Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) - a leader of the US War of Independence, one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence, 3rd President of the United States (1801-1809), one of the founding fathers of this state, an outstanding politician, diplomat and thinker.
There are many interesting facts in Jefferson's biography, which we will talk about in this article.
So, here is a short biography of Thomas Jefferson.
Jefferson's biography
Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743 in the city of Shadwell, Virginia, which was then a British colony.
He grew up in a wealthy family of planter Peter Jefferson and his wife Jane Randolph. He was the third of 8 children of his parents.
Childhood and youth
When the future president of the United States was 9 years old, he began attending the school of the clergyman William Douglas, where children were taught Latin, Ancient Greek and French. After 5 years, his father passed away, from whom the young man inherited 5,000 acres of land and many slaves.
During the biography of 1758-1760. Jefferson attended a parish school. After that, he continued his education at the College of William and Mary, where he studied philosophy and mathematics.
Thomas read the works of Isaac Newton, John Locke and Francis Bacon, considering them the greatest people in human history. In addition, he showed interest in ancient literature, carried away by the work of Tacitus and Homer. At the same time he mastered playing the violin.
An interesting fact is that Thomas Jefferson was a member of the secret student society "The Flat Hat Club". He often visited the home of the Governor of Virginia, Francis Fauquier. There he played the violin in front of guests and received the first knowledge of wines, which he later began to collect.
At the age of 19, Thomas graduated from college with the highest grades and studied law, earning his lawyer's license in 1767.
Politics
After 2 years as a lawyer, Jefferson became a member of the Virginia Chamber of Burgers. In 1774, after the signing of the Unbearable Acts of the British Parliament in relation to the colonies, he published a message to his compatriots - "General Survey of the Rights of British America", where he expressed the desire of the colonies for self-government.
Thomas openly criticized the actions of British officials, which aroused sympathy among the Americans. Even before the outbreak of the Revolutionary War in 1775, he was elected to the Continental Congress.
Within 2 years, the "Declaration of Independence" was developed, adopted on July 4, 1776 - the official date of birth of the American nation. Three years later, Thomas Jefferson was elected Governor of Virginia. In the early 1780s, he worked on Notes on the State of Virginia.
An interesting fact is that for writing this work, Thomas was awarded the title of an encyclopedic scientist. In 1785 he was entrusted with the post of US ambassador to France. At this time of the biography, he lived on the Champs Elysees and enjoyed authority in society.
At the same time, Jefferson continued to improve American law. He made certain amendments to the Constitution and Bill of Rights. For 4 years spent in Paris, he made a lot of efforts in order to establish and develop relations between the two states.
Upon returning home, Thomas Jefferson was appointed to the post of US Secretary of State, thus becoming the first person to take this position.
Later, the politician, together with James Madison, formed the Democratic Republican Party to oppose federalism.
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was authored by 5 men: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston. At the same time, on the eve of the publication of the document, Thomas personally made some amendments for more than two weeks.
After that, the declaration was signed by five authors and representatives of 13 administrative entities. The first part of the document contained 3 famous postulates - the right to life, freedom and property.
In the other two parts, the sovereignty of the colonies was consolidated. In addition, Britain had no right to interfere in the internal affairs of the state, recognizing its independence. Curiously, the Declaration was the first official document in which the colonies were called the "United States of America".
Political Views
Initially, Thomas Jefferson spoke negatively about the first US Constitution, because it did not specify the number of presidential terms for one person.
In this regard, the head of state actually became an absolute monarch. Also, the politician saw a danger in the development of large industry. He believed that the key to a strong economy was a society of private farming communities.
Everyone has the right not only to freedom, but also to the right to express their opinion. Also, citizens should have access to free education, as it is necessary for the development of the country.
Jefferson insisted that the church should not interfere in state affairs, but exclusively deal with its own. Later, he will publish his vision of the New Testament, which will be presented to American presidents over the next century.
Thomas criticized federal government. Instead, he advocated that the government of each state should have relative independence from the central government.
President of the U.S.A
Before becoming president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson was the vice president of the country for 4 years. Having become the new head of state in 1801, he began to carry out a number of important reforms.
By his order, a 2-polar party system of the Congress was created, and the number of ground forces, navy and officials was also reduced. Jefferson goes on to announce the 4 pillars of successful economic development, including farmers, traders, light industry and shipping.
In 1803, an agreement was signed on the US purchase of Louisiana from France for $ 15 million. An interesting fact is that there are currently 15 states in this territory. The Louisiana Purchase was one of the major breakthroughs in Thomas Jefferson's political biography.
During his second presidential term, the head of the country established diplomatic relations with Russia. In 1807, he signed a bill prohibiting the importation of slaves into the United States of America.
Personal life
Jefferson's only wife was his second cousin Martha Veils Skelton. It is worth noting that his wife spoke several languages, and was also fond of singing, poetry and playing the piano.
In this marriage, the couple had 6 children, four of whom died at an early age. As a result, the couple raised two daughters - Martha and Mary. Thomas’s beloved died in 1782, shortly after the birth of her last child.
On the eve of Martha's death, Thomas promised her that he would never marry again, having managed to keep his promise. However, while working in France, he developed a friendship with a girl named Maria Cosway.
It is curious that the man corresponded with her for the rest of his life. In addition, in Paris, he had a close relationship with the slave girl Sally Hemings, who was the half-sister of his late wife.
It is fair to say that while in France, Sally could have turned to the police and become free, but she did not. Jefferson's biographers suggest that it was then that a romance began between "master and slave".
In 1998, a DNA test was carried out showing that Aston Hemings is the son of Thomas Jefferson. Then, obviously, the rest of Sally Hemins' children: Harriet, Beverly, Harriet and Madison are also his children. But this issue still causes a lot of controversy.
Death
Jefferson reached great heights not only in politics, but also in architecture, invention and furniture making. There were about 6,500 books in his personal library!
Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, on the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. At the time of his death, he was 83 years old. His portrait can be seen on a 2 dollar bill and a 5 cent coin.
Jefferson Photos
