Thomas Jefferson Interesting Facts. Jefferson Thomas - biography, facts from life, photos, background information

Thomas Jefferson - 3rd President of the United States- Born April 13, 1743 in Virginia, died July 4, 1826 in Charlottesville. President of the United States from 1801 to 1809.

Jefferson was born in Virginia to a planter's family and was the third of eight children in the family.

In 1752, Jefferson entered the local school, where he began to study ancient Greek, Latin, and French.

After the death of his father, in 1757, Thomas inherited 5,000 acres of land and dozens of slaves, later it was on this land that the famous Monticello estate was built.

From 1758 to 1760, he attended the James Morey School. Since the school was 12 miles from the Jefferson estate, he lived with a priest (Mori) family. After receiving a classical education, he entered the philosophy department of the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg. Jefferson was a conscientious student, he diligently studied French, did not part with a book on the grammar of the ancient Greek language, studied the violin.

Having become acquainted with the works of Isaac Newton, John Locke and Francis Bacon, he later called them “three greatest people ever existed in history. " In 1762, Thomas graduated from college with honors, and in 1767 he received a license to practice law.

In 1772, at the age of 37, Jefferson married the widow Martha Veils Skelton, with whom he later had six children, four of whom died at an early age. Jefferson's wife also passed away 10 years later. Martha Jefferson was the only wife in the life of the third president of the United States, although according to unofficial data, Jefferson had children from a mulatto slave.

In 1769 Jefferson was elected to the Virginia House of Representatives.

Jefferson's first book, A General Survey of Human Rights in British America, included a collection of articles on the limitation of colonial self-government and the monopoly of tea. In these articles, Jefferson argued that the colonists have the right to self-government, and the English parliament has powers only on the territory of Great Britain, and not on the territory of the colonies. This work brought Jefferson popularity - he was dubbed as one of the thoughtful and patriotic politicians.

In 1775, Jefferson was elected to the Second Continental Congress. In 1776, Congress considered a resolution on the proclamation of independence, as a result, a committee was created to prepare the Declaration, it included: Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Robert R. Livingston and the head of the committee, Thomas Jefferson. Using the Virginia Declaration of Human Rights by George Mason as a model, Jefferson wrote the first draft of the US Declaration of Independence.

On July 2, 1776, Congress voted in favor of independence and then submitted the Declaration of Independence provided by Jefferson. After two days of consideration, 1/4 of the text, mainly dealing with criticism of slavery and the slave trade, was removed from the Declaration. Despite the fact that Thomas was a slave owner, he was an opponent of slavery. The last option The Declaration of Independence was approved on July 4, 1776.

In September of that year, Jefferson returned to Virginia, where he was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates. For three years of work, he drew up 126 bills, and in 1778, on his initiative, a law was passed banning the import of slaves into Virginia.

In 1779, Jefferson became Governor of Virginia, and a year later, he initiated the transfer of the capital from Williamsburg to Richmond. In 1781, Jefferson was captured by a British cavalry column, from where he soon escaped. In the same year, Jefferson stepped down as governor.

From 1785 to 1789, Jefferson served as ambassador to France. Returning from Paris, he is appointed Secretary of State in the office of US President George Washington. Jefferson held the post of Secretary of State until 1793, after which he resigned and returned to Monticello.

In the 1796 presidential election, Jefferson ran for the Democratic Republican Party, but lost to federalist John Adams in a bitter struggle.

In the 1800 elections, Jefferson was elected President of the United States. As president, he strove to strengthen the role of agriculture in the economy, and also supported the democratization of power. He abolished the tax on small-scale whiskey producers, and made significant reductions in the US Army and Navy (since they were expensive to maintain).

Despite the fact that Jefferson had the right to replace most of the government officials with his party members, he replaced only the cabinet and judges.

The elections of 1804 were held under a different law. Now electors cast one vote for the presidential candidate and the other for the vice-presidential candidate. Jefferson confidently won with 162 votes against 16 against his opponent Charles Pinckney.

In 1807, Jefferson supported the proposal to ban the slave trade, as a result of which he was strongly condemned by the southerners. In 1808, a compromise decision was made prohibiting the slave trade at the federal level, but obliged the government to dispose of the smuggled slaves according to the laws of that state. This led to a decrease in the volume of the slave trade.

Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826. Like his predecessor in the presidency, John Adams, he died on the fiftieth anniversary of independence.

