Thomas Jefferson is viewed as one of the most important Virginians and founding fathers of the American Revolution because he was the author of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. He was the nation’s first secretary of state, second vice president, and the third president. He doubled the size of US territory in 1803 by obtaining the Louisiana Purchase and he looked west for the American dream of expansion to the Pacific.
Early life
Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743, in Shadwell, Virginia at a plantation today known as Monticello located in the rural area of Charlottesville, Virginia. Jefferson was the third born of ten siblings. Jefferson’s mother and father were well known. His father Peter Jefferson was a successful farmer, and his mother Jane Randolph Jefferson, was a member of the proud Randolph clan of upper class Virginians.
He began his education at the age of nine, studying Latin and Greek at a local private school. Four years later, he left home to attend the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg which was the first University in Virginia founded in 1693. It is the second college in America only to Harvard in Massachusetts. While he was in college, he discovered his classmates spend their time betting on horse races, playing cards, and involved with women rather than studying. Regardless, Thomas Jefferson didn’t care on what his classmate did. Instead he spend about up 15 hours studying a day; he had a passion for reading law. As Thomas Jefferson continued to study, he studied classical languages. Later, he met mentors such as professors and a lawyer. and it was from them where he received true education.
After Thomas Jefferson graduated from the College of William and Mary, he decided to pursued law. However, at the time there were no law school, so he obtained knowledge about law from a layer named Wythe. Whythe guided Thomas Jefferson for a five year course. By 1767, Thomas Jefferson won the admission the Virginia bar. He also was one of the most learned lawyers in America. As he practiced law, He was succeeding; he was winning most of the cases in Virginia.
https://www.monticello.org/site/jefferson/thomas-jefferson-brief-biography
The Declaration of independence
In early May, 1776, Jefferson traveled to Philadelphia to be a delegate to the Second Continental Congress. Congress picked a committee to write a declaration explaining why the colonies wanted independence. Thomas Jefferson was not a great speaker, but he was well known for his writing skills. The five men of the committee selected Thomas Jefferson as the right person to draft the declaration of independence. In a period of 17 days Thomas Jefferson drafted stunning and powerful testaments to liberty and equality in world history. Declaration of Independence adopted on July 4, 1776. These important words made a change in society “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights; that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” these immortal words will always remain in United States history.
Presidency
Jefferson served in the Virginia legislature and the Continental Congress and was governor of Virginia. He later served as U.S. minister to France and U.S. secretary of state. He was vice president under John Adams (1735-1826). then later, he became a candidate for president in 1796 by three votes, but due to a flaw in a constitution he became vice president. He was elected as president in 1800, and he served for 2 terms. As president, Thomas Jefferson presented himself as a man of the people and believed the central government should not hold too much power. The Louisiana purchase was one of the most important achievements during Thomas Jefferson presidency because it doubled the size of the United States territory.After he left office, Thomas Jefferson retired to his Virginia plantation, Monticello.