3. Thomas Jefferson, Born to Peter and Jane Jefferson on April 13, 1743 on a farm called Shadwell in Albemarle County, Virginia. He was born a British citizen, but lived in America during a time in history that would become a turning point for world events that would follow.

4. His ideas on independence and republican government were, themselves, “revolutionary,” influencing individuals and nations during his lifetime, and even long after his death. Richard Henry Lee Thomas Paine

5. In May 1769, at the age of 26, Thomas Jefferson entered public life as a member of Virginia’s representative body, the House of Burgesses

6. By 1774, relations between the American colonies and Britain became intensely strained.

7. Colonial legislatures agreed to send delegates to the First Continent Congress. Thomas Jefferson,then a delegate to the Virginia Convention, drafted instructions for Virginia delegates to consider. Jefferson’s ideas were later drafted into the Declaration of Independence.

8. On June 20, 1775 Thomas Jefferson arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as the youngest Virginia delegate to the Second Continental Congress Within a few short days he was appointed to a committee to draft a document entitled, Declaration of the Causes of Taking Up Arms. The words of Thomas Jefferson, found at the conclusion of the document, are most frequently quoted by historians.

9. The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time. Thomas Jefferson-May 1775

10. The Declaration Committee included: Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Robert Livingston of New York John Adams of Massachusetts.

11. During the summer of 1776, while in Philadelphia attending the Second Continental Congress, Thomas Jefferson lived in the house of Jacob Graff. It was in this house where Jefferson wrote the rough draft copy of the Declaration of Independence.

12. On June 28, 1776, the Declaration Committee submitted their completed draft of the Declaration of Independence to the Continental Congress. Thomas Jefferson placed the document on the table in front of John Hancock, President of Congress. Benjamin Franklin is seated to Jefferson’s right, with remaining committee members standing behind Jefferson.

13. Between July 1-4, 1776 Congress debated the draft Declaration, making thirty-nine additional changes. Jefferson objected to many of the revisions, although the completed document was signed by members of Congress on July 4, 1776.

14. We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness...

15. The signing of the Declaration of Independence was America’s “declaration of war” against England, the mother country.

16. The Revolutionary War drew the attention of many nations As the author of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson Influenced such nations as France Holland Russia Poland Greece and many of the South American nations

17. Among Thomas Jefferson’s many accomplishments during his lifetime he wanted to be remembered most for being the “Author of the Declaration of American Independence”.

18. Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, was America’s greatest spokesman, and the world’s greatest advocate, for representative government and the ideas of independence and freedom.