

Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)
SUMMARY
https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/jefferson-thomas-1743-1826/
Thomas Jefferson was the author of the Declaration of Independence (1776) and the Virginia Statute for Establishing Religious Freedom (1786), founder of the University of Virginia (1819), governor of Virginia (1779–1781), and third president of the United States (1801–1809). Born at Shadwell, his parents’ estate in Albemarle County, he attended the College of William and Mary and studied the law under the tutelage of George Wythe. In 1769, Jefferson began construction of Monticello, his home in Albemarle County, and for the rest of his life pursued an interest in architecture, which included design of Poplar Forest and the State Capitol. Jefferson also indulged a passion for science, serving as president of the American Philosophical Society (1797–1814) and publishing Notes on the State of Virginia (1795). After representing Albemarle County in the House of Burgesses (1769–1776), Jefferson was a delegate to Virginia’s five Revolutionary Conventions and served in the Second Continental Congress (1775–1776) and the House of Delegates (1776–1779). He earned a reputation during the American Revolution (1775–1783) as a forceful advocate of revolutionary principles, articulated in A Summary View of the Rights of British America (1774), the Declaration of the Causes and Necessity for Taking Up Arms (1775), and, most famously, the Declaration of Independence, approved by Congress on July 4, 1776. His two terms as governor were marked by British invasion and Jefferson’s controversial flight to Poplar Forest. From 1784 to 1789, he served as a diplomat in France and there may have begun a sexual relationship with his enslaved servant Sally Hemings. Jefferson served as secretary of state in the administration of George Washington (1790–1793) and as vice president under John Adams (1797–1801) before being elected president by the U.S. House of Representatives after a tie vote in the Electoral College. As president Jefferson arranged for the Louisiana Purchase (1803) and the subsequent Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–1806). With James Madison, Jefferson helped found the Republican Party and advocated for states’ rights and a small federal government, although as president he sometimes pushed the limits of his executive authority. In his retirement he founded the University of Virginia, which was chartered in 1819 and opened for classes in the spring of 1825. Jefferson died at Monticello on July 4, 1826, fifty years after the Declaration of Independence was approved. He is buried at Monticello.
In This Entry
- Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)
- Early Years
- American Revolution
- Governor
- Notes on the State of Virginia and Slavery
- In France
- Secretary of State
- Retirement and Vice President
- President
- Retirement Again
- University of Virginia, Debt, and Death
- Major Works
- External Links
- Map
- Timeline
- Further Reading
Contributor: J. Jefferson Looney
- Contributor: the Dictionary of Virginia Biography
APA Citation:Looney, J. & Dictionary of Virginia Biography. Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826). (2020, December 07). In Encyclopedia Virginia. https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/jefferson-thomas-1743-1826.
MLA Citation:Looney, J., and Dictionary of Virginia Biography. “Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)” Encyclopedia Virginia. Virginia Humanities, (07 Dec. 2020). Web. 30 Aug. 2023Last updated: 2021, December 22