Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was one of the most remarkable men who ever lived. He was both a highly educated intellectual and a man of practical affairs. Jefferson was the third President of the United States. He served as President during the years He is sometimes referred to as a founding father of the American Republic.

Jefferson was born in Virginia in 1743 to a wealthy landowner. His mother was from a well known and important family named Randolph. At the time of Jefferson’s birth, America was merely a collection of thirteen colonies ruled by England. Jefferson studied law at William and Mary College, and in 1772 he married Martha, who was a widow from a previous marriage. The couple moved to Monticello, which was the name of Jefferson’s mountaintop home. Monticello is an amazing work of colonial architecture and many of Jefferson’s inventions and designs are still on display there for the public to view. Jefferson is buried on the grounds of Monticello.

The Thirteen Colonies of the Unites States

One of the Buildings of William and Mary College

Aerial View of Monticello Full Frontal View of Monticello

Although Jefferson is well known for his drafting of laws and legislation, he was not a very good public speaker. He preferred to use the pen rather than his voice in persuading his compatriots to accept his point of view. Usually he was very successful. Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence when he was only 33 years old. It was a remarkable document and he was very proud of it in his later life. Signing his name to it was a virtual death sentence at the time, since it meant treason to the English government.

In 1785 Jefferson replaced Benjamin Franklin as the Ambassador to France. At that time, France was an extremely powerful and important country to the fledgling United States. This made the job of Ambassador to France very important to the new US government. Jefferson was very supportive of the French Revolution. This produced a conflict between himself (as Washington’s Secretary of State) and Alexander Hamilton (the Secretary of the Treasury). Jefferson decided to resign as Secretary of State in 1793.

Although he did not really want to run for President in 1796, He was nearly elected President at this time. However, because of the strange way in which the Constitution was written, Jefferson became Vice President instead, although he was an opponent of John Adams, the elected President. Jefferson was elected President in 1800 when the House of Representatives voted to break a tie between Jefferson and Aaron Burr. Jefferson became the President of the United States and served two full terms of four years each.

Aaron Burr, who lost to the US Presidency to Jefferson, killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel. Jefferson later arrested Burr for trying to start a new country and invade Mexico. Burr was found not guilty.

On Jefferson’s tombstone is engraved the following: HERE WAS BURIED THOMAS JEFFERSON AUTHOR OF THE DECLARATIONOF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE OF THE STATUTE OF VIRGINIA FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND FATHER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA BORN APRIL DIED JULY

Questions: (1) Jefferson was poor, unskilled, and uneducated, but he nevertheless became very famous. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why? (2)Jefferson did not know much about other countries. Do you agree or disagree. Why? (3)What were some of Jefferson’s accomplishments? (4)Jefferson was old when he accomplished success. True or False? Why? (5) What are some things you know about Jefferson that are not in the reading?