To what extent was the Jeffersonian Era (1800-1828) consistent with the vision of Thomas Jefferson?

Thomas Jefferson's vision on the future American government and society greatly contradicted the visions of the federalist. Unlike Alexander Hamilton, Jefferson believed in a government where majority of the power was held within the state governments. Jefferson and his followers, the anti-federalist, wanted a government that was mainly held together by independent farmers. Jefferson did not like the idea of industries and commerce, he supported the idea of an agrarian society. The anti-federalist feared a too powerful centralized government, so Thomas Jefferson wanted a federal government that was greatly limited. He believed that all Americans should be exposed to the scientific rationalism of the Enlightment which was a part of the proposal of universal education. During Jefferson's years as president, many of his visions did not come true. Instead of keeping an agrarian society with many farmers, industrialization began to increase. With increasing numbers of industries, commerce also increased. Unfortunately education continued to be something the select "elites" got to participate in. The American society during the Jeffersonian Era was far from the simple society that Jefferson had in mind. Although some of Jefferson's ideals became true during the Jeffersonian Era, most did not. Thomas Jefferson's vision of the government was very inconsistent with the actual government during the Jeffersonian Era.

How radical was the American Revolution?


Since the Americans were so used to controlling their own affairs, it caused a huge controversey when Britain started to try to get more power in the colonies by taxing them. The tension between Britain and the Colonies had already been growing since the French and Indian war and this "taxation without representation" was the last straw. The colonies had considered themsleves completely English all the way up to this point, now the colonies were doing everything they could to seperate from them. I think that the American Revolution was extremely radical because the colonies risked everything by going against Britain. There was a very good chance that we could have lost that war and lost sight of the dream of ever becoming independent.