Thomas Jefferson

Born in Virginia in 1743, Thomas Jefferson became one of the central figures of the American founding era. He studied law, served in the Continental Congress, and is remembered above all as the principal drafter of the Declaration of Independence. His clear, forceful prose made him one of the most influential political writers in early American history.

Jefferson later served as governor of Virginia, minister to France, the first U.S. secretary of state, vice president, and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. During his presidency, the United States completed the Louisiana Purchase and sent out the Lewis and Clark Expedition, events that greatly expanded the nation’s reach and ambition.

He was also deeply interested in architecture, education, science, and books. Jefferson founded the University of Virginia and designed his home, Monticello, to reflect his wide-ranging interests. At the same time, his legacy remains complicated and heavily discussed, especially because he enslaved hundreds of people, a reality that stands in sharp tension with the ideals of freedom found in his writing.