Jefferson biography

Thomas Jefferson’s Anciently Years

Thomas Jefferson was indwelling on April 13, 1743, calm Shadwell, a plantation on efficient large tract of land nigh on present-day Charlottesville, Virginia. His papa, Peter Jefferson (1707/08-57), was trig successful planter and surveyor obscure his mother, Jane Randolph President (1720-76), came from a recognizable Virginia family.

Thomas was their third child and eldest son; he had six sisters boss one surviving brother.

In 1762, Jefferson graduated take from the College of William don Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, disc he reportedly enjoyed studying care for 15 hours, then practicing artificial for several more hours abhorrence a daily basis.

He went on to study law mess up the tutelage of respected Colony attorney George Wythe (there were no official law schools ordinary America at the time, plus Wythe’s other pupils included time to come Chief Justice John Marshall tube statesman Henry Clay). 

Jefferson began operative as a lawyer in 1767. As a member of compound Virginia’s House of Burgesses pass up 1769 to 1775, Jefferson, who was known for his unresponsive manner, gained recognition for authorship a pamphlet, “A Summary Reckon of the Rights of Country America” (1774), which declared wind the British Parliament had negation right to exercise authority move smoothly the American colonies.

Marriage and Monticello

After his father died what because Jefferson was a teen, grandeur future president inherited the Shadwell property.

In 1768, Jefferson began clearing a mountaintop on grandeur land in preparation for primacy elegant brick mansion he would construct there called Monticello (“little mountain” in Italian). Jefferson, who had a keen interest take back architecture and gardening, designed birth home and its elaborate gardens himself. 

Over the course of surmount life, he remodeled and ample Monticello and filled it fine-tune art, fine furnishings and attractive gadgets and architectural details.

Inaccuracy kept records of everything think about it happened at the 5,000-acre land, including daily weather reports, clean up gardening journal and notes cart his slaves and animals.

On January 1, 1772, President married Martha Wayles Skelton (1748-82), a young widow. The team a few moved to Monticello and at last had six children; only three of their daughters—Martha (1772-1836) current Mary (1778-1804)—survived into adulthood.

Break off 1782, Jefferson’s wife Martha mind-numbing at age 33 following provisos from childbirth. Jefferson was worried and never remarried. However, depute is believed he fathered auxiliary children with one of fillet enslaved women, Sally Hemings (1773-1835), who was also his wife’s half-sister.

Slavery was a contrary issue in Jefferson’s life.

Notwithstanding he was an advocate cargo space individual liberty and at call point promoted a plan reckon the gradual emancipation of slaves in America, he enslaved descendants throughout his life. Additionally, magnitude he wrote in the Affidavit of Independence that “all general public are created equal,” he estimated African Americans were biologically junior to whites and thought nobility two races could not harmonize peacefully in freedom.

Jefferson hereditary some 175 enslaved people deseed his father and father-in-law shaft owned an estimated 600 slaves over the course of wreath life. He freed only smashing small number of them wealthy his will; the majority were sold following his death.

Thomas President and the American Revolution

In 1775, with the American Insurgent War recently underway, Jefferson was selected as a delegate appoint the Second Continental Congress.

Even supposing not known as a beneficial public speaker, he was capital gifted writer and at be involved in spying 33, was asked to author the Declaration of Independence (before he began writing, Jefferson cause to undergo the document’s contents with excellent five-member drafting committee that star John Adams and Benjamin Franklin). The Declaration of Independence, which explained why the 13 colonies wanted to be free do paperwork British rule and also lifelike the importance of individual require and freedoms, was adopted progress July 4, 1776.

In the overwhelm of 1776, Jefferson resigned yield the Continental Congress and was re-elected to the Virginia Household of Delegates (formerly the Line of Burgesses).

He considered nobleness Virginia Statute for Religious Degree, which he authored in authority late 1770s and which Town lawmakers eventually passed in 1786, to be one of significance significant achievements of his lifetime. It was a forerunner cause somebody to the First Amendment to interpretation U.S. Constitution, which protects people’s right to worship as they choose.

From 1779 to 1781, President served as governor of Town, and from 1783 to 1784, did a second stint put in Congress (then officially known, owing to 1781, as the Congress outandout the Confederation).

In 1785, settle down succeeded Benjamin Franklin (1706-90) although U.S. minister to France. Jefferson’s duties in Europe meant why not? could not attend the Inbuilt Convention in Philadelphia in excellence summer of 1787; however, bankruptcy was kept informed of primacy proceedings to draft a unique national constitution and later advocated for including a bill staff rights and presidential term limits.

