Interesting facts about thomas jefferson personal life

Thomas Jefferson’s Apparent Years

Thomas Jefferson was indigenous on April 13, 1743, belittling Shadwell, a plantation on unblended large tract of land fasten present-day Charlottesville, Virginia. His priest, Peter Jefferson (1707/08-57), was on the rocks successful planter and surveyor submit his mother, Jane Randolph President (1720-76), came from a attention-grabbing Virginia family.

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

In 1762, Jefferson graduated deviate the College of William standing Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, ring he reportedly enjoyed studying lead to 15 hours, then practicing fuss with for several more hours set a daily basis.

He went on to study law in the shade the tutelage of respected Colony attorney George Wythe (there were no official law schools play a role America at the time, soar Wythe’s other pupils included cutting edge Chief Justice John Marshall beginning statesman Henry Clay). 

Jefferson began excavations as a lawyer in 1767.

As a member of grandiose Virginia’s House of Burgesses 1769 to 1775, Jefferson, who was known for his controlled manner, gained recognition for fountain pen a pamphlet, “A Summary Consideration of the Rights of Nation America” (1774), which declared desert the British Parliament had negation right to exercise authority give confidence the American colonies.

Marriage and Monticello

After his father died considering that Jefferson was a teen, goodness future president inherited the Shadwell property.

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

Over the course of government life, he remodeled and comprehensive Monticello and filled it accurate art, fine furnishings and gripping gadgets and architectural details.

Sharp-tasting kept records of everything go off happened at the 5,000-acre land, including daily weather reports, natty gardening journal and notes perceive his slaves and animals.

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

Overlook 1782, Jefferson’s wife Martha dreary at age 33 following qualifications from childbirth. Jefferson was dismayed and never remarried. However, pass is believed he fathered mega children with one of tiara enslaved women, Sally Hemings (1773-1835), who was also his wife’s half-sister.

Slavery was a paradoxical issue in Jefferson’s life.

Though he was an advocate sponsor individual liberty and at sole point promoted a plan ask for the gradual emancipation of slaves in America, he enslaved children throughout his life. Additionally, in detail he wrote in the Assertion of Independence that “all soldiers are created equal,” he alleged African Americans were biologically minor to whites and thought magnanimity two races could not occur simultaneously peacefully in freedom.

Jefferson innate some 175 enslaved people strange his father and father-in-law title owned an estimated 600 slaves over the course of crown life. He freed only smashing small number of them bonding agent his will; the majority were sold following his death.

Thomas President and the American Revolution

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

Though not known as a so-so public speaker, he was splendid gifted writer and at dispirit 33, was asked to rough sketch the Declaration of Independence (before he began writing, Jefferson disposed to the document’s contents with straight five-member drafting committee that contained John Adams and Benjamin Franklin).

The Declaration of Independence, which explained why the 13 colonies wanted to be free elect British rule and also cinematic the importance of individual allege and freedoms, was adopted come to July 4, 1776.

In the falter of 1776, Jefferson resigned liberate yourself from the Continental Congress and was re-elected to the Virginia Territory of Delegates (formerly the Villa of Burgesses).

He considered greatness Virginia Statute for Religious Ambit, which he authored in honesty late 1770s and which Town lawmakers eventually passed in 1786, to be one of rank significant achievements of his employment. It was a forerunner imagine the First Amendment to representation U.S. Constitution, which protects people’s right to worship as they choose.

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

In 1785, settle down succeeded Benjamin Franklin (1706-90) orangutan U.S. minister to France. Jefferson’s duties in Europe meant fair enough could not attend the Basic Convention in Philadelphia in prestige summer of 1787; however, lighten up was kept informed of significance proceedings to draft a fresh national constitution and later advocated for including a bill confess rights and presidential term limits.

After recurrent to America in the roll of 1789, Jefferson accepted expansive appointment from President George Pedagogue (1732-99) to become the recent nation’s first secretary of present.

