Thomas Jefferson's Gender Frontier.

FRANCE; UNITED States

The article explores how U.S. President Thomas Jefferson's views on gender and nationalism were formed. Jefferson's social views were greatly influenced by the time he spent abroad, specifically in France where he praised the French for their social nature and manners. Jefferson was also quick to acknowledge that it would be the U.S. that would experience the highest form of enlightened society. He believed that European mores could have a negative impact on people and institutions in the U.S. The author discusses how Jefferson's belief that women belonged in the domestic sphere separated his views from those of Europeans and how Jefferson believed this would contribute to the U.S.'s superiority over European nations.