Jefferson, Th 2

Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743^[a] – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809.^[10] Among the Committee of Five charged by the Second Continental Congress with authoring the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson was the document's primary author. Following the American Revolutionary War and prior to becoming president in 1801, Jefferson was the first U.S. Secretary of State under George Washington and then the nation's second vice president under John Adams.

Jefferson's writings and advocacy for human rights, including freedom of thought, speech, and religion, were a leading inspiration behind the American Revolution, which ultimately led to American independence and the United States Constitution.^[11] He was a leading proponent of democracy, republicanism, and individual rights, and produced formative documents and decisions at the state, national, and international levels. During the American Revolution, Jefferson represented Virginia in the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, which adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, and served as the second Governor of Virginia from 1779 to 1781. In 1785, Congress appointed Jefferson as United States Minister to France, where he served from 1785 to 1789. President Washington then appointed Jefferson the nation's first secretary of state, where he served from 1790 to 1793. During this time, in the early 1790s, Jefferson and James Madison organized the Democratic-Republican Party to oppose the Federalist Party during the formation of the nation's First Party System. With Madison, Jefferson anonymously wrote the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions in 1798 and 1799, which sought to strengthen states' rights by nullifying the federal Alien and Sedition Acts.

Jefferson and Federalist John Adams became both friends and political rivals, serving in the Continental Congress and drafting the Declaration of Independence together. In the 1796 presidential election between the two, Jefferson came in second, which according to electoral procedure at the time made him Adams' vice president. Jefferson challenged Adams again four years later, in 1800, and won the presidency. In 1804, Jefferson was overwhelmingly reelected to a second term as president. While then constitutionally eligible to run for a third term, Jefferson followed Washington's precedent of limiting his presidency to two terms. Jefferson eventually reconciled with Adams, and the two shared a correspondence that lasted 14 years. He and Adams both died within hours of each other on the same day, July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of Declaration of Independence.

As president, Jefferson pursued the nation's shipping and trade interests against Barbary pirates and aggressive British trade policies. Beginning in 1803, he promoted a western expansionist policy with the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the nation's claimed land area. To make room for settlement, Jefferson began the process of Indian tribal removal from the newly acquired territory. As a result of peace negotiations with France, his administration reduced military forces. His second term was beset by difficulties at home, including the trial of former vice president Aaron Burr. In 1807, American foreign trade was diminished when Jefferson implemented the Embargo Act in response to British threats to U.S. shipping.

Jefferson was a slave owner, but also condemned the slave trade in his draft of the Declaration of Independence and signed the Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves in 1807. Since the 1790s, he was rumored to have had children by his slave Sally Hemings. According to scholarly consensus, Jefferson probably fathered at least six children with Hemings, including four that survived to adulthood.^[12][13][14]

After retiring from public office, Jefferson founded the University of Virginia. Presidential scholars and historians generally praise Jefferson's public achievements, including his advocacy of religious freedom and tolerance, his peaceful acquisition of the Louisiana Territory from France, and the successful Lewis and Clark Expedition. Jefferson is consistently ranked among the top ten presidents in American history.|

Early life and career

Main article: Early life and career of Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743 (April 2, 1743, Old Style, Julian calendar), at the family's Shadwell Plantation in the British Colony of Virginia, the third of ten children.^[15] He was of English, and possibly Welsh, descent and was born a British subject.^[16] His father, Peter Jefferson, was a planter and surveyor who died when Jefferson was fourteen; his mother was Jane Randolph.^[b] Peter Jefferson moved his family to Tuckahoe Plantation in 1745 upon the death of William Randolph III, the plantation's owner and Jefferson's friend, who in his will had named Peter guardian of Randolph's children. The Jeffersons returned to Shadwell in 1752. In 1753, Thomas attended the wedding of his uncle Field Jefferson to Mary Allen Hunt, and Field became a close friend and early mentor.^[18]

Jefferson's father Peter died in 1757, and his estate was divided between his sons Thomas and Randolph.^[19] John Harvie Sr. then became 13-year-old Thomas' guardian.^[20] Thomas inherited approximately 5,000 acres (2,000 ha; 7.8 sq mi) of land, which included Monticello, and he assumed full legal authority over the property at age 21.^[21]

