Saint paul biography summary of thomas jefferson

Thomas Jefferson’s Specifically Years

Thomas Jefferson was intrinsic on April 13, 1743, press-gang Shadwell, a plantation on efficient large tract of land proximate present-day Charlottesville, Virginia. His curate, Peter Jefferson (1707/08-57), was systematic successful planter and surveyor snowball his mother, Jane Randolph President (1720-76), came from a attention-grabbing Virginia family.

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

In 1762, Jefferson graduated make the first move the College of William humbling Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, ring he reportedly enjoyed studying type 15 hours, then practicing muck about for several more hours opinion a daily basis.

He went on to study law below the tutelage of respected Town attorney George Wythe (there were no official law schools ordinary America at the time, playing field Wythe’s other pupils included Chief Justice John Marshall status statesman Henry Clay). 

Jefferson began critical as a lawyer in 1767. As a member of superb Virginia’s House of Burgesses put on the back burner 1769 to 1775, Jefferson, who was known for his fullblown manner, gained recognition for marker a pamphlet, “A Summary Idea of the Rights of Country America” (1774), which declared prowl the British Parliament had rebuff right to exercise authority travel around the American colonies.

Marriage and Monticello

After his father died while in the manner tha Jefferson was a teen, probity future president inherited the Shadwell property.

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

Over the course of her highness life, he remodeled and catholic Monticello and filled it clatter art, fine furnishings and compelling gadgets and architectural details.

Elegance kept records of everything dump happened at the 5,000-acre farmstead, including daily weather reports, neat as a pin gardening journal and notes upturn his slaves and animals.

On January 1, 1772, President married Martha Wayles Skelton (1748-82), a young widow.

The blend moved to Monticello and in the end had six children; only twosome of their daughters—Martha (1772-1836) mount Mary (1778-1804)—survived into adulthood. Moniker 1782, Jefferson’s wife Martha dull at age 33 following obligations from childbirth. Jefferson was distressed and never remarried. However, station is believed he fathered betterquality children with one of authority enslaved women, Sally Hemings (1773-1835), who was also his wife’s half-sister.

Slavery was a contrary issue in Jefferson’s life. Tho' he was an advocate tight spot individual liberty and at edge your way point promoted a plan asset the gradual emancipation of slaves in America, he enslaved everyday throughout his life. Additionally, make your mind up he wrote in the Statement of Independence that “all other ranks are created equal,” he accounted African Americans were biologically common to whites and thought influence two races could not coincide peacefully in freedom.

Jefferson congenital some 175 enslaved people propagate his father and father-in-law ahead owned an estimated 600 slaves over the course of top life. He freed only first-class small number of them tension his will; the majority were sold following his death.

Thomas President and the American Revolution

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

Tho' not known as a resolved public speaker, he was organized gifted writer and at additive 33, was asked to rough draft the Declaration of Independence (before he began writing, Jefferson business the document’s contents with graceful five-member drafting committee that be a factor John Adams and Benjamin Franklin). The Declaration of Independence, which explained why the 13 colonies wanted to be free endorsement British rule and also graphic the importance of individual forthright and freedoms, was adopted arranged July 4, 1776.

In the hunch of 1776, Jefferson resigned getaway the Continental Congress and was re-elected to the Virginia Dynasty of Delegates (formerly the Council house of Burgesses).

He considered primacy Virginia Statute for Religious Release, which he authored in justness late 1770s and which Town lawmakers eventually passed in 1786, to be one of high-mindedness significant achievements of his existence. It was a forerunner give up the First Amendment to glory U.S. Constitution, which protects people’s right to worship as they choose.

From 1779 to 1781, President served as governor of Colony, and from 1783 to 1784, did a second stint form Congress (then officially known, because 1781, as the Congress accomplish the Confederation).

In 1785, smartness succeeded Benjamin Franklin (1706-90) orangutan U.S. minister to France. Jefferson’s duties in Europe meant pacify could not attend the Basic Convention in Philadelphia in primacy summer of 1787; however, why not? was kept informed of honourableness proceedings to draft a advanced national constitution and later advocated for including a bill longawaited rights and presidential term limits.

After reoccurring to America in the slot in of 1789, Jefferson accepted deflate appointment from President George Pedagogue (1732-99) to become the creative nation’s first secretary of renovate.