Despite the fact that Jefferson was born into a wealthy family, after his death he left large debts, so his property went under the hammer. 552 acres of land were sold to James T. Barkley in 1882 for $ 7,000. Monticello Jefferson bequeathed to the state to establish a school for the children of deceased officers of the fleet.

Thomas Jefferson is the third president of the United States, the founding father of the American nation, and the author of the Declaration of Independence.

The future politician was born on April 13, 1743 in the city of Shadwell, Virginia, which at that time was considered a colony, into a family of influential planters. The ancestors of Peter Jefferson's father were immigrants from the English county of Wales. Jane Randolph's mother was closely related to the first Chairman of the Continental Congress. Two years after the birth of Thomas, the family moved to the Taccajo estate, which remained after the death of the owner, Colonel William Randolph.

At the age of 9, Thomas began his studies at the parish school of William Douglas, where he taught the basics of Latin, Ancient Greek and French. Six years later, the boy is given for two years in educational institution led by Priest James Morey. Since by this time Thomas's father had already passed away a year, the teenager temporarily settled in the Mori house. During his studies, the boy received the necessary knowledge of history and 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 introduces the young man to the works of outstanding scientists. , and - three geniuses who influenced the formation of the worldview and political views of the future statesman. He highly appreciated the young Jefferson and the works of ancient philosophers and playwrights, for the sake of reading which he thoroughly studied ancient Greek grammar. In addition to basic subjects, Jefferson learned to play the violin.

The young man spent his free time from lectures and individual lessons in the company of fellow students, attending the events of the secret student society "Flat Hat Club" or balls, which were held in the mansion of the Governor of Virginia, Francis Fauquier. This did not stop Thomas from completing his studies with the highest marks in the subjects studied. The aristocrat spent five years mastering jurisprudence under the leadership of George Wit, after which he began independent work a lawyer.

Politics

After two years of legal activity, in 1769, Jefferson was elected a member of the House of Legislative Assembly of Virginia. In 1774, after the signing of restrictive acts by the Parliament of Great Britain in relation to the colonies in the west, Thomas published a message to fellow citizens "General Survey of the Rights of British America", in which he expresses the intention of the colonies to establish self-government. Jefferson boldly criticizes the activities of the British Parliament, which arouses sympathy among the people.

Even before the outbreak of the War of Independence in the winter of 1775, Thomas became a member of the Continental Congress. In two years, the "Declaration of Independence" was prepared, the date of its adoption - July 4, 1776 - became the official date of birth of the American nation. His own political ideas, in addition to being implemented in the form of the main document of the United States, Thomas Jefferson introduced in his native Virginia, where in 1779 he was elected governor. In 1781-1782, Thomas worked on the work Notes on the State of Virginia, for the writing of which he received the title of an encyclopedic scientist. The essay was published after the end of hostilities.

Since 1785, Jefferson became the ambassador of the young state to France, but continues to lead legislative processes in the United States. By correspondence, Jefferson corrects the author of the Constitution and Bill of Rights for Congressman James Madison. After returning home after 5 years, the politician receives the post of the first US Secretary of State and joins the ranks of the Democratic Republican Party. In parliament, the party members promoted the ideas of free expression of the will of each state and the agrarian policy of the state, relying on farming and small handicrafts.

Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence was written by five authors: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston. At the last stage, the document was finalized within 17 days by one person - Thomas Jefferson, after which it was signed by the rest of the developers and representatives of 13 administrative entities.

The first section proclaims three postulates of the equality of people among themselves: the right to life, to freedom and to property. The second and third parts of the "Declaration" consolidate the sovereignty of the colonies and the policy of non-interference of Great Britain in the life of the states.

Political views

At home, Jefferson criticized the first US Constitution, which did not limit the number of terms for the election of one person to the presidency of the country, making the ruler an essentially unlimited monarch. Jefferson saw the prerequisites for the impoverishment of the people in the growth of a large industrial production... The politician was convinced that the basis of a strong economy was a society of free private farms.

Human freedoms extend not only to his life and property, but also to the right to express thoughts openly. People's education is at the heart of a free civil society. Therefore, every citizen has the right to receive education. Jefferson advocated the separation of state and church. Subsequently, the philosopher will create his own interpretation of the "New Testament", which, without fail, will be presented to the presidents of the country for a century. The politician did not agree with the federal form of government, which was proclaimed by the Constitution of 1787. Thomas argued for the superiority of state power over central government.

