Thomas Jefferson was a unique man for his epoch. He could be called a mere renaissance man or even a new kind of man (USHistory). He could talk five languages fluently and could read in two other languages. During his life he wrote more than 16,000 thousand letters. He was a lawyer, musician, agronomist, philosopher, architect, inventor and statesman. Furthermore, he was the third President of the United States. He was elected two times. Within the framework of his political career he was considered to be Founding Father, one of those, who participated in the American Revolution and signing of the Declaration of Independence of the United States. Jefferson was a principal author of this document.
Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743 in Albemarle County, Virginia. His father, Peter Jefferson, was a planter and surveyor, he owned about 5,000 acres of land. His mother named Jane Randolph belonged to one of the most distinguished families in Virginia. So, Thomas Jefferson inherited high social standing from his mother. He graduated the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg after only two years of studying. One of his teachers and mentors was George Wythe, the professor and lawyer, who would later sign the Declaration of Independence together with this prominent student. After the college, Jefferson continued his lawyer practice. In 1772 he married Martha Wayles Skelton. They lived happily for 10 years till her death. They had 6 children but only two of them survived to adulthood.
As a lawyer, Thomas Jefferson worked in the Virginia House of Burgesses and the Continental Congress. He was not active speaker but his pen was a mighty weapon in his hands. When he was 33 years old he drafted the Declaration of Independence. The draft with small amendments was adopted by the Government. Then Jefferson returned home because of the illness of his children and wife. He became the Governor of Virginia. During that time Thomas Jefferson wrote Notes on the State of Virginia, a book about history, inhabitants and politics of the native state of its author. His governing was full of hesitation and he faced lots of criticism because of it. So, he declined his re-election, returns to his residence, Monticello.
Yet he did not stay long there. He returned to Washington. His diplomatic career started. He was the first United Secretary of State under President George Washington. Besides, Thomas Jefferson was one of the founders of the Democratic-Republican Party. As talented politician he was elected President of the United States in 1801. The most notable achievements of his first term were purchasing of a new state, Louisiana, and support of Lewis and Clark expedition to find out the information needed for further settlements in the West. Besides, during the first term Jefferson founded the Academy in West Point because he felt that America needed institution for military education. The second term of Thomas Jefferson’s presidency was not so successful for him. It was the time of Napoleonic wars in Europe. Jefferson wanted to maintain neutrality in the conflict between Britain and France. His efforts were not awarded. The idea appeared to be failure. So, he lost his Presidency in 1809.
During the last year Thomas Jefferson stayed in Monticello. It was his residence. It was built according to his drawings, because he was not only talented politician but also an architect. He also designed the building of the University of Virginia. The style, in which Jefferson constructed his buildings, was named after him. It is an American form of Neo-Classicism. He died on July 4, 1826 in Monticello.
Works Cited
“Our presidents. Thomas Jefferson”. The White House, n.d. Web. 30 Nov 2013. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/thomasjefferson>
“Signers of the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson”. USHistory, n.d. Web. 30 Nov 2013. <http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/signers/jefferson.htm>
