JEFFERSON WELCOMED BACK TO MONTICELLO BY HIS NEGROES
Greeted by his slaves
After five years Jefferson returned home. When his negro slaves heard that he was coming back to Monticello they went several miles to greet him. When the carriage reached home they carried him on their shoulders into the house. The slaves were happy for Jefferson, like Washington, was a kind master, and hoped for the day to come when slavery would be no more.
First Secretary of State
Washington had just been elected the first President of the United States (1789), and was now looking for a good man to be his adviser on questions relating to foreign nations. He chose Thomas Jefferson to do that work and gave him the office of Secretary of State.
THOMAS JEFFERSON
From a painting by Rembrandt Peale, now in the possession of the New York Historical Society, New York City
Leader of the Democratic-Republican party
Congress disputed and debated over the best ways of paying the Revolutionary War debt, and also over the question as to whether America should take sides with France in the great war between that country and England. The people also disputed over these questions, and formed themselves into two parties. One, the Democratic-Republican, was led by Thomas Jefferson, and the other, the Federalist party, was led by Alexander Hamilton.