--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: With Britain distracted by the Napoleonic…" description: "\"“With Britain distracted by the Napoleonic Wars, President Jefferson felt compelled to get there first—before his long-hated British, with their “basta..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07c/peter-stark-92611_freedom_with-britain-distracted-by-the-napoleoni_2500930.jpg" --- # With Britain distracted by the Napoleonic Wars, President… ![“With Britain distracted by the Napoleonic Wars, President Jefferson felt compelled to get there first—before his long-hated British, with their “bastard liberty,” and who, as he contemptuously put it, “would not lose the sale of a bale of fur for the freedom of the whole world.” On” quote by Peter Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07c/peter-stark-92611_freedom_with-britain-distracted-by-the-napoleoni_2500930.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07c/peter-stark-92611_freedom_with-britain-distracted-by-the-napoleoni_2500930.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07c/peter-stark-92611_freedom_with-britain-distracted-by-the-napoleoni_2500930.jpg) > ““With Britain distracted by the Napoleonic Wars, President Jefferson felt compelled to get there first—before his long-hated British, with their “bastard liberty,” and who, as he contemptuously put it, “would not lose the sale of a bale of fur for the freedom of the whole world.” On”” [Peter Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-stark/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Jefferson saw liberty as a commodity, dismissing British claims as trivial. **In simple terms:** Jefferson dismissed British liberty. Key Takeaway Question motives behind political rhetoric. Themes politics history liberty Mood critical analytical Type Freedom:1 Jefferson:1 War:1 Whole world:0 President Jefferson:1 Liberty Contemptuously:0 Bastard Liberty:0 Distracted Napoleonic:0 When to use this quote - policy analysis - historical study - debate forums Key Concepts colonial ambition ideological conflict economic interests Questions to Reflect On - What drives a nation's pursuit of liberty? - How does rhetoric shape public perception? A Different Perspective Simplifies complex motives to contempt. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bastard Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bastard-liberty-1060524/) [Distracted Napoleonic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distracted-napoleonic-1060525/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jefferson/) [Liberty Contemptuously](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty-contemptuously-1060523/) [President Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president-jefferson-213077/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Whole world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole-world/) ## Related quotes > [“..myself standing in front of Monticello wearing a veil and a wedding gown, hand in hand with a very muscular President Jefferson.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-fortier/myself-standing-in-front-of-monticello-wearing-a-veil-and-a-wedding/) [Anne Fortier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-fortier/) > [“Yet, if the phrase “separation of church and state” appears in no official founding document, then what is the source of that phrase? And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-barton/yet-if-the-phrase-separation-of-church-and-state-appears-in-no/) [David Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-barton/) > [“In 1803, President Jefferson oversaw the purchase of this land from the French for $15 million. It doesn't sound like much for an area…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gorman/in-1803-president-jefferson-oversaw-the-purchase-of-this-land-from/) [Dave Gorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gorman/) > [“Over 140 witnesses, including Andrew Jackson, were lined up to testify during the trial, and much like the Marbury v. Madison case before it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/over-140-witnesses-including-andrew-jackson-were-lined-up-to-testify/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [ Every answer he \[President John Adams\] gives to his addressers unmasks more and more his principles and views. His language to the young men… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/every-answer-he-president-john-adams-gives-to-his-addressers-unmasks/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [“A morsel of genuine history is a thing so rare as to be always valuable. Thomas Jefferson”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-grove/a-morsel-of-genuine-history-is-a-thing-so-rare-as-to-be-always/) [Tim Grove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-grove/) > [I knew Thomas Jefferson. He was a friend of mine. And believe me, you are no Thomas Jefferson. (at 1992 Republican party convention, referring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-knew-thomas-jefferson-he-was-a-friend-of-mine-and-believe-me-you/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [So now it turns out that Thomas Jefferson was having sex with Sally Hemings while serving in the 101st Airborne during the Vietnam War.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/so-now-it-turns-out-that-thomas-jefferson-was-having-sex-with-sally/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [The English are no nearer than they were a hundred years ago to knowing what Jefferson really meant when he said that God had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-english-are-no-nearer-than-they-were-a-hundred-years-ago-to/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [“The Jefferson is such a dignified hotel / There is no such thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/the-jefferson-is-such-a-dignified-hotel-there-is-no-such-thing/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [“...The Presidential election has given me less anxiety than I myself could have imagined. The next administration will be a troublesome one, to whomsoever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/the-presidential-election-has-given-me-less-anxiety-than-i-myself/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [In seeking an empire of liberty, Jefferson wished not only to expand the country's territorial holdings, but also to extend American institutions around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/in-seeking-an-empire-of-liberty-jefferson-wished-not-only-to-expand/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [probably the greatest concentration of talent and genius in this house except for perhaps those times when Thomas Jefferson ate alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/probably-the-greatest-concentration-of-talent-and-genius-in-this/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Thomas Jefferson was a real poet. He was slick with that 'pursuit' of happiness because the 'pursuit' puts it back on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-smith/thomas-jefferson-was-a-real-poet-he-was-slick-with-that-pursuit-of/) [Will Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-smith/) > [ “Thomas Jefferson High School \[..\] His high school was named after a slave owner who was also one of the world’s greatest theoreticians on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thomas-jefferson-high-school-his-high-school-was-named-after-a-slave/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## More by Peter Stark > [ “I view \[your undertaking\],” Jefferson would write to Astor, “as the germ of a great, free and independent empire on that side of our… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-stark/i-view-your-undertaking-jefferson-would-write-to-astor-as-the-germ-of/) [Peter Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-stark/) [Explore all 2 Peter Stark quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-stark/) ## More Freedom quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. 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