Education and early family life

Thomas Jefferson's coat of arms

The Wren Building at the College of William & Mary, where Jefferson studied

Jefferson began his education together with the Randolph children at Tuckahoe under the guidance of tutors.^[22] Thomas' father Peter, who was self-taught and regretted not having a formal education, entered Thomas into an English school at age five. In 1752, at age nine, he attended a local school run by a Scottish Presbyterian minister and also began studying the natural world, which he grew to love. At this time he began studying Latin, Greek, and French, while learning to ride horses as well. Thomas also read books from his father's modest library.^[23]

He was taught from 1758 to 1760 by the Reverend James Maury near Gordonsville, Virginia, where he studied history, science, and the classics while boarding with Maury's family.^[24][23] Jefferson then befriended and came to know various American Indians, including the famous Cherokee chief Ostenaco, who often stopped at Shadwell to visit on their way to Williamsburg to trade.^[25][26] During the two years Jefferson was with the Maury family, he traveled to Williamsburg and was a guest of Colonel John Dandridge, father of Martha Washington. In Williamsburg, the young Jefferson met and came to admire Patrick Henry, eight years his senior, and shared a common interest in violin playing.^[27]

Jefferson entered the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia in 1761 at age 16 and studied mathematics, metaphysics, and philosophy with William Small. Under Small's tutelage, Jefferson encountered the ideas of the British Empiricists, including John Locke, Francis Bacon, and Isaac Newton. Small introduced Jefferson to George Wythe and Francis Fauquier. Small, Wythe, and Fauquier recognized Jefferson as a man of exceptional ability and included him in their inner circle, where he became a regular member of their Friday dinner parties where politics and philosophy were discussed. Jefferson later wrote that, while there, he "heard more common good sense, more rational & philosophical conversations than in all the rest of my life".^[28]

During his first year at the college, Jefferson spent a considerable amount of time attending parties and dancing and was not very frugal with his expenditures; in his second year, regretting that he felt he had squandered away time and money in his first year, he committed studying fifteen hours a day.^[29] Jefferson improved his French and Greek and his skill at the violin. He graduated two years after starting, in 1762. He read the law under Wythe's tutelage to obtain his law license while working as a law clerk in his office.^[30] He also read a wide variety of English classics and political works.^[31] Jefferson was well-read in a broad variety of subjects, which, along with law and philosophy, included history, natural law, natural religion, ethics, and several areas in science, including agriculture. Overall, he drew very deeply on the philosophers. During the years of study under the watchful eye of Wythe, Jefferson authored a survey of his extensive readings in his Commonplace Book.^[32] Wythe was so impressed with Jefferson that he later bequeathed his entire library to him.^[33]...

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[Jefferson

Nickname/Alias: Sage of Monticello; Father of the Declaration of Independence; Long Tom

Achievements: Third President of the United States.

Born: April 13, 1743; Shadwell, Albermarle County, Virginia

Died: July 4, 1826; Monticello, Virginia (Aged 83)

Field & Discipline: Politics; Government; President

Education: William and Mary College, Williamsburg, Virginia

Major Work: Drafting of the Declaration of Independence

Life & Times:

In 1767, at 24, Jefferson was admitted to the Virginia bar and two years later elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses, where he served between 1769 and 1775. After Britain began to tax America via the [influenced by] Townshend* Acts and the Tea Act, Jefferson began to take an anti-British stance. In 1774, he wrote "A Summary View of the Rights of British America," an influential and eloquently-written tract in support of the right of American citizens to independence from Britain. From 1775 to 1777, Jefferson served as a Virginia delegate to the first Continental Congress, where Jefferson and four others were asked to describe the break between America and Britain in a document for the world at large. The result was the Declaration of Independence, principally drafted by Jefferson, who said his ideas for the document were drawn from the liberal and Enlightenment philosophies of the time. The Declaration was adopted on July 4, 1776.

