Question

Question 7 of 10

Why did Thomas Jefferson reduce the size of the country's military?
A. He wanted members of the military to settle in the west and
become farmers.
OB. He needed to reduce the size of the military to reduce the
country's debt.
OC. He worried that a large military would encourage other countries
to attack the United States.
O D. He worried that a large standing military was a threat to citizens'
freedom.
SUBMIT

Answer 1

Thomas Jefferson reduced the size of the military to align with his beliefs in small government and agrarian society, to reduce national debt, and because he viewed a large standing military as a threat to citizens' freedom.

Step-by-step explanation:

Thomas Jefferson reduced the size of the country’s military primarily because he believed in a small government and an agrarian society, where a large standing military was deemed an unnecessarily expensive burden that could potentially threaten citizens' freedom. His actions reflected his vision that proper use of diplomacy could avoid international conflicts, thus making a standing army superfluous. Additionally, Jefferson was keen on reducing the nation's debt and viewed military expenses as a significant part of the federal budget that could be trimmed.

Jefferson's ideological stance against large government institutions led to his decision to reduce the professional military, preferring reliance on militias instead. Despite these reductions, Jefferson did see the need for professional officers, addressing this with the establishment of the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1802.

Therefore, the correct answer to why Thomas Jefferson reduced the size of the country's military is D. He worried that a large standing military was a threat to citizens' freedom.

Answer 2

OC. He worried that a large military would encourage other countries

to attack the United States.

Step-by-step explanation:

Upon assuming the presidency in 1801 President Jefferson believed that the military was too large and noted that it was dominated by members of the Federalist Party and lacked its own corps of engineers.