How does public support impact the effectiveness of a presidency?-THOMAS JEFFERSON

           Public support is the process of being able to gather  voluntary contributions or other resources,  from individuals. It is soley based on the Public's opinion and is made up of an individuals attitude and beliefs. Public opinion can also be defined as the collection of opinions from many different people and can also be the sum of all their views, or as a single opinion held by an individual about a social or political topic. If does not agree with certain views they will not follow a leaders way.

            In his first term Jefferson was attacked on his personal character that have rarely matched in presidential history. In 1802 charges against him were publicized by James Thomson Callender, a journalist who he had befriended. He turned on him when not given a  federal appointment. These charges were taken up by Jefferson's political enemies, but he maintained his policy of making no public reply to personal attacks. The abuse he suffered from newspapers weakened his confidence in a free press. He believed that his reelection in 1804 justified his toleration of his critics.

              From an early stage in his public career, Jefferson had been subjected to attacks on religious grounds. He kept his opinions regarding religion very much to himself, he thought they were a private concern, his insistence on the complete separation of church and state was well known. That helped him gain the support of  dissenting groups, the Baptists, but it aroused bitter opposition among Congregationalists in those parts of New England where the clergy and constituted a virtual establishment. Overall, we can see that public supports affects any individual in a goal they are trying to accomplish.

George Washington, Before Presidency

George Washington was born on February 22, 1732, in Virginia. Washington served as a general and chief of the colonial armies during the American Revolution, and later became the first president of the United States. He died on December 14, 1799, in Mount Vernon, Virginia. In 1748, when he was 16, George traveled with a surveying party plotting land in Virginia’s western territory. 

Wife Martha and kids
with George Washington

Washington was given the honorary rank of colonel and was asked to join British General Edward Braddock's army in Virginia in 1755. Though he fought bravely, he could do little and therefore led the army back to safety. In August, 1755, Washington was made commander of all Virginia troops at age 23. A month after leaving the army, Washington married Martha Custis, a widow, who was only a few months older. She brought to the marriage a fortune and with that and land he was granted for his military service, Washington became one of the wealthy landowners in Virginia. Martha's also brought to the marriage two young children, John and Martha.

George Washington&slaves

Retiring from the Virginia militia until the start of the Revolution, George Washington devoted himself to the care and development of his land holdings. He worked six days a week, often taking off his belongings and performing manual labor with his workers.  He kept over 100 slaves, and was said to dislike the institution, but accepted the fact that slavery was the law. He entered politics and was elected to Virginia's House of Burgesses in 1758.