Biography of Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was one of the most important and complex figures in early American history. Born on April 13, 1743, in Shadwell, Virginia, Jefferson became a lawyer, writer, statesman, diplomat, architect, and eventually the third president of the United States. He is best known as the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, the document adopted in 1776 that announced the American colonies’ separation from Great Britain and expressed the influential principle that people possess fundamental rights. Jefferson later served as governor of Virginia, U.S. minister to France, the nation’s first secretary of state, vice president, and president.
Jefferson was interested in education, government, science, architecture, agriculture, languages, and books. He went to the College of William & Mary and later studied law under George Wythe, one of Virginia’s leading lawyers. His range of interests made him an important figure of the American founding era.
As president from 1801 to 1809, Jefferson oversaw one of the most significant expansions of the young nation: the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. The acquisition greatly expanded U.S. territory, and Jefferson supported the Lewis and Clark expedition to explore parts of the West. After leaving the presidency, he continued pursuing education and eventually founded the University of Virginia.
Jefferson’s legacy also contains a major contradiction. Even though he wrote that “all men are created equal” and promoted ideas of liberty, he owned slaves for his whole life. Over the course of his life, Jefferson owned more than 600 enslaved people. Historical evidence also establishes that he fathered at least six children with Sally Hemings, an enslaved woman at Monticello. This conflict between Jefferson’s writings about freedom and his participation in slavery remains an essential part of understanding his life and legacy.
Jefferson died at Monticello on July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years after the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Remarkably, fellow former president John Adams died later that same day. Jefferson was 83 years old.
Louisiana Purchase
The acquisition greatly expanded U.S. territory, and Jefferson supported the Lewis and Clark expedition to explore parts of the West.
Early Life of Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743, at Shadwell, his family’s plantation in colonial Virginia. His father, Peter Jefferson, was a planter and surveyor. His mother, Jane Randolph Jefferson, came from a prominent Virginia family. Jefferson grew up in a financially comfortable household and received a great education. As a child and teenager, he studied subjects including mathematics, history, Latin, Greek, and French.
Jefferson’s father died when Jefferson was 14, leaving him a substantial inheritance. At 17, Jefferson entered the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg. After college, he studied law under George Wythe and was admitted to practice law in 1767. His political career began soon afterward when he was elected to Virginia’s House of Burgesses.
In 1772, Jefferson married Martha Wayles Skelton. The couple had six children. However, only Martha and Mary survived into adulthood. Martha Jefferson died in 1782 after ten years of marriage, and Jefferson never remarried.
Jefferson began developing Monticello, his famous Virginia plantation home, as a young man. He personally designed and repeatedly modified the house, reflecting his strong interest in architecture. However, Monticello was also a plantation dependent upon enslaved labor, an important reality in understanding Jefferson’s personal life and wealth.
Interesting Facts About Thomas Jefferson
Jefferson could read and study several languages and received extensive instruction in Latin, Greek, and French.
He was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence.
Jefferson was the third president of the United States, serving from 1801 to 1809.
He designed his famous Virginia home, Monticello, and remained interested in architecture throughout his life.
Jefferson had an enormous personal library. In 1815, he sold approximately 6,700 books to Congress, helping rebuild the Library of Congress after its earlier collection was destroyed during the War of 1812.
He helped establish the University of Virginia and designed its buildings, planned its curriculum, and served as its first rector.
Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years after the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. John Adams died later that same day.
Jefferson wrote his own epitaph and chose to highlight three accomplishments: authoring the Declaration of Independence, authoring the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, and founding the University of Virginia. He did not mention being president.
Jefferson owned more than 600 enslaved people over the course of his lifetime, despite writing extensively about human liberty and equality.
He remained deeply interested in books, agriculture, science, architecture, and education even after retiring from politics.
Major Milestones and Accomplishments by Thomas Jefferson
1743 – Birth: Thomas Jefferson was born at Shadwell, Virginia, on April 13.
1767 – Lawyer: After studying law under George Wythe, Jefferson was admitted to practice law in Virginia.
1769 – Political Career: Jefferson began serving in Virginia’s House of Burgesses, entering the political world shortly before the American Revolution.
