L. Chapman
English 11
26 February 2014
The Life of Thomas Jefferson
Former President Thomas Jefferson was a true role model to the American people during his time. He provided the governed people an incredible amount of hope, prosperity, and dignity. He fought for the British Colonies ' independence, for certain unalienable rights, and for the prohibition of slavery. Serving as the author of the Declaration of Independence as well as holding numerous political offices nationwide, Jefferson is a prime example of what we call today a “founding father.” Indubitably one of the most influential politicians in American history, he is still studied today as a symbol of America 's birth and a good model for true democracy. He is an icon that almost every American knows. Through countless monuments as well as the insignia on United States nickel coinage, Jefferson remains well-respected for his morality, diligence, and passion which helped to sculpt the integrity of our government, and is still recognized for the incredible feat. …show more content…
His father, Peter Jefferson, whose skills were developed after decades of work at the family 's five-thousand-acre Shadwell plantation, was a successful planter and surveyor. The surrounding area of the plantation today is known as the city of Charlottesville. Jefferson 's mother, Jane Rudolph Jefferson, came from a prominent Virginia family and was conditioned to be a stay-at-home mother, as was common at the time. As the third child of the couple and the eldest son, Jefferson was a sibling to seven other children, including only one brother. Thomas was survived by his brother and three of his