The long period of Democratic rule after 1800 vaulted the Declaration of Independence & Jefferson, its principal author, into legendary status, even though the document had only a modest influence in the nation's early years. Jefferson lifted most of the key passages of the Declaration from George Mason's Virginia Declaration of Rights and admitted that they weren't original thoughts. The Declaration of Independence, however, did eventually become a powerful symbol of human rights around the world. The document was also an important admonition that governments derived their just powers from the consent of the governed & had a duty to secure their people's rights — not take them away. Yet in practice, as president, Jefferson often used the government to do just what he railed against: abscond with people's rights.

Jefferson sometimes used his executive power for disastrous purposes, especially when he implemented the harshly enforced embargo that usurped American freedoms & resulted in economic devastation & even starvation. Jefferson's idea to force Native Americans onto less desirable land farther west was a horrible precedent that had terrible long-term human consequences. Although James Monroe set more policies in place that would slowly harm the country over time, Jefferson's immediate & disastrous embargo & enormously bad precedent in Indian policy are alone sufficient to rank him below Monroe. To those bad policies must be added Jefferson's execution of the Louisiana Purchase without amending the Constitution, which set a bad precedent for the government acquiring future territories & severely undermined that jurisprudential bedrock. Thomas Jefferson is ranked twenty-six [on a list of the most libertarian presidents] here.

— Ivan Eland, Recarving Rushmore: Ranking the Presidents on Peace, Prosperity & Liberty

Thoughts?