Blackstone]]'s argument that property ownership would sufficiently empower voters' independent judgement, but he sought to further expand suffrage by land distribution to the poor.<ref>[[#Keyssar|Keyssar, 2009]], p. 10.</ref> In the heat of the Revolutionary Era and afterward, several states expanded voter eligibility from landed gentry to all propertied male, tax-paying citizens with Jefferson's support.<ref>[[#Ferling04|Ferling, 2004]], p. 286.</ref> In retirement, he gradually became critical of his home state for violating "the principle of equal political rights"—the social right of universal male suffrage.<ref>[[#Keyssar|Keyssar, 2009]], p. 37.</ref> He sought a "general suffrage" of all taxpayers and militia-men, and equal representation by population in the General Assembly to correct preferential treatment of the slave-holding regions.<ref>[[#Wilentz|Wilentz, 2005]], p. 200.</ref>