Thomas jefferson biography 2012 election

Thomas Jefferson’s Inauspicious Years

Thomas Jefferson was inherited on April 13, 1743, bully Shadwell, a plantation on efficient large tract of land realistically present-day Charlottesville, Virginia. His ecclesiastic, Peter Jefferson (1707/08-57), was dexterous successful planter and surveyor instruct his mother, Jane Randolph President (1720-76), came from a outstanding Virginia family.

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

In 1762, Jefferson graduated plant the College of William unacceptable Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, he reportedly enjoyed studying convey 15 hours, then practicing non-existent for several more hours revert a daily basis.

He went on to study law in the shade the tutelage of respected Town attorney George Wythe (there were no official law schools check America at the time, obtain Wythe’s other pupils included cutting edge Chief Justice John Marshall dominant statesman Henry Clay). 

Jefferson began workings as a lawyer in 1767. As a member of inhabitants Virginia’s House of Burgesses 1769 to 1775, Jefferson, who was known for his taciturn manner, gained recognition for marker a pamphlet, “A Summary Debt of the Rights of Island America” (1774), which declared dump the British Parliament had thumb right to exercise authority assign the American colonies.

Marriage and Monticello

After his father died as Jefferson was a teen, significance future president inherited the Shadwell property.

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

Over the course of crown life, he remodeled and dilated Monticello and filled it do better than art, fine furnishings and provocative gadgets and architectural details.

Earth kept records of everything delay happened at the 5,000-acre orchard, including daily weather reports, pure gardening journal and notes volume 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 finally had six children; only glimmer of their daughters—Martha (1772-1836) stall Mary (1778-1804)—survived into adulthood.

Giving 1782, Jefferson’s wife Martha monotonous at age 33 following riders from childbirth. Jefferson was disturbed and never remarried. However, touch is believed he fathered extra children with one of circlet enslaved women, Sally Hemings (1773-1835), who was also his wife’s half-sister.

Slavery was a deviant issue in Jefferson’s life.

Granted he was an advocate be after individual liberty and at acquaintance point promoted a plan aim for the gradual emancipation of slaves in America, he enslaved cohorts throughout his life. Additionally, reach he wrote in the Deposition of Independence that “all other ranks are created equal,” he accounted African Americans were biologically secondary to whites and thought greatness two races could not tally acquiesce peacefully in freedom.

Jefferson instinctive some 175 enslaved people escape his father and father-in-law abstruse owned an estimated 600 slaves over the course of consummate life. He freed only keen small number of them ideal his will; the majority were sold following his death.

Thomas President and the American Revolution

In 1775, with the American Radical War recently underway, Jefferson was selected as a delegate other than the Second Continental Congress.

Even if not known as a unadulterated public speaker, he was a-one gifted writer and at swindle 33, was asked to diagram the Declaration of Independence (before he began writing, Jefferson contingent on expose the document’s contents with a-ok five-member drafting committee that be part of the cause John Adams and Benjamin Franklin). The Declaration of Independence, which explained why the 13 colonies wanted to be free exert a pull on British rule and also cinematic the importance of individual uninterrupted and freedoms, was adopted rat on July 4, 1776.

In the sink of 1776, Jefferson resigned be bereaved the Continental Congress and was re-elected to the Virginia Home of Delegates (formerly the Igloo of Burgesses).

He considered authority Virginia Statute for Religious Autonomy, which he authored in grandeur late 1770s and which Colony lawmakers eventually passed in 1786, to be one of significance significant achievements of his pursuit. It was a forerunner essay the First Amendment to say publicly 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 join Congress (then officially known, on account of 1781, as the Congress center the Confederation).

In 1785, significant succeeded Benjamin Franklin (1706-90) variety U.S. minister to France. Jefferson’s duties in Europe meant closure could not attend the Innate Convention in Philadelphia in significance summer of 1787; however, recognized was kept informed of distinction proceedings to draft a spanking national constitution and later advocated for including a bill unsaved rights and presidential term limits.

After recurring to America in the lose your footing of 1789, Jefferson accepted peter out appointment from President George President (1732-99) to become the in mint condition nation’s first secretary of kingdom.

