Thomas Jefferson

Not surprisingly for the author of the Declaration of Independence— with its emphasis on the rights of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness—Thomas Jefferson wished to see a government that protected individual liberties from government interference. Therefore, he strongly believed that a Bill of Rights could only strengthen the U.S. Constitution. To those critics who argue that no Bill of Rights could list all freedoms that must be protected and thus the attempt should never be made, Jefferson's reply is clear: "half a loaf is better than no bread." In this letter dated March 15, 1789, to James Madison, one such critic against a Bill of Rights (and primary architect of the Constitution), Jefferson endeavors to convince Madison that a Bill of Rights strengthens American democracy. Knowing that he had...