BIOGRAPHY:

Thomas Jefferson is one of the founding fathers of the United States. One of the authors of the Declaration of Independence, he became the country’s third president. And today the politician’s name is well known: he is counted among a number of innovators who tried to carry out radical changes in the country. The principles proclaimed by this statesman are still listened to today, and his statements have long become popular.

Childhood and youth:

The biography of the future politician began in the city of Shadwell in Virginia, which at that time was part of the British colonies in North America. He was born on April 13, 1743 into a family of influential planters. The ancestors of his father, Peter Jefferson, came from the English county of Wales. His mother, Jane Randolph, was closely related to the first Chairman of the Continental Congress. Two years after the birth of Thomas, the family moved to the Tuckahoe estate, which remained after the death of the owner, Colonel William Randolph.

At the age of nine, Jefferson began his education at the parochial school of William Douglas, where the basics of Latin, ancient Greek and French were taught. Six years later, the boy was sent to an educational institution for two years, led by priest James Morey. Since by this time Thomas’s father had already passed away a year ago, the teenager was temporarily settled in Mori’s house. During his studies, he received the necessary knowledge in the exact sciences. In 1760, Thomas became a student at Williamsburg College of William and Mary, where he chose to study philosophy, mathematics and law.

The teacher, Professor William Small, introduced the young man to the works of outstanding scientists. Isaac Newton, John Locke and Francis Bacon are three geniuses who influenced the formation of the worldview and political views of the future statesman. The young Jefferson also highly valued the works of ancient philosophers and playwrights, for the sake of reading which he thoroughly studied ancient Greek grammar. In addition to basic subjects, Thomas mastered playing the violin.

The young man spent his free time from lectures and seminars in the company of fellow students, attending events of the secret student society “Flat Hat Club” or balls that were held in the mansion of Virginia Governor Francis Fauquier. This did not stop Thomas from completing his studies with top marks. The young man spent five years mastering the law under the guidance of George Wit, after which he began working independently as a lawyer.

Politics After two years of legal activity, in 1769, Jefferson was elected a member of the Virginia legislature. In 1774, after the signing of restrictive acts by the British Parliament in relation to the colonies in the west, Thomas issued a message to his fellow citizens, “A General Survey of the Rights of British America,” in which he expressed the colonies’ intention to introduce self-government. Jefferson boldly criticized the activities of the English parliament, which aroused the sympathy of the people.

Even before the outbreak of the Revolutionary War in the winter of 1775, Thomas became a member of the Continental Congress. At the same time, the views of a politician were formed, who played an important role in the founding and establishment of American statehood, primarily in winning independence for the North American colonies and creating the principles of a new political system. Other founding fathers of the United States were John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton and others.

Declaration of Independence:

Within two years, the Declaration of Independence was prepared, the date of its adoption—July 4, 1776—becoming the official date of birth of the American nation. The document was created by five authors: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston. At the last stage, the declaration was finalized over 17 days by one person, Jefferson, after which it was signed by the remaining authors and representatives of 13 administrative entities.

At the beginning of the document, the equality of people among themselves and three inalienable rights were proclaimed: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Further, the sovereignty of the colonies and the policy of British non-interference in the life of the states were consolidated.

Jefferson introduced his own political ideas, in addition to their implementation in the form of the main document of the United States, in his native Virginia, where he was elected governor in 1779. In 1781–1782, he worked on the work “Notes on the State of Virginia,” published after the end of hostilities.

Since 1785, the politician became the ambassador of the young state in France, but continued to lead legislative processes in the United States. By correspondence he corrected James Madison, one of the authors of the Constitution of 1783 and the Bill of Rights. Returning to his homeland five years later, Jefferson received the post of first US Secretary of State and joined the ranks of the Democratic Republican Party.

Political Views:

Jefferson criticized the first drafts of the US Constitution, which did not limit the number of terms one person could serve as president of the country, making the ruler essentially an unlimited monarch. The politician saw the preconditions for the impoverishment of the people in the expansion of large-scale industrial production. He expressed confidence that the basis of a strong economy was a society of free private farms (Hamilton, for example, imagined the future of the nation to depend solely on its rich representatives). According to the views of the third President of the United States, human freedoms extend not only to his life and property, but also to the right to express thoughts openly. The enlightenment of the people lies at the heart of a free civil society. Therefore, every citizen is entitled to education.

Jefferson advocated the separation of state and church. Subsequently, the philosopher created his own interpretation of the New Testament, which over the course of a century began to be presented to the presidents of the country without fail. On the issue of political structure, he advocated the superiority of state power over the central government.

Thomas’s system of political views was called Jeffersonian democracy.

President of the U.S.A:

In 1797, Jefferson was elected vice president of the United States, and in 1801 he became the country’s third president. In this position, the politician made a number of changes. Organized a bipolar party system in Congress, reduced the army, navy and government officials to the necessary minimum. Expanded the concept of the support of the state to the four fundamental pillars of the economy: farmers, traders, light industry and shipping.

At the same time, the politician was often quoted as saying about the institution of banks, which seemed to him more dangerous than the armed army. According to Jefferson, if ordinary Americans trust the banks to manage the issue of currency, the bankers will begin to take property from people until the moment “until their children wake up homeless in the land once conquered by their ancestors.”

In 1803, under a purchase and sale agreement with France, Louisiana became a US territory. The cost of the transaction was estimated at $15 million. At the end of his second presidential term, Jefferson established diplomatic relations with the Russian Empire. In order to protect the United States from unforeseen expenses and protect the country’s independence, the President signed a decree to cease foreign trade during the war in Europe with Napoleon Bonaparte. This move turned out to be wrong and harmed America, temporarily reducing the economic growth of the state.

In 1807, deputies representing the northern states of the country introduced a proposal to Congress to ban the slave trade. The President supported this decision, unlike residents of the southern part of the country. A year later, a compromise decision was approved to ban the trade in slaves at the federal level, but at the same time the government could dispose of slaves identified during the suppression of the activities of smugglers. Such actions did not help eradicate the sale of slaves, but only reduced the volume of trade.

Personal life Jefferson’s first and only wife was his second cousin Martha Weils Skelton, whom the future politician married at the age of 29. She was born into the family of John and Martha Wales (her mother died a week after giving birth), received an excellent education at home: she spoke several foreign languages, sang, read poetry, and played the piano. Skelton had a lively personality, a kind heart and an attractive appearance.

At the time of her wedding to the politician, the bride was already a widow and raising her son. Her first husband died two years after the relationship was formalized. Martha’s second marriage turned out to be much more successful. The wife of the third President of the United States turned out to be not only a beauty and a good housewife, but also an excellent interlocutor for the intellectual Thomas.

The Jeffersons remained happy for ten years at the family estate of Monticello. During this time, they had six children, four of whom died at an early age. The couple was left with two daughters: Martha, whom her parents affectionately called Patsy, and Mary. In 1782, having barely given birth to their last daughter, Martha died in the arms of her inconsolable husband. On his deathbed, Thomas swore to his wife that he would never marry again, and he kept his word.

Nevertheless, in France, the US Ambassador began an affair with Parisian Maria Cosway. The relationship with the married lady subsequently developed into friendly correspondence, which Jefferson and Maria carried on until the last days of their lives. The events in the politician’s personal life did not end there—another of his love relationships began in Paris. Thomas’s concubine was a young black slave, quarterron Sally Hemings, Martha’s half-sister on her father’s side.

The girl could have stayed in free Europe, but chose to return to the USA, where, living in Jefferson’s house, she gave birth to eight children. The third president’s rivals exposed the aristocrat’s love affair with a slave, to which the politician responded with silence. According to DNA testing, which was carried out already in the 21st century, only one of Sally’s sons was the child of Thomas. The remaining children were presumably born to different fathers.

Death:

Death due to natural causes (the politician was 83 years old) overtook the creator of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1826, the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the fundamental document in US history. Jefferson was buried at Monticello. In 1923, the estate was transferred to the state; today the mansion is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The personal library of the American president consisted of 6.5 thousand books. He himself was the author of political works. His book “Great America” is famous. The secret power of power.” Every day the politician corresponded with the best minds of our time, sending out up to three hundred letters a day. After Jefferson’s departure, relatives donated the legacy to the Library of Congress.

Quotes:

“Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today”

“For the selfish spirit of commerce there is no homeland, no feelings, no principles – only profit”

“Laws must go hand in hand with the progress of the human soul”

“From time to time the tree of liberty must be watered with the blood of tyrants and patriots.”

“Only those people who are constantly aware of what is happening have the right to choose their government.”

Interesting Facts:

The memory of outstanding presidents is imprinted on US banknotes. The dollar bill features the image of the country’s first president, George Washington, the two-dollar bill features a portrait of Jefferson, and the five-dollar bill features Abraham Lincoln. The twenty dollar bill features a portrait of Andrew Jackson, and the fifty dollar bill features Ulysses Grant.

The third president of the United States was not only a thinker and philosopher, but also an inventor. So, he came up with a device that counts a person’s steps while walking.

Jefferson showed a talent for architecture. The politician designed and completed part of the buildings for the White House, where two separate restrooms were located. Before him, employees of a US government building used the toilet outside. After his presidency, Thomas finally settled in his own estate, Monticello, which was built according to the owner’s engineering design.

Some biographers of the American politician have suggested that he was a carrier of a form of autism. This conclusion is based on evidence that Jefferson had difficulty communicating with people and was afraid of loud noises.