Final answer:
A false statement about Jefferson's presidency could be that he favored a strong central government and a robust military. In reality, he promoted a limited federal government, reduced military expenditure, and preferred agricultural prosperity. He did, however, engage the U.S. in the Barbary Wars when American interests were threatened.
Step-by-step explanation:
During Thomas Jefferson's presidency, one statement that is NOT true might suggest that he supported the idea of a strong central government and a large standing military. However, Jefferson was known for his vision of an "empire of liberty" and favored limited federal government, preferring instead to support agricultural development and state rights. He opposed urban and industrial development which contradicted the policies of the Federalist Party. More so, while he reduced the size of the military, believing in fiscal austerity, he did engage in conflict when he responded to the Barbary Pirates by leading the United States into the Barbary Wars, thus contradicting the notion that he was completely averse to military action.
Jefferson prioritized the sale of western public lands in small lots to support agriculture over urban commercial development and stood against internal taxes such as those on whiskey and rum. His belief in limited government also led him to oppose the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798, and later pardon those arrested under them. Although he engaged in the Barbary Wars, his presidency aimed to keep the U.S. out of the conflicting influence of the Napoleonic Wars, and he largely succeeded in his first term. However, Jefferson's foreign policy stance changed when confronted with continuous aggression from Britain and France, which affected American merchants and sailors. Despite his small government stance, he could not completely avoid foreign pressures.