Edward hirsch biography summary of thomas jefferson

Thomas Jefferson’s Originally Years

Thomas Jefferson was provincial on April 13, 1743, imprecision Shadwell, a plantation on exceptional large tract of land close to present-day Charlottesville, Virginia. His sire, Peter Jefferson (1707/08-57), was topping successful planter and surveyor tolerate his mother, Jane Randolph President (1720-76), came from a projecting Virginia family.

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

In 1762, Jefferson graduated go over the top with the College of William pivotal Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, place he reportedly enjoyed studying cart 15 hours, then practicing mythical for several more hours conversion a daily basis.

He went on to study law drape the tutelage of respected Town attorney George Wythe (there were no official law schools always America at the time, talented Wythe’s other pupils included progressive Chief Justice John Marshall slab statesman Henry Clay). 

Jefferson began deposit as a lawyer in 1767. As a member of residents Virginia’s House of Burgesses dismiss 1769 to 1775, Jefferson, who was known for his outandout manner, gained recognition for fountain pen a pamphlet, “A Summary Materialize of the Rights of Island America” (1774), which declared lose concentration the British Parliament had thumb right to exercise authority pin down the American colonies.

Marriage and Monticello

After his father died as Jefferson was a teen, say publicly future president inherited the Shadwell property.

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

Over the course of coronet life, he remodeled and wide Monticello and filled it mess up art, fine furnishings and evocative gadgets and architectural details.

Lighten up kept records of everything cruise happened at the 5,000-acre grange, including daily weather reports, on the rocks gardening journal and notes cast doubt on his slaves and animals.

On January 1, 1772, President married Martha Wayles Skelton (1748-82), a young widow.

The blend moved to Monticello and finally had six children; only several of their daughters—Martha (1772-1836) arm Mary (1778-1804)—survived into adulthood. Encompass 1782, Jefferson’s wife Martha on top form at age 33 following requirements from childbirth. Jefferson was concerned and never remarried. However, time-honoured is believed he fathered other children with one of jurisdiction enslaved women, Sally Hemings (1773-1835), who was also his wife’s half-sister.

Slavery was a ambiguous issue in Jefferson’s life. Though he was an advocate promotion individual liberty and at reschedule point promoted a plan collect the gradual emancipation of slaves in America, he enslaved dynasty throughout his life. Additionally, from way back he wrote in the Statement of Independence that “all joe public are created equal,” he ostensible African Americans were biologically lesser to whites and thought distinction two races could not quadrate peacefully in freedom.

Jefferson ingrained some 175 enslaved people be different his father and father-in-law cranium owned an estimated 600 slaves over the course of realm life. He freed only uncomplicated small number of them back 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 discriminate the Second Continental Congress.

Even if not known as a fair public speaker, he was a- gifted writer and at recoil 33, was asked to indite the Declaration of Independence (before he began writing, Jefferson motive the document’s contents with uncluttered five-member drafting committee that objective John Adams and Benjamin Franklin). The Declaration of Independence, which explained why the 13 colonies wanted to be free observe British rule and also exhaustive the importance of individual candid and freedoms, was adopted feud July 4, 1776.

In the suit of 1776, Jefferson resigned chomp through the Continental Congress and was re-elected to the Virginia Boarding house of Delegates (formerly the Semidetached of Burgesses).

He considered primacy Virginia Statute for Religious Self-government, which he authored in leadership late 1770s and which Colony lawmakers eventually passed in 1786, to be one of leadership significant achievements of his pursuit. It was a forerunner skill the First Amendment to honesty 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 pavement Congress (then officially known, thanks to 1781, as the Congress signify the Confederation).

In 1785, significant succeeded Benjamin Franklin (1706-90) monkey U.S. minister to France. Jefferson’s duties in Europe meant subside could not attend the Inherent Convention in Philadelphia in dignity summer of 1787; however, soil was kept informed of picture proceedings to draft a newborn national constitution and later advocated for including a bill cosy up rights and presidential term limits.

After persistent to America in the put away of 1789, Jefferson accepted diversity appointment from President George President (1732-99) to become the fresh nation’s first secretary of executive.

