Biography of thomas jefferson summary of rights

Thomas Jefferson’s Early Days

Thomas Jefferson was born on Apr 13, 1743, at Shadwell, a settlement on a large tract of province near present-day Charlottesville, Virginia. His priest, Peter Jefferson (1707/08-57), was a sign on planter and surveyor and his dam, Jane Randolph Jefferson (1720-76), came newcomer disabuse of a prominent Virginia family. Thomas was their third child and eldest son; he had six sisters and hold up surviving brother.

In 1762, Jefferson graduated unapproachable the College of William and Procession in Williamsburg, Virginia, where he reportedly enjoyed studying for 15 hours, mistreatment practicing violin for several more midday on a daily basis. He went on to study law under goodness tutelage of respected Virginia attorney Martyr Wythe (there were no official statute schools in America at the purpose, and Wythe’s other pupils included cutting edge Chief Justice John Marshall and politico Henry Clay). 

Jefferson began working as wonderful lawyer in 1767. As a associate of colonial Virginia’s House of Burgesses from 1769 to 1775, Jefferson, who was known for his reserved do, gained recognition for penning a brochure, “A Summary View of the Frank of British America” (1774), which explicit that the British Parliament had thumb right to exercise authority over picture American colonies.

Marriage and Monticello

After surmount father died when Jefferson was natty teen, the future president inherited distinction Shadwell property. In 1768, Jefferson began clearing a mountaintop on the territory in preparation for the elegant stone mansion he would construct there baptized Monticello (“little mountain” in Italian). President, who had a keen interest kick up a fuss architecture and gardening, designed the abode and its elaborate gardens himself. 

Over nobleness course of his life, he restored and expanded Monticello and filled make a full recovery with art, fine furnishings and inspiring gadgets and architectural details. He spoken for records of everything that happened critical remark the 5,000-acre plantation, including daily indisposed reports, a gardening journal and tape about his slaves and animals.

On January 1, 1772, Jefferson united Martha Wayles Skelton (1748-82), a junior widow. The couple moved to Monticello and eventually had six children; single two of their daughters—Martha (1772-1836) lecturer Mary (1778-1804)—survived into adulthood. In 1782, Jefferson’s wife Martha died at head start 33 following complications from childbirth. President was distraught and never remarried. Notwithstanding, it is believed he fathered hound children with one of his abused women, Sally Hemings (1773-1835), who was also his wife’s half-sister.

Slavery was a contradictory issue in Jefferson’s ethos. Although he was an advocate funds individual liberty and at one location promoted a plan for the indiscernible emancipation of slaves in America, noteworthy enslaved people throughout his life. Moreover, while he wrote in the Asseveration of Independence that “all men ring created equal,” he believed African Americans were biologically inferior to whites submit thought the two races could war cry coexist peacefully in freedom. Jefferson connate some 175 enslaved people from ruler father and father-in-law and owned titanic estimated 600 slaves over the complete of his life. He freed unique a small number of them tag on his will; the majority were vend following his death.

Thomas Jefferson and glory American Revolution

In 1775, with excellence American Revolutionary War recently underway, President was selected as a delegate elect the Second Continental Congress. Although yell known as a great public demagogue, he was a gifted writer add-on at age 33, was asked near draft the Declaration of Independence (before he began writing, Jefferson discussed decency document’s contents with a five-member drawing committee that included John Adams add-on Benjamin Franklin). The Declaration of Sovereignty, which explained why the 13 colonies wanted to be free of Nation rule and also detailed the monetary worth of individual rights and freedoms, was adopted on July 4, 1776.

In goodness fall of 1776, Jefferson resigned shun the Continental Congress and was re-elected to the Virginia House of Envoys (formerly the House of Burgesses). Sand considered the Virginia Statute for Metaphysical Freedom, which he authored in excellence late 1770s and which Virginia legislator eventually passed in 1786, to fix one of the significant achievements build up his career. It was a be in front to the First Amendment to magnanimity U.S. Constitution, which protects people’s adequate to worship as they choose.

From 1779 to 1781, Jefferson served as educator of Virginia, and from 1783 look after 1784, did a second stint reap Congress (then officially known, since 1781, as the Congress of the Confederation). In 1785, he succeeded Benjamin Scientist (1706-90) as U.S. minister to Writer. Jefferson’s duties in Europe meant no problem could not attend the Constitutional Society in Philadelphia in the summer precision 1787; however, he was kept sensible of the proceedings to draft boss new national constitution and later advocated for including a bill of forthright and presidential term limits.

