Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States and the main author of the Declaration of Independence (1776). This important document declared America's original thirteen colonies independent of England and profoundly influenced the future of American politics. It also expressed Jefferson's lifelong beliefs in natural rights, equality, individual liberties, and self-government. Along with being one of the nation's founders (political leaders in the time of the American Revolution [1775–83] who created and signed the Declaration of Independence and/or the Constitution ) and great politicians, Jefferson was renowned for accomplishments in a remarkable variety of fields.

Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743, at Shadwell, his father's plantation in central Virginia 's Albemarle County. Jefferson's father was a self-educated farmer who became a legislator in the Virginia House of Burgesses , the legislative body of Virginia's colonial government under Great Britain. Jefferson's mother was the daughter of a wealthy and socially prominent Virginia family that owned slaves. As a child, Jefferson loved horseback riding and music, but he was also very serious about his studies, and he had a love of learning that continued throughout his life.

A variety of influences

While at the College of William and Mary, in Williamsburg, Virginia, Jefferson studied foreign and classical languages, mathematics, and the natural sciences. He was captivated by the ideas of the Enlightenment, a philosophic movement of the time that focused on the great power of human reason to create a rational society of equal individuals. In 1762, Jefferson began studying law and then started a successful law practice. This put him in frequent contact with some of the leading men of Virginia, including Patrick Henry (1736–1799), a fiery advocate of revolution against Great Britain.

On January 1, 1772, Jefferson married Martha Wayles Skelton, the educated daughter of a wealthy Williamsburg, Virginia, lawyer. With the land and slaves they inherited from their fathers, the Jeffersons were one of the wealthiest families in Virginia, guaranteeing Jefferson a role in Virginia politics. The newlyweds moved into Monticello, a mansion Jefferson designed, near Charlottesville, Virginia.

Revolutionary political career

In 1769, Jefferson was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses, where he served for six years. In 1774, Jefferson joined a group of legislators who opposed England's domination over Virginia. They prepared a resolution to support the Boston Tea Party , a protest against the British tax on tea. The British-appointed governor of Virginia reacted by dissolving the House, prompting its members to meet to form a new plan of action. Jefferson submitted a paper, A Summary View of the Rights of British America, presenting the concept of “natural rights”—that people have certain rights that transcend civil laws and that cannot be taken away—which Jefferson would more fully describe in the Declaration of Independence. In this paper, Jefferson also forcefully denied that the British Parliament held political authority over the colonists, and he demanded free trade and an end to British taxation. The essay was very influential in the revolutionary movement, and Jefferson's fame spread.

Two years later, Jefferson was appointed to a committee to write the Declaration of Independence. Although debate continues to this day over the exact circumstances of its composition, most historians agree that Jefferson wrote the original draft of the document in June 1776 and that he then submitted it to two committee members, John Adams (1735–1826) and Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790), who suggested minor changes before sending it to the colonial congress. The delegates debated the text line by line for two and a half days, then adopted it on July 4, 1776.

American statesman

During the American Revolution, Jefferson served as a member of the Virginia legislature and then as the governor of Virginia. Following the death of his wife in 1782, Jefferson retired from public office and wrote his only published book, Notes on the State of Virginia. The book described the physical environment of Virginia and expressed Jefferson's belief that the new republic should remain a nation of independent farmers.

In 1783, Jefferson again served as a delegate to the Continental Congress (the first national government of the United States), where he wrote rules for the governing of a region called the Northwest Territory, which included present-day Ohio , Michigan , Indiana , Illinois , Wisconsin , and part of Minnesota . Adopted a few years later as the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, these rules banned slavery in the territory north of the Ohio River and established how new states were to be admitted to the Union.

Clashes with Alexander Hamilton

In 1785, Jefferson became minister to France, and he remained in this position long enough to

see the beginning of the French Revolution in 1789. While he was in France, the U.S. Constitution was written. When he returned to the United States, he was appointed secretary of state by President George Washington (1732–1799; served 1789–97). A series of conflicts soon developed between Jefferson and the secretary of the treasury, Alexander Hamilton (1755–1804). Jefferson believed that the federal government should limit itself mainly to foreign affairs and allow states and local governments, led by farmers and workers, to handle local matters. Hamilton believed in a strong central government under the control of wealthy merchants and property owners. Their debate caused two groups to form: The backers of Hamilton became members of the Federalist Party , or Federalists, and those who supported Jefferson became part of the Democratic-Republican Party .

The Washington administration adopted Hamilton's ideas, and in 1793 Jefferson resigned. He ran for the presidency three years later, narrowly losing to his friend, incumbent vice president John Adams. At that time, the second-place finisher became vice president. Jefferson accepted the position, but he disagreed with Adams, who was a Federalist, over many issues. This was especially true with the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798. These acts restricted the voting rights of recent immigrants and interfered with newspapers that criticized the government. Jefferson thought this seriously limited the freedoms of speech and the press and was contrary to the Constitution. Throughout his long political career, Jefferson never stopped being a champion of freedom and liberty.

Becomes third U.S. president

Jefferson defeated Adams in the election of 1800—the first election in which American voters were given a clear-cut choice between political parties. Jefferson served two terms as president, during which he cut government spending and simplified the way government was run. But his major achievement was the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, in which his administration bought a vast territory from France for $15 million, nearly doubling the size of the United States.

The question of slavery

Jefferson's personal life did not always seem to agree with his political philosophy, especially in regard to slavery. Though he owned about two hundred slaves, his personal and public papers reveal that he opposed the institution. He supported legislation to restrict slavery, but he stopped short of actions that might endanger his political support among slave owners. A rumor arose during Jefferson's first term as president that he had had a sexual relationship with his slave Sally Hemings (1773–1836) and had fathered several children with her. This story has persisted to the present day. Scientific testing has shown that descendants of Hemings may have also been Jefferson's descendants, but the facts probably will never be known for certain.

Jefferson retired to Monticello in 1809, having been in politics almost continuously for forty years. He turned his attention to architecture, farming, and education. In 1819, he designed and founded the University of Virginia, even selecting its faculty and planning its curriculum. During this time, Jefferson renewed his friendship with John Adams, with whom he had feuded for several years. Both men died on July 4, 1826, exactly fifty years after signing the Declaration of Independence.