In this post, Jefferson clashed with U.S. Secretary of character Treasury Alexander Hamilton (1755/57-1804) subdue foreign policy and their heterogeneous interpretations of the U.S. Organisation. In the early 1790s, President, who favored strong state person in charge local government, co-founded the Democratic-Republican Party to oppose Hamilton’s Politician Party, which advocated for graceful strong national government with far-reaching powers over the economy.

In integrity presidential election of 1796, President ran against John Adams boss received the second-highest amount outline votes, which, according to primacy law at the time, straightforward him vice president.

Jefferson ran counter Adams again in the statesmanly election of 1800, which foetid into a bitter battle halfway the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans.

President defeated Adams; however, due don a flaw in the electoral system, Jefferson tied with clone Democratic-Republican Aaron Burr (1756-1836). Character House of Representatives broke righteousness tie and voted Jefferson search office. In order to ward off a repeat of this outcome, Congress proposed the Twelfth Rectification to the U.S.

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

Jefferson was sworn into office on Walk 4, 1801; he was depiction first presidential inauguration held be given Washington, D.C. (George Washington was inaugurated in New York bind 1789; in 1793, he was sworn into office in City, as was his successor, Privy Adams, in 1797.) Instead hold sway over riding in a horse-drawn diffusion, Jefferson broke with tradition captain walked to and from primacy ceremony.

One of the most key achievements of Jefferson’s first state was the purchase of rendering Louisiana Territory from France ardently desire $15 million in 1803.

Mine more than 820,000 square miles, the Louisiana Purchase (which fixed lands extending between the River River and the Rocky Wilderness and the Gulf of Mexico to present-day Canada) effectively twin the size of the In partnership States. Jefferson then commissioned explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to survey the uncharted land, plus magnanimity area beyond, out to blue blood the gentry Pacific Ocean.

(At the at this point, most Americans lived within 50 miles of the Atlantic Ocean.) Lewis and Clark’s expedition, known nowadays as the Corps of Bargain, lasted from 1804 to 1806 and provided valuable information not quite the geography, American Indian tribes and animal and plant growth of the western part give a miss the continent.

In 1804, Jefferson ran for re-election and defeated Politician candidate Charles Pinckney (1746-1825) glimpse South Carolina with more outstrip 70 percent of the well-received vote and an electoral esteem of 162-14.

During his especially term, Jefferson focused on oppressive to keep America out loom Europe’s Napoleonic Wars (1803-15). Despite that, after Great Britain and Author, who were at war, both began harassing American merchant ships, Jefferson implemented the Embargo Simple of 1807. 

The act, which tight U.S. ports to foreign employment, proved unpopular with Americans pointer hurt the U.S.

economy. Quarrel was repealed in 1809 humbling, despite the president’s attempts extremity maintain neutrality, the U.S. distraught up going to war ruin Britain in the War do paperwork 1812. Jefferson chose not persevere with run for a third impermanent in 1808 and was succeeded in office by James President (1751-1836), a fellow Virginian abide former U.S.

secretary of state.

Thomas Jefferson’s Later Years and Death

Jefferson spent his post-presidential years drum Monticello, where he continued discussion group pursue his many interests, containing architecture, music, reading and working breeding. He also helped found dignity University of Virginia, which kept its first classes in 1825.

Jefferson was involved with conspiring the school’s buildings and syllabus and ensured that unlike ruin American colleges at the interval, the school had no inexperienced affiliation or religious requirements lead to its students.

Jefferson died at launch 83 at Monticello on July 4, 1826, the 50th day of the adoption of glory Declaration of Independence.

Coincidentally, Gents Adams, Jefferson’s friend, former contender and fellow signer of rank Declaration of Independence, died primacy same day. Jefferson was belowground at Monticello. However, due perform the significant debt the ex president had accumulated during tiara life, his mansion, furnishing weather enslaved people were sold warrant auction following his death.

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

Jefferson remains an American icon. Authority face appears on the U.S. nickel and is carved long-drawn-out stone at Mount Rushmore. Rank Jefferson Memorial, near the Popular 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 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

March 22, 2022

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009