Thomas Jefferson Research Paper

Thomas Jefferson was at the center of American History for many years. He was a man of many talents, the author of the Declaration of Independence, and the third president of the United States. Jefferson voiced the aspirations of American like no other individual of his time. As a public official, historian, and plantation owner, he served the country for over five decades. I selected president Thomas Jefferson because I feel that his background would be interesting to learn more about, seeing how he had such a huge part in the making of our country. Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743 in Shadwell County, Virginia. He was the third child of eight, being a sibling to six sisters and one brother. Peter Jefferson, his father,
Many historians believe that Hemings and Jefferson’s wife were half-sisters, Sally also being the daughter of Martha’s father. Jefferson began his political career in 1775, in Virginia, when he was elected to the House of Burgesses. He and a group of statesmen took an active part in ongoing disputes between colonial leaders and the British government. Throughout his career, he served as a Revolutionary leader, Virginia lawmaker, Governor, Delegate to the Congress, and Minister to France. Although Thomas Jefferson did not fight in the Revolutionary War, he assumed George Washington’s seat in Congress when he left to serve as a general. Jefferson took a leading role in the Continental Congress, and in spring of 1776, people rapidly grew stronger in favor of seeking independence from Britain. The Congress gathered a committee to create a declaration of independence. On the committee were Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston. They asked Jefferson to write the draft and approved it with very few changes. The Congress adopted the declaration on July 4, 1776. “The Declaration of Independence remains Jefferson’s best known work. It set forth with eloquence, supported by legal argument, the position of the American revolutionaries. It affirmed belief in the natural
This became known as the Louisiana Purchase, one of the most important decisions of Thomas Jefferson’s presidency (worldbookonline.com). Jefferson ran for reelection in 1804, and the final electoral count gave 162 votes to him and only 14 to Federalist candidate, Charles Pinckney. At age 65, Jefferson retired from his presidency, and instead turned to music, architecture, and more. In his later years, he divided his time between his plantations at Monticello and Poplar Forest. One of his most major public activities was guiding the creation of the University of Virginia. Some of his most important contributions during his later years was in the field of education. On July 4, 1826, 50 years after the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson