Episode 131: Frank Cogliano, Thomas Jefferson’s Empire of Liberty

by Liz CovartApril 25, 2017

Play episode

The United States has a complicated history when it comes to ideas of empire and imperialism. Since it’s earliest days, the United States has wanted the power that came with being an empire even while declaring its distaste for them.

Therefore, it should not be surprising that the man who drafted the Declaration of Independence, which severed the 13 American colonies’ ties to the most powerful empire in the mid-to-late 18th-century world, also had strong views about empire: Thomas Jefferson wanted the United States to become a great and vast “Empire of Liberty.”

Frank Cogliano, a Professor of American History at the University of Edinburgh and author of Emperor of Liberty: Thomas Jefferson’s Foreign Policy, joins us to explore how Thomas Jefferson came to be a supporter and promoter of empires.

About the Show

Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history.

It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world.

Each episode features a conversation with a historian who helps us shed light on important people and events in early American history.

Episode Summary

Frank Cogliano, a Professor of American History at the University of Edinburgh and author of Emperor of Liberty: Thomas Jefferson’s Foreign Policy, joins us to explore how Thomas Jefferson came to be a supporter and promoter of empire.

During our exploration, Frank reveals Thomas Jefferson’s vision of the United States as an “Empire of Liberty”; Why Jefferson believed that the United States needed both land and free trade to function as a republic; And, details about how Jefferson’s vision for the United States informed his diplomatic and executive decisions.

What You’ll Discover

How Frank became interested in Thomas Jefferson
Researching early American history & Jefferson in Scotland
Why Thomas Jefferson is still fascinating to scholars
Jefferson and his vision of the United States as an “Empire of Liberty”
Why Jefferson believed the United States needed both land and free trade to function as a republic
Jefferson as Governor of Virginia
Jefferson as Minister to France and as Secretary of State
Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates
The Nootka Sound Crisis of 1789-90
Jefferson as Vice President
The Alien and Sedition Acts
President Jefferson and the Barbary States
Lessons we can draw from Jefferson’s experience for our present day

Links to People, Places, and Publications

Sponsor Links

Complementary Episodes

Time Warp Question

In your opinion, if Jefferson had not worked against the Adams Administration and had actually supported the Alien and Sedition Acts, would his presidential administration have been able to negotiate the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 with the French?