Born: 1743, Albemarle County, VA
Died: 1826
Thomas Jefferson was a man of many talents: lawyer, farmer, architect, scientist, musician, author, philosopher, and statesman. As a 33-year-old member of the Second Continental Congress, he wrote the Declaration of Independence, proclaiming, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
A Virginia legislator (1776-1779) and Governor (1779-1781), he wrote the Virginia statue of religious freedom and served as Minister to France, Washington's Secretary of the State and John Adams's Vice President, before being elected President in 1800. Jefferson removed the pomp surrounding Presidential affairs, believing that the best government is the least government. In 1803, his Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the nation. He retired after a second term to Monticello, his beloved Virginia home. There he devoted himself to the cause of public education and the creation of the University of Virginia.
Third President
Republican
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment