Thomas Jefferson was born in Albemarle County, Virginia. He inherited about 5,000 acres of land from his father and from his other, he got a Randolph, a high social standing. He studied at the College of William and Mary and studied law. In 1772, he married Martha Wayles Skelton and took her to live in his partly finished mountaintop home, Monticello.
Jefferson was rather tall and awkward. He was an eloquent correspondent, but he was no public speaker. During his time in the Virginia House of Burgesses and the Continental Congress, he contributed with his pen rather than with his voice to the patriot cause. He was regarded as the "silent member" of Congress. At the age of 33, Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence.
One of his lesser-known accomplishments was that Jefferson wrote a bill establishing religious freedom in Virginia and it was enacted in 1786. Unfortunately, some of Jefferson's other beliefs did not align with Alexander Hamilton. He sympathized with the French during the French Revolution which did not suit Hamilton at all. Eventually, Jefferson resigned in 1793.
Jefferson almost became president in 1796 but lost the vote by three points. There was a flaw in the constitution that allowed Jefferson to become the vice president. He served for a few years before going on to become president. He slashed Army and Navy expenditures, cut the budget, eliminated the tax on whiskey that was extremely unpopular in the West and reduced national debt by a third. Jefferson died on July 4th, 1826, the same day John Adams died.
Fun Facts:
- Thomas Jefferson was an architect. He designed his home, Monticello.
- Jefferson was a wine aficionado. French wine in particular.
- Jefferson was obsessed with books.
Thomas Jefferson:
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