Thomas Jefferson and the United States Military Academy

“For 176 years the Long Gray Line has met the needs of our changing society while remaining an impregnable bastion of those ideals upon which our country was founded."

General of the Army, Omar N. Bradley, Founders Day Greetings, 1978

Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of the United States

Thomas Jefferson was more than just the 3^rd President of the United States. Arguably one of the most diverse presidents we have ever had, Jefferson was considered one of the main leaders of the Enlightenment movement. He had a passion for all things science, invention, architecture, religion and philosophy, and this was reflected greatly throughout his lifetime. Many of Jefferson’s contributions are evident and relevant even to this day.  One of his bigger contributions was his establishment of the United States Military Academy, also known as West Point.

Ariel view of West Point

Jefferson had a mind for the future of the country, and recognized the need of having an institution focused on training future officers in the Unites States Army. In 1802, 1 year into his second term as President, Jefferson and Congress decided to authorize the funding and construction of the soon to be United States Military Academy. On March 16, 1802, Jefferson officially signed the Military Peace Establishment Act into law, giving this idea true life. A few months later, on July 4^th 1802, United States Military Academy at West Point officially opened. The United States officially had a institution focused on training future officers in scientific, academic and military learning.

Military Peace Establishment Act

When West Point originally opened, under Thomas Jefferson’s influence, its main focus was engineering. Jefferson realized the importance of developing the nations infrastructure, and West Point cadets led the way there. Graduates of West Point can take credit for engineering the majority of our early nations railway lines, bridges, harbors and roads. In fact, until 1824 when the Rensselear Polytechnic Institute, West Point was the nations only engineering school and it is said that every other engineering school that was founded before the Civil War was influenced by West Point.

 

Students at West Point

Understandably, after playing such a big role in West Point’s founding, Thomas Jefferson is still celebrated on campus to this very day. One very recent acknowledgment to him is Jefferson Hall, completed in 2008. Jefferson Hall holds West Point’s library, which considering Jefferson’s love of all things academic, is the perfect building to have named in his honor. West Point had an integral role in our nation’s development, and continues to develop and train future leaders of America to this very day. Jefferson’s role in the founding of the United States Military Academy cannot be under spoken, and his impact here lives on to this very day.

Jefferson Hall

References

"United States Military Academy at West Point." Thomas Jeffersons Monticello Blog RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2013.

"A Brief History of West Point." United States Military Acadamy. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2013.