(Decanter) - Jane Anson writes about Thomas Jefferson's influence on Bordeaux during his brief time in the city and includes a cautionary tale from later in Jefferson's life when he pursued an America First-style policy as the third US president.

As the United States prepares – as much as anything is clear right now – to implement its America First policy, this is perhaps a good week to look at one of the most Europe-friendly of all previous commanders-in-chief; Thomas Jefferson, the third president of America from 1801 to 1809.

And why perhaps we should temper our enthusiasm for his achievements.

Jefferson in Bordeaux

There isn’t a statue of Jefferson in Bordeaux, and nor are there any roads named after him, but he undoubtedly made a contribution to the history of this city. If you look, you’ll find a couple of commemorative plaques, most notably on the wall of the US Consulate that celebrates him as a ‘symbol of French-American friendship’. As of March 13 2015, a Thomas Jefferson jetty was inaugurated along the Garonne river on the Chartrons quayside, and the Cité du Vin has a Thomas Jefferson auditorium.