#1461 Circular to the Heads of Departments

Listening to America

We speak with President Jefferson about his "Circular to the Heads of Departments," a memo he wrote dated November 6, 1801 which provides insight into Jefferson's governing style. He refers to his cabinet as one of the most harmonious in history, and he closes his letter by writing, "If I had the Universe to choose from, I could not change one of my associates to my better satisfaction."

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Mentioned on this episode: “Circular to the Heads of Departments”, Jeffersonians in Power: The Rhetoric of Opposition Meets the Realities of Governing

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