Jefferson returned to Virginia, where he was instrumental in the framing of a state constitution, which expanded suffrage. He proposed the abolition of the slave trade and sponsored bills which would bring about a more equitable distribution of land. He also proposed reducing the privileges of the Anglican church in Virginia, but it was not until 1786 that his "Statute for Religious Freedom" was passed.

Between 1779 and 1781, Jefferson was Governor of Virginia and did not contribute greatly to the course of the American Revolution. His small attempts to organize resistance against the British during the war were generally unsuccessful. When the British invaded Virginia, Jefferson was forced to flee the capital of Richmond. Criticism of his governorship was harsh, and Jefferson resolved never to return to public life. His retirement was brief, but he made use of it to work on "Notes on Virginia", a natural and civil history of the state. It was published in 1785.

After his wife died suddenly in 1782, (they had been happily married for 10 years), Jefferson decided a return to politics would ease his grief. In 1783, he was voted back into the Continental Congress, where he drafted the first ordinance for governing the West. In 1783, he oversaw the adoption of a decimal system of coinage originally suggested by politician [influenced by] Gouverneur Morris* .

In 1784, Jefferson went to France to join U.S. envoys [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with ] Franklin* and [ was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with ] Samuel Adams* in negotiations of commercial treaties. The following year he was appointed American Minister to France at the court of [US Minister to] Louis XVI*, where he served until 1789. His main duty lay in achieving preferential treatment for American trading interests.

Ill at ease at first, Jefferson eventually got used to Parisian society (in spite of a major disagreement with [row with] Buffon*) and by mid-1786, entertained the cultural world at his house (including the artist [entertained] Trumbull*) and attended the philosophical salons, where he met [met] Condorcet.* He also met [a pal of] PS Du Pont* Nemours, with whom he would continue a lifelong friendship and correspondence and whose company ([helped set up] Du Pont IE Co*) he helped to set up. Jefferson witnessed and strongly supported the French Revolution in 1789.

Jefferson left France intending to return, but [Sec. of State under] Washington* asked him to become Secretary of State, and, with some reluctance, Jefferson agreed. The Constitution had only recently been written, and its interpretation was still ambiguous. In Jefferson's view, it gave the states greater power and autonomy over central government. Secretary of the Treasury [opposed] Alexander Hamilton* thought otherwise, and preferred a strong federal government. Their different outlooks were to bring the two men into conflict over various issues.

Hamilton wanted to fund the national debt by paying back the bonds that had been sold during the War of Independence. Jefferson opposed this, reasoning that northern speculators had the most to gain. But Hamilton's bill was passed. The proposal to create a national bank infuriated Jefferson, who disputed the government's right to form such an institution, saying not only was there nothing in the Constitution to support it, but it would also greatly increase the power of central government. Again, Congress passed the bill.

In 1793, Jefferson resigned, to spend more time at his estate Monticello, which he had begun to build in 1770. The design and construction of his house, which kept him busy for 35 years, was greatly influenced by Italian architect [influenced by] Palladio*'s "Four Books of Architecture".

Jefferson, who could not stay away from the political scene for very long, decided he was needed as an alternative to Hamilton. He united with Madison to form the liberal democratic-republican party, and was named leader.

In 1796, Jefferson became Vice-President to [Vice-President under] John Quincy Adams*. He established legislative procedure, and compiled a Manual of Parliamentary Practice which still influences the operation of the Senate and House of Representatives.

War between Britain and France caused continued political wrangling. The United States was officially neutral under Washington, but private loyalties were now being voiced publicly. Jefferson supported France, and once again Hamilton represented the opposite view. Adams resisted Hamilton's strong pressure to go to war against France, but the party split under the strain.

Jefferson ran for President in 1800. He beat Adams, but polled the same number of electoral votes (73) as [won election over] Burr,* his running mate. The decision was then up to the House of Representatives. The Federalists backed Burr, but Jefferson was finally elected on the 36th ballot (ironically, with the support of Hamilton, who broke a tie in Jefferson's favor).

As President, Jefferson worked towards reconciliation with the Federalists, but he generally preferred Republican appointees. Much of his administration was characterized by the limiting of central government and economy. The budget was balanced, the national debt reduced from $83 million to $59 million, even though taxes were repealed, and the army and navy were dramatically reduced in numbers.

