Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)
Founding Father & 3rd President of the United States (1801-1809)
He was preceded in the Presidency by John Adams and after serving two terms in office for the Democratic-Republican Party he was succeeded in 1809 by James Madison. His Vice-President during his first term was Aaron Burr and for his second term he chose George Clinton. Born at the Shadwell plantation in Virginia, Jefferson was a lawyer, planter, and philosopher who aspired to the ideals of the Enlightenment. His political career saw him serve in the Virginia House of Burgesses before being appointed Governor of Virginia, U.S. Minister to France, Secretary of State under Washington and Vice President under Adams before winning the 1800 Presidential Election. As President (1801-1809), his most significant achievement was the Louisiana Purchase from Napoléon for $15 million in 1803 which doubled the nation's size.
He commissioned the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-06), founded the University of Virginia (1819) and authored the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. He died at the home he designed, Monticello, on the same day as John Adams - exactly fifty years after the Declaration of Independence was adopted, cementing his legacy as a champion of liberty and democratic ideals. In 1772, at her plantation home "The Forest" near Williamsburg, he married Martha Wayles Skelton. They had 5-children and after she died he almost all but certainly fathered a further five children by his slave, Sally Hemings.
He commissioned the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-06), founded the University of Virginia (1819) and authored the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. He died at the home he designed, Monticello, on the same day as John Adams - exactly fifty years after the Declaration of Independence was adopted, cementing his legacy as a champion of liberty and democratic ideals. In 1772, at her plantation home "The Forest" near Williamsburg, he married Martha Wayles Skelton. They had 5-children and after she died he almost all but certainly fathered a further five children by his slave, Sally Hemings.
