I'm about one-half finished with a biography of Thomas Jefferson. I'm aware that Jefferson was in France during the Constitutional Convention. But that seems strange to me. If Jefferson was such a great thinker, writer, and statesman, I would assume that he would have been recalled from France to assist with drafting the Constitution. After all, he wrote the Declaration of Independence.
What am I missing? Was Jefferson's reputation for greatness formed after the Constitution, during his presidency? Was Jefferson invited to the Constitutional Convention but declined, or was he snubbed? Or was his role in France greater than I understand? Or is there some other dynamic at work? Was Jefferson jealous that he missed out on contributing to the Constitution?
Thanks for any responses!
After all, he wrote the Declaration of Independence.
I think you just answered your own question there. Jefferson played a key role in America's founding through his authorship of the declaration. However, he was effectively the leader of the anti-federalists who pushed against ratification of the constitution.
The reason why Jefferson is still seen as one of the founding fathers isn't just because he co-wrote the declaration but his presidency defined a lot of America to this day. His push West in the form of the Louisiana purchase, helped create the idea of the 'Western Frontier'. His election of 1800(or revolution as he modestly put it), showed the world that the United States would set a precedent for the bloodless transfer of power after losing an election (John Adams).