1776 – Declaration of Independence: Jefferson’s most famous achievement came when he was selected to draft the Declaration of Independence. Congress adopted the final document on July 4, 1776. Its language concerning equality and natural rights became highly influential in American political thought and beyond.
1779–1781 – Governor of Virginia: Jefferson served as governor during the Revolutionary War, including during a difficult period when British forces invaded Virginia.
1786 – Religious Freedom: Jefferson wrote the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, which established important protections for religious liberty in Virginia. Jefferson considered this one of his three greatest achievements.
1790–1793 – Secretary of State: Jefferson became the first U.S. secretary of state under President George Washington.
1797–1801 – Vice President: After losing the 1796 presidential election to John Adams, Jefferson became vice president.
1801–1809 – President: Jefferson became the third president of the United States in 1801. His election was significant because it resulted in the young nation’s first peaceful transfer of presidential power between political parties.
1803 – Louisiana Purchase: The United States purchased the Louisiana Territory from France while Jefferson was president. Jefferson also supported the Lewis and Clark expedition. This expedition explored parts of the newly acquired territory and the American West.
1815 – Library of Congress: Jefferson sold his approximately 6,700-volume personal library to the federal government, providing the foundation for rebuilding the Library of Congress’s collection.
1819–1825 – University of Virginia: One of Jefferson’s greatest projects after his presidency was establishing the University of Virginia. He helped secure its creation, designed its buildings, planned its curriculum, and became its first rector. The university opened in 1825.
Legacy
Jefferson's influence extended beyond the presidency. His writings on independence and religious freedom, expansion of the United States, and work establishing the University of Virginia all became significant parts of his historical legacy. At the same time, historians examine these accomplishments alongside his participation in slavery and the contradiction between his statements about equality and the lives of the people he enslaved.
Late In Life
After completing his second presidential term in 1809, Jefferson retired from national political office and returned to Monticello. He spent most of the final 17 years of his life there, surrounded by family, books, visitors, and his agricultural and intellectual projects.
Education became one of Jefferson’s greatest interests during retirement. He devoted considerable time to establishing the University of Virginia, helping obtain its charter, selecting its location, designing buildings, and planning its curriculum. The university opened in 1825, only about a year before his death.
Jefferson’s later years were also troubled by serious financial problems. Despite owning extensive land and other property, he accumulated substantial debts. At his death, his debts were approximately $107,000. Afterward, much of his property had to be sold, including more than 100 enslaved people, separating members of families who had lived at Monticello for generations.
Jefferson’s health gradually deteriorated during his final years. He died at Monticello on July 4, 1826, at age 83. He was buried in the family graveyard at Monticello the following day in a deliberately simple ceremony.
FAQs
How did Thomas Jefferson die?
Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, at his home, Monticello, at the age of 83. His exact cause of death cannot be determined with certainty. During his final years, however, he experienced several serious health problems, including chronic digestive problems, urinary difficulties, and declining kidney function.
What was Thomas Jefferson like?
Thomas Jefferson was highly educated, intellectually curious, and interested in subjects ranging from government and law to architecture, science, agriculture, languages, and books. He was also a complicated historical figure: while promoting liberty and equality in his writings, he owned hundreds of enslaved people throughout his lifetime.
What was Thomas Jefferson’s home called?
Thomas Jefferson’s famous home was called Monticello, located near Charlottesville, Virginia. Jefferson began developing the property as a young man and personally designed and repeatedly remodeled the house. Monticello was both his family home and a working plantation that depended heavily on the labor of enslaved people.
How smart was Thomas Jefferson?
There is no reliable way to assign Thomas Jefferson a modern IQ score. Historical records do show that he was exceptionally well educated and had unusually broad intellectual interests. He studied languages, mathematics, science, law, philosophy, architecture, and politics and assembled thousands of books in his personal library.
What did Thomas Jefferson do for America?
Jefferson helped shape the early United States through several major roles. He drafted the Declaration of Independence, promoted religious freedom, served as the nation’s first secretary of state and third president, oversaw the Louisiana Purchase, supported the Lewis and Clark expedition, and later founded the University of Virginia.