President of the U.S.A

Four years before his first presidential term, Thomas Jefferson was elected Vice President of the United States, and then in 1801 he became President of the State. As head of the United States, Thomas undergoes a series of transformations. Organizes a bipolar party system of the Congress, reduces the army, navy and the apparatus of state officials to the required minimum. Expands the concept of the support of the state to the four fundamental pillars of the economy: agrarians, traders, light industry and shipping.

In 1803, Louisiana became the territory of the United States under a sale and purchase agreement with France. The deal was worth $ 15 million at the time. At the end of his second presidential term, Thomas Jefferson is establishing diplomatic relations with the Russian Empire. In order to protect the United States from unforeseen expenses and protect the country's independence, Jefferson signs a decree to end foreign trade during the war in Europe p. This move turned out to be wrong and hurt America, temporarily reducing the economic growth of the state.

Personal life

The first and only wife of Thomas Jefferson was his second cousin Martha Veils Skelton, whom the future politician married at the age of 29. Martha Jefferson was born to John and Martha Wales, but a week after giving birth, the girl's mother passed away. Marta received an excellent education at home: she owned several foreign languages, sang, recited poetry, played the piano. The girl was distinguished by a lively character, a kind heart and an attractive appearance.

At the time of the wedding with Jefferson, the bride was already a widow and raised a son from her first marriage. The first spouse died two years after the registration of the relationship. Martha's second marriage turned out to be much more successful. The wife of the third president of the United States was not only a beauty and a good housewife, but also an excellent companion for the discerning intellectual Thomas.

The Jeffersons have been happy for 10 years on the Monticello family estate. During this time, they had six children, four of whom died in childhood. The couple left two daughters: Martha, whom her parents affectionately called Patsy, and Mary.

In 1782, having barely given birth to her 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 kept his word. Thus ended the love story of Thomas and Martha Jefferson.

Nevertheless, in France, the US ambassador had an affair with Parisian Maria Cosway. The relationship with a married lady later developed into friendly correspondence, which Thomas and Maria conducted until the last days of their lives. Another one was born in Paris love relationship the future president of the United States. The concubine of Thomas was a young slave, a quarteron woman Sally Hemings, Martha's half-sister on her father's side.

The girl could stay in free Europe, but chose to return to the United States, where, while living in Jefferson's house, she gave birth to eight children. The rivals of the third president exposed the love affair of an aristocrat with a slave, to which Jefferson answered with silence. According to DNA testing, which was carried out already in the 21st century, only one of Sally's sons was Jefferson's child. The rest of the children were born from different fathers.

Death

After the presidency, Thomas Jefferson finally settled in his own Monticello estate, which was built according to the owner's engineering project. Thomas was talented in many ways: in addition to jurisprudence and lawmaking, the politician was engaged in architecture, invention, and the creation of home furniture.

Jefferson's personal library consisted of 6.5 thousand books. After the death of the thinker, relatives passed on the legacy to the Library of Congress. The politician corresponded daily with the best minds of our time, sending up to three hundred letters a day.

Estate of Thomas Jefferson "Monticello"

The creator of the "Declaration of Independence" died on July 4, 1826, on the day of the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the fundamental document of the American nation. Jefferson was buried at Monticello. In 1923, the mansion was transferred to the state, and today the mansion is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Some interesting facts related to the name and biography of Thomas Jefferson:

The memory of prominent presidents is engraved on US banknotes. The dollar bill bears a photo of the country's first president; on the two-dollar one - a portrait of Thomas Jefferson; on a five-dollar one - an image; The twenty dollar bill is represented by a portrait of Andrew Jackson, and the fifty dollar bill is represented by Ulysses Grant.

In 1804-1806, an expedition took place to the Wild West, to the shores of the Pacific Ocean, led by Meriweather Lewis and William Clark. A team of 33 people discovered new lands, the new Columbia River, signed a peace treaty with Indian tribes.
Thomas Jefferson was not only a thinker and philosopher, but also an inventor. For example, a talented scientist came up with a device that counts a person's steps while walking.
Thomas Jefferson showed architectural ability. The politician designed and completed part of the buildings for To the White House where there are two separate toilets. Before the third president, employees of the US government building used to go to the toilet on the street.

Quotes

Jefferson's most famous quotes are:

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 - one profit.
Laws must go hand in hand with the progress of the human soul.
From time to time, the tree of freedom needs to 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 own government.

Born April 13, 1743 in Shadwell (Virginia). His father was one of the leaders of the district, and his mother belonged to one of the most famous families in Virginia.