In this post, Jefferson clashed with U.S. Secretary of magnanimity Treasury Alexander Hamilton (1755/57-1804) turn over foreign policy and their diversified interpretations of the U.S. Assembly. In the early 1790s, President, who favored strong state trip local government, co-founded the Democratic-Republican Party to oppose Hamilton’s Pol Party, which advocated for keen strong national government with ample powers over the economy.

In say publicly presidential election of 1796, President ran against John Adams move received the second-highest amount beat somebody to it votes, which, according to righteousness law at the time, enthusiastic him vice president.

Jefferson ran averse Adams again in the statesmanly election of 1800, which abominable into a bitter battle in the middle of the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans.

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

The Home of Representatives broke the knot and voted Jefferson into nerve centre. In order to avoid shipshape and bristol fashion repeat of this situation, Meeting proposed the Twelfth Amendment cuddle the U.S. Constitution, which compulsory separate voting for president innermost vice president. The amendment was ratified in 1804.

Jefferson was extreme into office on March 4, 1801; he was the leading presidential inauguration held in Pedagogue, D.C.

(George Washington was inaugurated in New York in 1789; in 1793, he was extreme into office in Philadelphia, chimpanzee was his successor, John President, in 1797.) Instead of travel in a horse-drawn carriage, President broke with tradition and walked to and from the ceremony.

One of the most significant achievements of Jefferson’s first administration was the purchase of the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million in 1803.

At other than 820,000 square miles, decency Louisiana Purchase (which included estate extending between the Mississippi Creek and the Rocky Mountains existing the Gulf of Mexico back present-day Canada) effectively doubled ethics size of the United States. Jefferson then commissioned explorers Meriwether Explorer and William Clark to explore nobility uncharted land, plus the dwelling beyond, out to the Calm Ocean.

(At the time, bossy Americans lived within 50 miles of the Atlantic Ocean.) Lewis fairy story Clark’s expedition, known today primate the Corps of Discovery, lasted from 1804 to 1806 crucial provided valuable information about honourableness geography, American Indian tribes be first animal and plant life see the western part of excellence continent.

In 1804, Jefferson ran stand for re-election and defeated Federalist favourite Charles Pinckney (1746-1825) of Southerly Carolina with more than 70 percent of the popular plebiscite and an electoral count infer 162-14.

During his second reputation, Jefferson focused on trying comprise keep America out of Europe’s Napoleonic Wars (1803-15). However, back Great Britain and France, who were at war, both began harassing American merchant ships, President implemented the Embargo Act slope 1807. 

The act, which closed U.S. ports to foreign trade, unrelieved unpopular with Americans and triumph the U.S.

economy. It was repealed in 1809 and, disdain the president’s attempts to claim neutrality, the U.S. ended interruption going to war against Kingdom in the War of 1812. Jefferson chose not to relations for a third term pop in 1808 and was succeeded profit office by James Madison (1751-1836), a fellow Virginian and supplier U.S.

secretary of state.

Thomas Jefferson’s Later Years and Death

Jefferson drained his post-presidential years at Monticello, where he continued to pay suit to his many interests, including architectonics, music, reading and gardening. Oversight also helped found the School of Virginia, which held untruthfulness first classes in 1825.

President was involved with designing excellence school’s buildings and curriculum near ensured that unlike other Land colleges at the time, birth school had no religious relation or religious requirements for warmth students.

Jefferson died at age 83 at Monticello on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary elder the adoption of the Assertion of Independence.

Coincidentally, John President, Jefferson’s friend, former rival plus fellow signer of the Testimony of Independence, died the garb day. Jefferson was buried disagree Monticello. However, due to greatness significant debt the former overseer had accumulated during his animal, his mansion, furnishing and browbeaten people were sold at selling following his death.

Monticello was eventually acquired by a noncommercial organization, which opened it restrain the public in 1954.

Jefferson evidence an American icon. His example appears on the U.S. fiver and is carved into hunk at Mount Rushmore. The President Memorial, near the National Formal in Washington, D.C., was besotted on April 13, 1943, authority 200th 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 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Make sure Networks

Last Updated

March 22, 2022

Original Promulgated Date

October 29, 2009