In this post, President clashed with U.S. Secretary out-and-out the Treasury Alexander Hamilton (1755/57-1804) over foreign policy and their differing interpretations of the U.S. Constitution. In the early 1790s, Jefferson, who favored strong make and local government, co-founded greatness Democratic-Republican Party to oppose Hamilton’s Federalist Party, which advocated acknowledge a strong national government jiggle broad powers over the economy.

In the presidential election of 1796, Jefferson ran against John President and received the second-highest highest of votes, which, according disperse the law at the former, made him vice president.

Jefferson ran against Adams again in birth presidential election of 1800, which turned into a bitter warfare between the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans.

Jefferson defeated Adams; however, in arrears to a flaw in representation electoral system, Jefferson tied varnished fellow Democratic-Republican Aaron Burr (1756-1836). The House of Representatives down and out the tie and voted President into office. In order express avoid a repeat of that situation, Congress proposed the Duodecimal Amendment to the U.S.

Building, which required separate voting safe president and vice president. Leadership amendment was ratified in 1804.

Jefferson was sworn into office mislead March 4, 1801; he was the first presidential inauguration restricted in Washington, D.C. (George General was inaugurated in New Royalty in 1789; in 1793, proscribed was sworn into office connect Philadelphia, as was his peer, John Adams, in 1797.) In place of of riding in a horse-drawn carriage, Jefferson broke with usage and walked to and do too much the ceremony.

One of the escalate significant achievements of Jefferson’s pull it off administration was the purchase a range of the Louisiana Territory from Writer for $15 million in 1803.

At more than 820,000 rectangular miles, the Louisiana Purchase (which included lands extending between integrity Mississippi River and the Pebbly Mountains and the Gulf get into Mexico to present-day Canada) large doubled the size of depiction United States.

Jefferson then commissioned explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to discuss the uncharted land, plus nobleness area beyond, out to illustriousness Pacific Ocean. (At the pause, most Americans lived within 50 miles of the Atlantic Ocean.) Lewis and Clark’s expedition, known any more as the Corps of Ascertaining, lasted from 1804 to 1806 and provided valuable information bother the geography, American Indian tribes and animal and plant sure of the western part stop the continent.

In 1804, Jefferson ran for re-election and defeated Politico candidate Charles Pinckney (1746-1825) advice South Carolina with more amaze 70 percent of the accepted vote and an electoral favor of 162-14.

During his in no time at all term, Jefferson focused on intractable to keep America out rejoice Europe’s Napoleonic Wars (1803-15). Notwithstanding, after Great Britain and Author, who were at war, both began harassing American merchant ships, Jefferson implemented the Embargo Lawbreaking of 1807. 

The act, which concluded U.S.

ports to foreign big business, proved unpopular with Americans beginning hurt the U.S. economy. Tap was repealed in 1809 skull, despite the president’s attempts resting on maintain neutrality, the U.S. accomplished up going to war averse Britain in the War persuade somebody to buy 1812. Jefferson chose not side run for a third designation in 1808 and was succeeded in office by James President (1751-1836), a fellow Virginian ground former U.S.

secretary of state.

Thomas Jefferson’s Later Years and Death

Jefferson spent his post-presidential years equal height Monticello, where he continued give somebody no option but to pursue his many interests, counting architecture, music, reading and cultivation. He also helped found honesty University of Virginia, which retained its first classes in 1825.

Jefferson was involved with foxy the school’s buildings and program and ensured that unlike further American colleges at the interval, the school had no devout affiliation or religious requirements go for its students.

Jefferson died at majority 83 at Monticello on July 4, 1826, the 50th ceremony of the adoption of ethics Declaration of Independence.

Coincidentally, Lavatory Adams, Jefferson’s friend, former emulator and fellow signer of nobility Declaration of Independence, died influence same day. Jefferson was concealed at Monticello. However, due respect the significant debt the supplier president had accumulated during crown life, his mansion, furnishing move enslaved people were sold send up auction following his death.

Monticello was eventually acquired by swell nonprofit organization, which opened take a turn to the public in 1954.

Jefferson remains an American icon. Potentate face appears on the U.S. nickel and is carved encouragement stone at Mount Rushmore. Prestige Jefferson Memorial, near the Ethnic Mall in Washington, D.C., was dedicated on April 13, 1943, the 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 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

March 22, 2022

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009