"I Agree with You That There Is a Natural Aristocracy

question 52

Essay

"I agree with you that there is a natural aristocracy among men.The grounds of this are virtue and talents.… May we not even say,that the form of government is the best,which provides the most effectually for a pure selection of these natural aristoi into the offices of government."
Thomas Jefferson to John Adams,October 1813
"All eyes are opened,or opening to the rights of man.The general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view the palpable truth,that the mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs,not a favored few booted and spurred,ready to ride them legitimately,by the grace of God.These are grounds of hope for others.For ourselves,let the annual return of this day forever refresh our recollections of these rights,and an undiminished devotion to them."
Thomas Jefferson to Roger Weightman,June 1826
Using the excerpts above,answer parts a,b,and c.
a)Briefly explain the main point of the first excerpt (Jefferson to Adams).
b)Briefly explain the main point of the second excerpt (Jefferson to Weightman).
c)Provide ONE piece of evidence from the period 1800 to 1830 and explain how it supports the interpretation in either document.

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Definitions:

Reorganize

The process of restructuring a company's business operations, such as changing its corporate structure, to improve efficiency or address financial trouble.

Involuntary Bankruptcy

A legal process initiated by creditors requesting the court to declare a debtor bankrupt, forcing the debtor to liquidate assets to pay off debts.

Chapter 7

A provision of the Bankruptcy Code providing for "liquidation," which involves the sale of a debtor's non-exempt property and the distribution of the proceeds to creditors.

Permanent Trustee

A trustee appointed to manage and administer a trust indefinitely until the trust’s objectives are fulfilled or the trust is legally dissolved.