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- Thomas Jefferson’s Early Years. Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743, at Shadwell, a plantation on a large tract of land near present-day Charlottesville, Virginia.
- Marriage and Monticello. After his father died when Jefferson was a teen, the future president inherited the Shadwell property. In 1768, Jefferson began clearing a mountaintop on the land in preparation for the elegant brick mansion he would construct there called Monticello (“little mountain” in Italian).
- Thomas Jefferson and the American Revolution. In 1775, with the American Revolutionary War recently underway, Jefferson was selected as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress.
- Jefferson's Path to the Presidency. After returning to America in the fall of 1789, Jefferson accepted an appointment from President George Washington (1732-99) to become the new nation’s first secretary of state.
- He was addicted to learning. Born April 13 (April 2 on the pre-Gregorian calendar), 1743 at his father’s Shadwell plantation in Virginia, Jefferson was one of 10 children (eight of whom survived to adulthood).
- His greatest work was a study in contradiction. As a member of the Second Continental Congress and the “Committee of Five” (a group consisting of John Adams, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston, and Thomas Jefferson brought together for this purpose), Jefferson was tasked with writing the Declaration of Independence, an argument against the 13 colonies being held under British rule.
- He didn't like being rewritten. After drafting the Declaration, Jefferson waited as Congress poured over his document for two days. When they broke session, Jefferson was annoyed to find that they were calling for extensive changes and revisions.
- He recorded everything. After inheriting his family’s Shadwell estate, Jefferson began constructing a new brick mansion on the property he dubbed Monticello, which means “little mountain” in Italian.
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2 days ago · Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States, who also drafted the Declaration of Independence and served as the first secretary of state. As president, he was responsible for the Louisiana Purchase. He was also the founder and architect of the University of Virginia.
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- His achievements are hard to overstate. This testament to the astounding scope and resonance of Jefferson’s achievements is not especially over-stated.
- He was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. He also authored several iconic documents.
- He created the Jefferson Bible. In an example of his intense anti-clericalism he also created the Jefferson Bible. This consisted of taking a bible in one hand, a razor blade in the other, and proceeding to cut out all the bits he considered fantastical or immoral.
- He oversaw the Louisiana Purchase. As President he oversaw the Louisiana Purchase (1803) which ‘doubled the size of the USA at 10 cents an acre.’ Napoleon sold Louisiana to USA at a knockdown price to keep it out of British hands.
Apr 3, 2014 · Thomas Jefferson was the primary draftsman of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, the nation's first secretary of state and the second vice president...
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Learn about Thomas Jefferson, 3rd US President, & his influential role in shaping American history. Explore his life, his plantation, & his enduring legacy.
NAME: Thomas Jefferson; NICKNAME: Father of the Declaration of Independence; BORN: April 13, 1743, in Shadwell, Virginia; DIED: July 4, 1826, in Charlottesville, Virginia; TIME IN...
