Common theme presented by William Appleman Williams, Richard k. Matthews and Roger Terry

Introduction

Richard Matthews "Radical Politics of Thomas Jefferson" is great interpretation on the radical nature of the philosophy of Thomas Jefferson. It is amazing to me how the first two reviewers show their how their own ideology i.e.: "locking liberalism" is engrafted onto Jefferson. Matthews points out how Jefferson went farther than his fellow revolutionaries in creating a radical democratic philosophy. Jefferson was a true believer in not only a philosophy of liberty, but the best way to preserve that liberty through societal revolution, the "earth belongs to the living" concept, and his view of "ward republicanism" (Merrill, 55).

Jefferson saw the American Revolution as a fulfillment not only of Locke,and Sidney, but also saw it as a new beginning for liberated man. This new beginning would constantly renew the faith of the American Revolution through periodic change in laws and constitutions. Jefferson wanted to preserve liberty by extending democratic republicanism to virtually all white males through his granting of 50 acres of land to every man in Virginia in the belief that property ownership would secure the liberty fought for in the Revolution. Jefferson's proposals to abolish primogeniture and entail are radical attempts to equalize property relations by as he put it " to put all on an equal footing". This was to increase properly ownership by allowing estates to be given to more than just the eldest son (Leicester, 472).

In our liberal, hyper-capitalistic society, perhaps it is to be expected that not only mass opinion, but also historians, would view our founding period as being relevant to our current economic and political arrangements. Freedom and property rights were certainly part of the revolutionary lexicon. The founding giants, Franklin, Hamilton, Madison, and Jefferson, are all thought to be advocates for market society and limited government, with the exception of Hamilton who was an advocate for controlling government (Matthews, 110).

Discussion

First, in the colonial era, capitalism existed in only a fledgling form. Citizens, especially elites, were seen to have an obligation for public concerns, not simply those of the marketplace. The underpinnings of democracy can be seen in Jefferson's words in the DOI concerning the equality of all men and government based on consent. In fact, those words are often seen as providing cover for the absence of democracy in modern America. Democracy is at heart a communitarian concept, ...