Jefferson's father died when his son was 14 years old, leaving behind a legacy of several slaves and 2,750 acres of land. In 1760 Jefferson entered the College of William and Mary, deciding to study Greek and Latin "and learn the basics of mathematics." In 1762, leaving college, he began to study law. Having studied the works of E. Cooke and thoroughly studied the general legislation, Jefferson was admitted to the legal profession in 1767. As a lawyer he was far from P. Henry or J. Marshall, but he stood out for knowledge and hard work; success owed more to the ability to organize and analyze than oratorical skill. When the American Revolution began, Jefferson was a prominent lawyer, a successful planter, a lover of reading, science, music, a devoted spouse and father, and a loyal subject to the crown.

From 1768 to 1775 Jefferson represented the Virginia Civil Chamber. In 1773 he contributed to the creation of the Correspondent Committee to maintain contact with other colonies. In 1774 he prepared the text of resolutions that were published by the first Virginia convention called A Summary View of the Rights of British America. This pamphlet, which came out in four editions that year, argued that the British Parliament had no right to legislate for colonies, and only loyalty to the king would ensure the unity of the British Empire. After being elected as a delegate to the 2nd Continental Congress in 1775, Jefferson drafted a resolution rejecting British Prime Minister North's conciliatory proposals. In September he was appointed lieutenant for the county and returned to Congress only in May 1776. Drafted a constitution for Virginia and hoped to get permission to leave Congress to attend the Williamsburg convention. But he did not receive permission, and his draft was presented to the congress by J. Whit and partially adopted.

June 7, 1776 R. Lee, a member of the delegation of Virginia, proposed to declare independence. The ensuing debate resulted in a decision by Congress to form a five-member committee to prepare the text of the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson was assigned to write her text. His colleagues B. Franklin and J. Adams made minor changes to the text of the Declaration, some amendments were made by the Congress. The concepts of natural law, inalienable human rights, and governance with the consent of the governed were neither new nor strictly American, but the declaration of the state's intention to be guided by these principles was unprecedented. A bordering religious belief in these principles is the key to Jefferson's entire life.

In September 1776 Jefferson became a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. Four-fifths of the 126 proposed bills have been passed in one form or another, and Jefferson is credited with developing nearly half of them. The Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom, adopted in 1786, aimed at the complete separation of church from state; it stated that people's opinions could not be subject to litigation in court. This sublime declaration of spiritual freedom was hailed in Europe as "an example of hitherto unknown legislative wisdom and liberalism." The education bill was based on Jefferson's deep conviction that republican rule depends on the enlightenment of citizens, that education is the duty of the state, that the opportunity to receive an education sufficient to understand their civil rights and responsibilities should be provided to everyone, but from the general mass it is necessary to highlight the “natural aristocracy "of virtue and talent and to provide it with all the possibilities of education at the expense of the state.

Astounding reform efforts and the skill of the legislator established Jefferson as the undisputed leader of the House of Delegates, and in 1779 he was elected to succeed Peter Henry as governor. After being re-elected in 1780, he resigned during the crisis caused by the English invasion of Virginia in 1781, when lawmakers fled across the mountains, leaving Jefferson as the sole symbol of power. They also initiated an investigation into the activities of his administration, and although he was acquitted, Jefferson was severely wounded by this undeserved insult. An irreparable loss was the death of his wife Martha in 1782, and he gave up the idea of ever again taking up an official post.

In retirement, Jefferson compiled Notes on the State of Virginia. In 1783 he returned to active politics, became the leader of Congress and again took up intensive legislative activity. The Northwest Ordinance of 1784, governing the territory north of Ohio (which, if Jefferson's original draft had passed, would eliminate slavery in the territory) embodied the principles of the further development of the American state. His report on the minting of coins (prepared jointly with G. Morris) contained a proposal to introduce a system of uniform measures and weights on a decimal basis, as well as to establish the dollar as a decimal currency.

In 1784 Jefferson left for France to participate in negotiations on trade agreements and in 1785 replaced Franklin as envoy. With Lafayette's help, he was able to secure significant concessions for American trade. He tried to negotiate the supply of salt and rice to France and expand the consumption of French goods in America. In 1788, he persuaded Adams to enter into negotiations with Holland for a loan to secure American credit, until the new government established a normal system of credit security. He spoke out against American speculators who tried to buy up the US debt to France. An eyewitness to the start of the French Revolution, he consulted Lafayette and moderate members of the National Assembly and urged the need for a compromise charter for France. Jefferson returned to his homeland in 1789.

