Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was an American statesman who served as the third president of the United States. He lived from 1743 to 1826. He wrote the Declaration of Independence, doubled the size of the country with the Louisiana Purchase, and founded the University of Virginia. He is also one of the most debated figures in American history because he owned more than 600 enslaved people during his lifetime.

Jefferson was born in Virginia to a wealthy farming family. He grew up on a plantation and went to the College of William and Mary. He loved books, science, music, and architecture. He spoke several languages and could read Greek and Latin. He designed his own home, called Monticello, and worked on it for 40 years.

In 1776, the 13 American colonies were fighting for independence from Britain. The Continental Congress asked Jefferson to write a document explaining why. He was only 33 years old. In about 17 days, he wrote the Declaration of Independence. Its most famous line says that "all men are created equal" and have rights to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Those words have shaped American ideas about freedom ever since.

After the Revolution, Jefferson held many important jobs. He served as governor of Virginia, as the first U.S. Secretary of State under George Washington, and as vice president under John Adams. In 1801, he became president himself. He served two terms.

His biggest act as president was the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. France offered to sell a huge piece of land west of the Mississippi River for about 15 million dollars. Jefferson accepted. The deal added more than 800,000 square miles to the country and doubled its size. He then sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the new territory. Sacagawea, a Shoshone woman, guided them through much of the journey.

Jefferson's life had a dark side that does not match his famous words. He owned a plantation worked by enslaved people, including a woman named Sally Hemings. DNA evidence and historical records show that Jefferson fathered at least six children with her. Historians still debate how to weigh his ideas about freedom against the fact that he kept people in slavery his entire life. Most agree that both things are true, and both must be remembered.

After leaving the White House, Jefferson founded the University of Virginia and designed its buildings himself. He died on July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed. By a strange coincidence, his old friend and rival John Adams died the same day. Jefferson's face is carved into Mount Rushmore.