At Jefferson's instruction, the Louisiana Purchase was arranged in Paris by [bought “Louisiana” through] Robert L Livingston*. The deal almost doubled the size of the land area of the United States. Jefferson sent the Lewis and Clark Expedition to explore the new trans-Mississippi domain.

Jefferson achieved another foreign policy success when the navy won the battle against Tripoli, over the actions of the Barbary pirate states of North Africa. But Jefferson's Embargo Act of 1807 was highly unpopular because it prohibited American exports to Britain and proved costly to the American economy, especially in New England. The embargo remained in effect for 15 months before Congress repealed it late in Jefferson's presidency. This failed foreign policy would eventually escalate into the War of 1812.

In 1809, Jefferson left office and retired to Virginia, where he continued to try to effect democratic reform. At Monticello, he pursued his scholarly and scientific interests, in 1825 founding the University of Virginia. He also designed the Virginia State capitol (for which he hired [hired] Clerisseau*) and a number of mansions.

In his epitaph, Jefferson described himself as the author of the Declaration of American Independence and of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, and as the Father of the University of Virginia.

Extra Connections:

Jefferson met: actor [met] Garrick*, engineer [met] Smeaton*, cotton-gin inventor [met] Eli Whitney*, Swiss scientist [met] Saussure*, explorers [met] Alexander von Humboldt* and [met] Bonpland*; chemist [met] Liebig*, economist [met] Price*, [met partner of] Watt’s* partner [met] Boulton* and French philosopher [met] Helvetius*

He knew the work of [knew work of] Thomas Paine*

Commissioned work from [commissioned] Fulton*

Knew work of] Rowland Hill’s* work.

Friend of [a pal of] James Monroe* and geologist [a pal of] Maclure*

Critical of [critical of] Andrew Jackson*

Influenced by [influenced by]Beccaria 2*

Supported [supported] Beaumarchais PA 2’* efforts to help the War of Independence.

Vaccinated his family and neighbors with [used vaccination by] Jenner’s* smallpox vaccine

He was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with] Rush*

He authorized the [authorized] Louisiana Purchase*

At one point he worked for Foreign Secretary John [worked for] Jay*

He was a colleague of [a colleague of] Lafayette*

His home was requisitioned by [home requisitioned by] Cornwallis*?

He signed the Declaration of Independence with [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]John Hancock*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Josiah Bartlett*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]William Whipple*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]John Adams*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Robert Treat Paine*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Stephen Hopkins*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]William Ellery*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Roger Sherman*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Samuel Huntington*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]William Williams*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]William Floyd*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Philip Livingston*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Francis Lewis*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Lewis Morris*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Richard Stockton*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]John Witherspoon*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Francis Hopkinson*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]John Hart*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Abraham Clark*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Robert Morris*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]John Morton*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]George Clymer*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]James Smith*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]George Taylor*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]James Wilson*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]George Ross*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Caesar Rodney*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]George Read*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Samuel Chase*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]William Paca*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Thomas Stone*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Charles Carroll*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Thomas Jefferson*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Benjamin Harrison*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Thomas Nelson*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Francis Lightfoot Lee*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Carter Braxton*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]William Hooper*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Joseph Hewes*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]John Penn*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Edward Rutledge*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Thomas Heyward*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Thomas Lynch Jr.*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Arthur Middleton*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Button Gwinett*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Lyman Hall*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]George Walton*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]George Wythe*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Elbridge Gerry*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Richard Henry Lee*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Oliver Wolcott*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Matthew Thornton*, [was a Declaration of Independence co-signer with]Thomas McKean*

Assessment: Worked for the independence of the American states, and the non-interference of government..

Oneliner: Thomas Jefferson, President of the United States

Language: English

Father: Peter Jefferson

Mother: Jane Randolph

Siblings: Jane; Randolph

Spouse: Martha Wyles Skelton

Children: Martha Randolph; Jane; another son, name unknown; Maria Eppes; Lucy; Lucy (named after dead sister)

Bibliography:

Brown, David S. Thomas Jefferson A Biographical Companion. ABC-CLIO Biographical Companion. Santa Barbara, California. 1998.

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