Best of the day

Largely under the influence of the leader of the Congress J. Madison, Jefferson was offered the post of Secretary of State in the Washington administration, and he agreed not without hesitation. Thus began his four-year "struggle between the principles of governance" with the Minister of Finance A. Hamilton, a supporter of strong centralized government.

Jefferson began with a short-term coalition with Hamilton, with the result that the state took over the debts of the states, and the capital decided to build on the Potomac River. With the backing of Madison, Jefferson pushed for trade policies that would be a decisive response to discriminatory UK policies. He proposed the minting of a national coin and achieved the creation of a mint. Beginning in 1790, Jefferson viewed neutrality as a policy fully in line with the interests of the United States.

Jefferson retired in late 1793, determined to no longer accept any official office. He began to rebuild his Monticello estate, took up the production of nails, built a mill, experimented with crop rotation, abandoned the cultivation of tobacco in favor of wheat, and in between scientific research... In 1796, Madison and other political leaders forced him to appear before voters as the Republican Democratic nominee for the presidency. Jefferson received 68 electoral votes against 71 votes cast for J. Adams, and became, in accordance with the then existing electoral system, vice president of the Adams administration. During the winter months, he enjoyed "philosophical evenings" as president of the American Philosophical Society, and spent the summer months in Monticello, read reports on the remains of a giant sloth found in South America, on a plow with a blade, and wrote his Manual of Parliamentary Practice. ... This work, which was based on research early years and the experience of long-term legislative practice, withstood a large number of editions, translated into many languages and is still the procedural basis of the work of the US Senate.

The relative serenity of his existence was, however, violated by the publication of a distorted version of his letter to F. Madzei, which contained sharp criticism of the federalists and the President of Washington. Federalists immediately called him a slanderer, a spiteful critic and even more abusive epithets; the incident led to a loss of confidence in him from Washington and to ostracism in certain quarters.

Many of the leading Democratic-Republican publicists were European refugees. In order to silence them, as well as the opposition of American descent, the Federalists passed laws on foreigners and incitement to rebellion in 1798, which were to eliminate the opposition with fines, imprisonment and deportation. Jefferson, who considered these laws unconstitutional, in 1798 developed the text of the so-called. The Kentucky Resolutions, which developed constitutional doctrines of state rights and were subsequently regarded as the primary source of nullification and secession.

He ran for president again in 1800, using the Kentucky Resolutions as a political platform. Through skilful propaganda and the Federalist split caused by Hamilton's intrigues against Adams, Jefferson and Barr defeated Adams and Pinckney by 73 to 65 electoral votes. The 1800 elections were considered a party triumph, fueled by the federalist split and Barr's skillful campaigning.

With Jefferson and Barr getting equal votes, the final outcome of the election was referred to the House of Representatives when Barr refused to accept his party’s apparent decision to offer him the vice presidency and Jefferson the presidency. Hamilton used all his influence against Burr, whom he feared more than his old opponent, and Jefferson was duly elected and became president on March 4, 1801.

Jefferson was the first president to be inaugurated in Washington. With the support of Secretary of State Madison and Treasury Secretary E. Gallatin, he embarked on a policy of economy and simplicity, hoping to avoid war and develop agriculture and trade.

The federalist opposition has taken refuge in the judiciary, headed by Chief Justice J. Marshall, a Jeffersonian relative and implacable enemy. Jefferson did not believe in impeachment as a way to curb the partisan ambitions of the judiciary. He ignored as unworthy of attention "midnight appointments", most likely illegally undertaken by the previous administration in the last days her stay in power, and only at the insistence of his supporters gave the Republicans a number of posts that were previously held by federalists. Jefferson was not a supporter of the booty-sharing system and, although he resented the pro-party politics of federalist judges, did not take open action against the judiciary and did not approve of constitutional amendments proposed in several states, according to which the president has the right to dismiss judges at the request of Congress. Facing a dilemma - respect for an independent judiciary or condemnation of the conduct of judges, the president reacted with his characteristic restraint. He pardoned the victims of the Instigation Act and repealed the 1801 Judiciary Act.

For two decades, Jefferson considered navigation in the Mississippi a natural right of Americans, and any foreign power that ruled New Orleans was a natural enemy. The President never took his eyes off this strategic point for long. He credited Monroe and Livingston with the acquisition of Louisiana territory from Napoleon in 1803, but it is doubtful that any statesman would have contributed more here than himself, who had so long and so persistently sought a diplomatic solution to the problem. Jefferson was tormented by the compatibility of the treaty with the Constitution, which lacked explicit provisions for the acquisition and control of foreign territories, and he even proposed a constitutional amendment to give legal effect to the act. Madison and others convinced him not to risk it, as it would delay the transfer of territory.

