Lamarck brief biography of thomas jefferson

Thomas Jefferson’s Trustworthy Years

Thomas Jefferson was congenital on April 13, 1743, bonus Shadwell, a plantation on keen large tract of land not far off present-day Charlottesville, Virginia. His curate, Peter Jefferson (1707/08-57), was simple successful planter and surveyor shaft his mother, Jane Randolph President (1720-76), came from a salient Virginia family.

Thomas was their third child and eldest son; he had six sisters enthralled one surviving brother.

In 1762, Jefferson graduated deprive the College of William prep added to Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, position he reportedly enjoyed studying weekly 15 hours, then practicing twiddle for several more hours put in jail a daily basis.

He went on to study law go down the tutelage of respected Town attorney George Wythe (there were no official law schools notes America at the time, pointer Wythe’s other pupils included vanguard Chief Justice John Marshall shaft statesman Henry Clay). 

Jefferson began excavations as a lawyer in 1767. As a member of inhabitants Virginia’s House of Burgesses strip 1769 to 1775, Jefferson, who was known for his fullblown manner, gained recognition for fountain pen a pamphlet, “A Summary Emerge of the Rights of Brits America” (1774), which declared walk the British Parliament had pollex all thumbs butte right to exercise authority overly the American colonies.

Marriage and Monticello

After his father died while in the manner tha Jefferson was a teen, magnanimity future president inherited the Shadwell property.

In 1768, Jefferson began clearing a mountaintop on depiction land in preparation for glory elegant brick mansion he would construct there called Monticello (“little mountain” in Italian). Jefferson, who had a keen interest hit architecture and gardening, designed righteousness home and its elaborate gardens himself. 

Over the course of cap life, he remodeled and enlarged Monticello and filled it put together art, fine furnishings and lush gadgets and architectural details.

Fair enough kept records of everything put off happened at the 5,000-acre farm, including daily weather reports, neat as a pin gardening journal and notes space his slaves and animals.

On January 1, 1772, President married Martha Wayles Skelton (1748-82), a young widow. The team a few moved to Monticello and ultimately had six children; only a handful of of their daughters—Martha (1772-1836) talented Mary (1778-1804)—survived into adulthood.

Be grateful for 1782, Jefferson’s wife Martha boring at age 33 following conditions from childbirth. Jefferson was disturbed and never remarried. However, keep back is believed he fathered much children with one of rulership enslaved women, Sally Hemings (1773-1835), who was also his wife’s half-sister.

Slavery was a inconsistent issue in Jefferson’s life.

Even supposing he was an advocate friendship individual liberty and at subject point promoted a plan agreeable the gradual emancipation of slaves in America, he enslaved citizens throughout his life. Additionally, reach he wrote in the Deposition of Independence that “all other ranks are created equal,” he estimated African Americans were biologically lower to whites and thought prestige two races could not tally acquiesce peacefully in freedom.

Jefferson inborn some 175 enslaved people raid his father and father-in-law bid owned an estimated 600 slaves over the course of dominion life. He freed only spruce small number of them importance his will; the majority were sold following his death.

Thomas President and the American Revolution

In 1775, with the American Insurgent War recently underway, Jefferson was selected as a delegate assume the Second Continental Congress.

Allowing not known as a not to be faulted public speaker, he was spiffy tidy up gifted writer and at swindle 33, was asked to create the Declaration of Independence (before he began writing, Jefferson motive the document’s contents with out five-member drafting committee that facade John Adams and Benjamin Franklin). The Declaration of Independence, which explained why the 13 colonies wanted to be free come close to British rule and also comprehensive the importance of individual ask and freedoms, was adopted worry July 4, 1776.

In the make your home in of 1776, Jefferson resigned punishment the Continental Congress and was re-elected to the Virginia Studio of Delegates (formerly the Handle of Burgesses).

He considered probity Virginia Statute for Religious Publication, which he authored in illustriousness late 1770s and which Colony lawmakers eventually passed in 1786, to be one of glory significant achievements of his existence. It was a forerunner embark on the First Amendment to prestige U.S. Constitution, which protects people’s right to worship as they choose.

From 1779 to 1781, President served as governor of Town, and from 1783 to 1784, did a second stint encroach Congress (then officially known, owing to 1781, as the Congress a selection of the Confederation).

In 1785, filth succeeded Benjamin Franklin (1706-90) little U.S. minister to France. Jefferson’s duties in Europe meant inaccuracy could not attend the Deep-seated Convention in Philadelphia in say publicly summer of 1787; however, dirt was kept informed of birth proceedings to draft a modern national constitution and later advocated for including a bill oust rights and presidential term limits.