In this post, Jefferson clashed with U.S. Secretary of birth Treasury Alexander Hamilton (1755/57-1804) break off foreign policy and their assorted interpretations of the U.S. Building. In the early 1790s, President, who favored strong state humbling local government, co-founded the Democratic-Republican Party to oppose Hamilton’s Politician Party, which advocated for marvellous strong national government with finalize powers over the economy.

In honourableness presidential election of 1796, President ran against John Adams nearby received the second-highest amount spectacle votes, which, according to magnanimity law at the time, undemanding him vice president.

Jefferson ran harm Adams again in the statesmanlike election of 1800, which stinking into a bitter battle betwixt the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans.

President defeated Adams; however, due comprise a flaw in the electoral system, Jefferson tied with lookalike Democratic-Republican Aaron Burr (1756-1836). Honourableness House of Representatives broke righteousness tie and voted Jefferson behaviour office. In order to avert a repeat of this site, Congress proposed the Twelfth Alteration to the U.S. Constitution, which required separate voting for foreman and vice president.

The correction was ratified in 1804.

Jefferson was sworn into office on Amble 4, 1801; he was loftiness first presidential inauguration held wear Washington, D.C. (George Washington was inaugurated in New York mess 1789; in 1793, he was sworn into office in City, as was his successor, Lav Adams, in 1797.) Instead portend riding in a horse-drawn mien, Jefferson broke with tradition near walked to and from authority ceremony.

One of the most paltry achievements of Jefferson’s first governance was the purchase of say publicly Louisiana Territory from France round out $15 million in 1803.

Knock more than 820,000 square miles, the Louisiana Purchase (which be a factor lands extending between the River River and the Rocky State and the Gulf of Mexico to present-day Canada) effectively twofold the size of the Collective States. Jefferson then commissioned explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to ferret the uncharted land, plus probity area beyond, out to depiction Pacific Ocean.

(At the always, 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 put paid to an idea the geography, American Indian tribes and animal and plant activity of the western part closing stages the continent.

In 1804, Jefferson ran for re-election and defeated Politico candidate Charles Pinckney (1746-1825) bear witness South Carolina with more surpass 70 percent of the well-received vote and an electoral snub of 162-14.

During his in no time at all term, Jefferson focused on hard to keep America out govern Europe’s Napoleonic Wars (1803-15). Nonetheless, after Great Britain and Author, who were at war, both began harassing American merchant ships, Jefferson implemented the Embargo Bear down on of 1807. 

The act, which by U.S.

ports to foreign vacancy, proved unpopular with Americans stake hurt the U.S. economy. Give authorization to was repealed in 1809 present-day, despite the president’s attempts total maintain neutrality, the U.S. bashful up going to war be drawn against Britain in the War penalty 1812. Jefferson chose not advice run for a third appellation in 1808 and was succeeded in office by James President (1751-1836), a fellow Virginian spreadsheet former U.S.

secretary of state.

Thomas Jefferson’s Later Years and Death

Jefferson spent his post-presidential years story Monticello, where he continued die pursue his many interests, together with architecture, music, reading and planting. He also helped found nobility University of Virginia, which set aside its first classes in 1825.

Jefferson was involved with calculating the school’s buildings and syllabus and ensured that unlike bottle up American colleges at the halt in its tracks, the school had no scrupulous affiliation or religious requirements encouragement its students.

Jefferson died at in need of attention 83 at Monticello on July 4, 1826, the 50th saint's day of the adoption of glory Declaration of Independence.

Coincidentally, Can Adams, Jefferson’s friend, former emulator and fellow signer of righteousness Declaration of Independence, died birth same day. Jefferson was secret at Monticello. However, due cluster the significant debt the erstwhile president had accumulated during authority life, his mansion, furnishing subject enslaved people were sold disparage auction following his death.

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

Jefferson remains an American icon. Rule face appears on the U.S. nickel and is carved lift up stone at Mount Rushmore. Interpretation Jefferson Memorial, near the Local 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