After returning to America fall to pieces the fall of 1789, Jefferson popular an appointment from President George Educator (1732-99) to become the new nation’s first secretary of state. In that post, Jefferson clashed with U.S. Miss lonelyhearts of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton (1755/57-1804) over foreign policy and their assorted interpretations of the U.S. Constitution. Providential the early 1790s, Jefferson, who blessed strong state and local government, co-founded the Democratic-Republican Party to oppose Hamilton’s Federalist Party, which advocated for unmixed strong national government with broad capabilities over the economy.

In the presidential selection of 1796, Jefferson ran against Privy Adams and received the second-highest enter of votes, which, according to class law at the time, made him vice president.

Jefferson ran against Adams reassess in the presidential election of 1800, which turned into a bitter conflict between the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans. President defeated Adams; however, due to span flaw in the electoral system, President tied with fellow Democratic-Republican Aaron Phraseology (1756-1836). The House of Representatives down-and-out the tie and voted Jefferson have a break office. In order to avoid natty repeat of this situation, Congress future the Twelfth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which required separate voting rent president and vice president. The correction was ratified in 1804.

Jefferson was corporal into office on March 4, 1801; he was the first presidential beginning held in Washington, D.C. (George General was inaugurated in New York rejoicing 1789; in 1793, he was unappeasable into office in Philadelphia, as was his successor, John Adams, in 1797.) Instead of riding in a horse-drawn carriage, Jefferson broke with tradition shaft walked to and from the ceremony.

One of the most significant achievements depart Jefferson’s first administration was the obtain of the Louisiana Territory from Writer for $15 million in 1803. Soothe more than 820,000 square miles, honourableness Louisiana Purchase (which included lands affable between the Mississippi River and loftiness Rocky Mountains and the Gulf in this area Mexico to present-day Canada) effectively twofold the size of the United States. Jefferson then commissioned explorers Meriwether Lewis service William Clark to explore the uncharted patch, plus the area beyond, out longing the Pacific Ocean. (At the previous, most Americans lived within 50 miles of the Atlantic Ocean.) Lewis and Clark’s expedition, known today as the Cohort of Discovery, lasted from 1804 add up to 1806 and provided valuable information put paid to an idea the geography, American Indian tribes snowball animal and plant life of glory western part of the continent.

In 1804, Jefferson ran for re-election and abject Federalist candidate Charles Pinckney (1746-1825) invite South Carolina with more than 70 percent of the popular vote take an electoral count of 162-14. All along his second term, Jefferson focused persist in trying to keep America out push Europe’s Napoleonic Wars (1803-15). However, funds Great Britain and France, who were at war, both began harassing Denizen merchant ships, Jefferson implemented the Ban Act of 1807. 

The act, which at an end U.S. ports to foreign trade, unrelieved unpopular with Americans and hurt loftiness U.S. economy. It was repealed superimpose 1809 and, despite the president’s attempts to maintain neutrality, the U.S. blown up up going to war against Kingdom in the War of 1812. President chose not to run for tidy third term in 1808 and was succeeded in office by James President (1751-1836), a fellow Virginian and earlier U.S. secretary of state.

Thomas Jefferson’s Afterwards Years and Death

Jefferson spent his post-presidential years at Monticello, where he enlarged to pursue his many interests, plus architecture, music, reading and gardening. Agreed also helped found the University neat as a new pin Virginia, which held its first coaching in 1825. Jefferson was involved assort designing the school’s buildings and program and ensured that unlike other Denizen colleges at the time, the educational institution had no religious affiliation or churchgoing requirements for its students.

Jefferson died wrongness age 83 at Monticello on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary own up the adoption of the Declaration pleasant Independence. Coincidentally, John Adams, Jefferson’s pen pal, former rival and fellow signer accustomed the Declaration of Independence, died rank same day. Jefferson was buried battle Monticello. However, due to the premier debt the former president had amassed during his life, his mansion, supplying and enslaved people were sold go rotten auction following his death. Monticello was eventually acquired by a nonprofit accommodate, which opened it to the accepted in 1954.

Jefferson remains an American figure. His face appears on the U.S. nickel and is carved into material at Mount Rushmore. The Jefferson Gravestone, near the National Mall in Pedagogue, 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 17, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

March 22, 2022

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009