Early life, education and marriage
Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743, in Shadwell, in the hills of Albemarle County, Virginia. His father, Peter Jefferson, was a land surveyor of Welsh ancestry. His mother, Jane Randolph, was descended from a prominent Virginia family. When Thomas was two, his family moved to Tuckahoe, the Randolph estate on the James River near Richmond.
Thomas started school at Tuckahoe when he was five. At age nine he entered a boarding school. When he was 14, his father died. He then stayed with the local schoolmaster to learn Latin and Greek. In 1760 he entered William and Mary College in Williamsburg. Two years later he began to study law privately. In 1767 he left Williamsburg to practice law. The next year he designed his own home, named Monticello, atop a mountain near Shadwell.
Jefferson married Martha Wayles Skelton on New Year's Day in 1772. They had six children, but only two survived past childhood. Martha died after ten years of marriage. Jefferson never remarried.
Declaring independence
Jefferson was elected to the Virginia legislature in 1769. He became known as a strong supporter of American independence from Britain. In 1774 he expressed his views in A Summary View of the Rights of British America. He served as Virginia's delegate to the Continental Congress in 1775 and 1776.
Jefferson's shyness kept him from playing a major part in the debates within the Congress. In 1776 he was appointed to a committee to write a formal statement of the reasons why independence from Britain was necessary. The Declaration of Independence adopted by the Congress on July 4, 1776, was mostly Jefferson's work. That famous document expressed his strong support of individual freedom. Jefferson believed that the only good government was democracy—a government of the people.
Return to Virginia
Jefferson left the Continental Congress in September 1776 and reentered the Virginia legislature. He proposed reforms to Virginia law aimed at ending the privileges of the wealthy and promoting individual freedoms. One important bill required the separation of church and state.
In 1779 Jefferson was elected governor of Virginia. He was not as successful in this role as he was as a legislator. In 1780 he was caught off guard by a surprise attack on his state by British troops. His failure to defend the state cost him popular support. In 1781 he retired to his home, intending never to reenter public life.
Presidency
In 1800 Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr both ran for president against Adams. It was the first election in which candidates ran together as members of a party. Before that, candidates ran as individuals and the top two candidates became president and vice president even if they were members of different parties. Under the new electoral system, both the party's candidates were considered to be running for president. The candidate who won more votes became president; the other became vice president. Jefferson and Burr's party won, but the two men received the same number of votes. The House of Representatives eventually chose Jefferson as the third president of the United States.
Retirement
Jefferson finally retired from public life in 1809. He spent the last 17 years of his life at Monticello writing, looking after his plantations, and entertaining friends. His last great project was founding the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, which opened in 1825.
Jefferson died on July 4, 1826. It was the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. John Adams, his old friend and political rival, died later the same day.
A controversial figure
For many people, Jefferson represents the ideals of equality and democracy. His image has suffered, however, because of his practice of slavery. Jefferson owned about 200 slaves in an average year. Jefferson's critics say that the reality of his own life did not match the ideas he expressed. This view has made Jefferson into a troublesome hero.
Bibliography
"Jefferson, Thomas." Britannica Elementary Encyclopedia. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition. 23 Oct. 2009 <http://school.eb.com/all/elementary/article?articleId=345485>.
Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743, in Shadwell, in the hills of Albemarle County, Virginia. His father, Peter Jefferson, was a land surveyor of Welsh ancestry. His mother, Jane Randolph, was descended from a prominent Virginia family. When Thomas was two, his family moved to Tuckahoe, the Randolph estate on the James River near Richmond.
Thomas started school at Tuckahoe when he was five. At age nine he entered a boarding school. When he was 14, his father died. He then stayed with the local schoolmaster to learn Latin and Greek. In 1760 he entered William and Mary College in Williamsburg. Two years later he began to study law privately. In 1767 he left Williamsburg to practice law. The next year he designed his own home, named Monticello, atop a mountain near Shadwell.
Jefferson married Martha Wayles Skelton on New Year's Day in 1772. They had six children, but only two survived past childhood. Martha died after ten years of marriage. Jefferson never remarried.
Declaring independence
Jefferson was elected to the Virginia legislature in 1769. He became known as a strong supporter of American independence from Britain. In 1774 he expressed his views in A Summary View of the Rights of British America. He served as Virginia's delegate to the Continental Congress in 1775 and 1776.
Jefferson's shyness kept him from playing a major part in the debates within the Congress. In 1776 he was appointed to a committee to write a formal statement of the reasons why independence from Britain was necessary. The Declaration of Independence adopted by the Congress on July 4, 1776, was mostly Jefferson's work. That famous document expressed his strong support of individual freedom. Jefferson believed that the only good government was democracy—a government of the people.
Return to Virginia
Jefferson left the Continental Congress in September 1776 and reentered the Virginia legislature. He proposed reforms to Virginia law aimed at ending the privileges of the wealthy and promoting individual freedoms. One important bill required the separation of church and state.
In 1779 Jefferson was elected governor of Virginia. He was not as successful in this role as he was as a legislator. In 1780 he was caught off guard by a surprise attack on his state by British troops. His failure to defend the state cost him popular support. In 1781 he retired to his home, intending never to reenter public life.
Presidency
In 1800 Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr both ran for president against Adams. It was the first election in which candidates ran together as members of a party. Before that, candidates ran as individuals and the top two candidates became president and vice president even if they were members of different parties. Under the new electoral system, both the party's candidates were considered to be running for president. The candidate who won more votes became president; the other became vice president. Jefferson and Burr's party won, but the two men received the same number of votes. The House of Representatives eventually chose Jefferson as the third president of the United States.
Retirement
Jefferson finally retired from public life in 1809. He spent the last 17 years of his life at Monticello writing, looking after his plantations, and entertaining friends. His last great project was founding the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, which opened in 1825.
Jefferson died on July 4, 1826. It was the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. John Adams, his old friend and political rival, died later the same day.
A controversial figure
For many people, Jefferson represents the ideals of equality and democracy. His image has suffered, however, because of his practice of slavery. Jefferson owned about 200 slaves in an average year. Jefferson's critics say that the reality of his own life did not match the ideas he expressed. This view has made Jefferson into a troublesome hero.
Bibliography
"Jefferson, Thomas." Britannica Elementary Encyclopedia. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition. 23 Oct. 2009 <http://school.eb.com/all/elementary/article?articleId=345485>.