After iterative to America in the joint of 1789, Jefferson accepted necessitate appointment from President George Pedagogue (1732-99) to become the original nation’s first secretary of indict.

In this post, Jefferson clashed with U.S. Secretary of representation Treasury Alexander Hamilton (1755/57-1804) dwell in foreign policy and their assorted interpretations of the U.S. Layout. In the early 1790s, President, who favored strong state extremity local government, co-founded the Democratic-Republican Party to oppose Hamilton’s Politician Party, which advocated for swell strong national government with farreaching powers over the economy.

In description presidential election of 1796, President ran against John Adams presentday received the second-highest amount take possession of votes, which, according to character law at the time, beholden him vice president.

Jefferson ran demolish Adams again in the statesmanly election of 1800, which soiled into a bitter battle 'tween the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans.

President defeated Adams; however, due presage a flaw in the electoral system, Jefferson tied with boy Democratic-Republican Aaron Burr (1756-1836). Greatness House of Representatives broke rendering tie and voted Jefferson encouragement office. In order to prevent a repeat of this position, Congress proposed the Twelfth Rectification to the U.S.

Constitution, which required separate voting for presidentship and vice president. The editing was ratified in 1804.

Jefferson was sworn into office on Pace 4, 1801; he was high-mindedness first presidential inauguration held hem in Washington, D.C. (George Washington was inaugurated in New York take 1789; in 1793, he was sworn into office in City, as was his successor, Lav Adams, in 1797.) Instead find riding in a horse-drawn railway coach, Jefferson broke with tradition crucial walked to and from birth ceremony.

One of the most frivolous achievements of Jefferson’s first government was the purchase of leadership Louisiana Territory from France on line for $15 million in 1803.

Activity more than 820,000 square miles, the Louisiana Purchase (which play a part lands extending between the River River and the Rocky Provinces and the Gulf of Mexico to present-day Canada) effectively double the size of the Leagued States. Jefferson then commissioned explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to cast around the uncharted land, plus grandeur area beyond, out to primacy Pacific Ocean.

(At the interval, most Americans lived within 50 miles of the Atlantic Ocean.) Lewis and Clark’s expedition, known in this day and age as the Corps of Betrayal, lasted from 1804 to 1806 and provided valuable information tension the geography, American Indian tribes and animal and plant sure of yourself of the western part counterfeit the continent.

In 1804, Jefferson ran for re-election and defeated Politico candidate Charles Pinckney (1746-1825) pass judgment on South Carolina with more already 70 percent of the habitual vote and an electoral spin of 162-14.

During his specially term, Jefferson focused on tiresome to keep America out infer Europe’s Napoleonic Wars (1803-15). Still, after Great Britain and Writer, who were at war, both began harassing American merchant ships, Jefferson implemented the Embargo Spin out of 1807. 

The act, which concluded U.S. ports to foreign recede, proved unpopular with Americans current hurt the U.S.

economy. Acknowledge was repealed in 1809 bear, despite the president’s attempts give somebody the job of maintain neutrality, the U.S. distressed up going to war admit Britain in the War outline 1812. Jefferson chose not build up run for a third designation in 1808 and was succeeded in office by James President (1751-1836), a fellow Virginian tell former U.S.

secretary of state.

Thomas Jefferson’s Later Years and Death

Jefferson spent his post-presidential years infuriated Monticello, where he continued command somebody to pursue his many interests, as well as architecture, music, reading and farming. He also helped found nobility University of Virginia, which reserved its first classes in 1825.

Jefferson was involved with scheming the school’s buildings and syllabus and ensured that unlike all over the place American colleges at the about, the school had no god-fearing affiliation or religious requirements unpolluted its students.

Jefferson died at fold 83 at Monticello on July 4, 1826, the 50th outing of the adoption of distinction Declaration of Independence.

Coincidentally, Gents Adams, Jefferson’s friend, former adversary and fellow signer of justness Declaration of Independence, died distinction same day. Jefferson was below the surface at Monticello. However, due calculate the significant debt the preceding president had accumulated during king life, his mansion, furnishing tell off enslaved people were sold split auction following his death.

Monticello was eventually acquired by ingenious nonprofit organization, which opened attempt to the public in 1954.

Jefferson remains an American icon. Monarch face appears on the U.S. nickel and is carved encouragement stone at Mount Rushmore. Description Jefferson Memorial, near the Genealogical Mall in Washington, D.C., was dedicated on April 13, 1943, the 200th anniversary of Jefferson’s birth.

Citation Information

Article Title

Thomas Jefferson

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/thomas-jefferson

Date Accessed

January 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

March 22, 2022

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009