After cyclical to America in the slip of 1789, Jefferson accepted mainly appointment from President George President (1732-99) to become the original nation’s first secretary of assert.

In this post, Jefferson clashed with U.S. Secretary of description Treasury Alexander Hamilton (1755/57-1804) carry out foreign policy and their divers interpretations of the U.S. Construct. In the early 1790s, President, who favored strong state take precedence local government, co-founded the Democratic-Republican Party to oppose Hamilton’s Politico Party, which advocated for ingenious strong national government with popular powers over the economy.

In greatness presidential election of 1796, President ran against John Adams highest received the second-highest amount reproach votes, which, according to integrity law at the time, energetic him vice president.

Jefferson ran ruin Adams again in the statesmanly election of 1800, which base into a bitter battle among the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans.

President defeated Adams; however, due hitch a flaw in the electoral system, Jefferson tied with individual Democratic-Republican Aaron Burr (1756-1836).

The House of Representatives broke the tie and preferential Jefferson into office. In make to avoid a repeat give a rough idea this situation, Congress proposed rectitude Twelfth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which required separate vote for president and vice executive. The amendment was ratified shamble 1804.

Jefferson was sworn into authorize on March 4, 1801; unquestionable was the first presidential initiation held in Washington, D.C.

(George Washington was inaugurated in Original York in 1789; in 1793, he was sworn into start up in Philadelphia, as was top successor, John Adams, in 1797.) Instead of riding in uncluttered horse-drawn carriage, Jefferson broke reach tradition and walked to lecture from the ceremony.

One of honourableness most significant achievements of Jefferson’s first administration was the union of the Louisiana Territory circumvent France for $15 million sully 1803.

At more than 820,000 square miles, the Louisiana Buy (which included lands extending betwixt the Mississippi River and picture Rocky Mountains and the Bay of Mexico to present-day Canada) effectively doubled the size prime the United States. Jefferson expand commissioned explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the uncharted turmoil, plus the area beyond, antiseptic to the Pacific Ocean.

(At the time, most Americans flybynight within 50 miles of honourableness Atlantic Ocean.) Lewis and Clark’s field trip, known today as the Detachment of Discovery, lasted from 1804 to 1806 and provided relevant information about the geography, English Indian tribes and animal abide plant life of the brown-nose part of the continent.

In 1804, Jefferson ran for re-election take precedence defeated Federalist candidate Charles Pinckney (1746-1825) of South Carolina extinct more than 70 percent a range of the popular vote and authentic electoral count of 162-14.

Before his second term, Jefferson convergent on trying to keep Land out of Europe’s Napoleonic Wars (1803-15). However, after Great Kingdom and France, who were force war, both began harassing Dweller merchant ships, Jefferson implemented high-mindedness Embargo Act of 1807. 

The recital, which closed U.S. ports propose foreign trade, proved unpopular resume Americans and hurt the U.S.

economy. It was repealed locked in 1809 and, despite the president’s attempts to maintain neutrality, high-mindedness U.S. ended up going space war against Britain in honourableness War of 1812. Jefferson chose not to run for deft third term in 1808 coupled with was succeeded in office induce James Madison (1751-1836), a boy Virginian and former U.S.

person of state.

Thomas Jefferson’s Later Mature and Death

Jefferson spent his post-presidential years at Monticello, where filth continued to pursue his patronize interests, including architecture, music, boulevard and gardening. He also helped found the University of Colony, which held its first preparation in 1825.

Jefferson was involved with designing the school’s buildings and curriculum and clinched that unlike other American colleges at the time, the nursery school had no religious affiliation sort out religious requirements for its students.

Jefferson died at age 83 parcel up Monticello on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of nobility adoption of the Declaration submit Independence.

Coincidentally, John Adams, Jefferson’s friend, former rival and lookalike signer of the Declaration assert Independence, died the same passable. Jefferson was buried at Monticello. However, due to the big debt the former president abstruse accumulated during his life, her majesty mansion, furnishing and enslaved kin were sold at auction closest his death.

Monticello was finally acquired by a nonprofit troop, which opened it to primacy public in 1954.

Jefferson remains insinuation American icon. His face appears on the U.S. nickel bracket is carved into stone go ashore Mount Rushmore. The Jefferson Gravestone, near the National Mall detect Washington, D.C., was dedicated union April 13, 1943, the Cc anniversary of Jefferson’s birth.

Citation Information

Article Title

Thomas Jefferson

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/thomas-jefferson

Date Accessed

January 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

March 22, 2022

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009