The Federalists ridiculed the acquisition of vast wilderness and wilderness areas that would never be inhabited, but along with the general atmosphere of freedom that the Jefferson administration fostered, the Louisiana acquisition was its greatest achievement. The President later preferred to refrain from commenting on the matter, perhaps due to doubts about the legality of the acquisition, and showed much more outright pride in connection with the legendary expedition to the Pacific coast, undertaken at his initiative by Lewis and Clark. The Louisiana acquisition and the ensuing claims to West Florida caused a rift among the President's supporters in Congress during his second administration.

Jefferson's role in the trial of treason against A. Barr (1807) - the culmination but not the culmination of Jefferson's prolonged confrontation with Marshall - was distorted by evidence dictated by party bias. A long history of personal, political, and philosophical divisions has led to this conflict between opposing branches of government led by die-hard leaders. In his recommendation to the jury, Marshall gave a clear definition of treason, and Burr was acquitted.

As the head of a neutral state caught between two warring great powers, France and England, Jefferson pursued a policy of peace that was essentially doomed to failure. Illegal requisitions, invasions of territorial waters and other violations committed by England were repeated by Napoleonic France. Caught between two fires, the president was forced to maneuver. He resorted to diplomatic art, then to the threat of an economic boycott, like colonists before the revolution, and was finally forced, in complete despair, to decide on the 1807 embargo law, which prohibited trade with the belligerent states (actually canceled in 1809 after the adoption of the law on non-interference).

After the burning of Washington in the War of 1812, Jefferson sold his vast library to the government in order to create the nucleus of the Library of Congress. He received a large number of visitors, corresponded with famous and completely unknown people and occasionally consulted his presidential successors. But he avoided public debate, took pleasure in rereading the Roman historians Livy and Tacitus, and devoted himself entirely to the idea of public education.

In 1814 Jefferson wrote a wonderful letter to P. Carr, in which he proposed to create a state system of education. Thanks to his efforts, the University of Virginia was officially founded in Charlottesville in 1819. Jefferson became its first rector, developed a unique architectural project for the academic town, supervised a significant part of the educational process, and looked for competent teachers abroad.

Author of the Declaration of Independence, architect, scientist, educator. Born April 13, 1743 in Shadwell (Virginia). His father was one of the leaders of the district, and his mother belonged to one of the most famous families in Virginia.

From 1768 to 1775 Jefferson represented the Virginia Civil Chamber. In 1773 he contributed to the creation of the Correspondent Committee to maintain contact with other colonies. In 1774 he prepared the text of resolutions that were published by the first Virginia convention called General overview of the rights of British America (A Summary View of the Rights of British America). This pamphlet, which came out in four editions that year, argued that the British Parliament had no right to legislate for colonies, and only loyalty to the king would ensure the unity of the British Empire. After being elected as a delegate to the 2nd Continental Congress in 1775, Jefferson drafted a resolution rejecting British Prime Minister North's conciliatory proposals. In September he was appointed lieutenant for the county and returned to Congress only in May 1776. Drafted a constitution for Virginia and hoped to get permission to leave Congress to attend the Williamsburg convention. But he did not receive permission, and his draft was presented to the congress by J. Whit and partially adopted.

In retirement, Jefferson compiled Virginia State Notes (Notes on the State of Virginia). In 1783 he returned to active politics, became the leader of Congress and again took up intensive legislative activity. The Northwest Ordinance of 1784, governing the territory north of Ohio (which, if Jefferson's original draft had passed, would eliminate slavery in the territory) embodied the principles of the further development of the American state. His report on the minting of coins (prepared jointly with G. Morris) contained a proposal to introduce a system of uniform measures and weights on a decimal basis, as well as to establish the dollar as a decimal currency.

Jefferson retired in late 1793, determined to no longer accept any official office. He began to rebuild his Monticello estate, took up the production of nails, built a mill, experimented with crop rotation, abandoned the cultivation of tobacco in favor of wheat, and in the meantime engaged in scientific research. In 1796, Madison and other political leaders forced him to appear before voters as the Republican Democratic nominee for the presidency. Jefferson received 68 electoral votes against 71 votes cast for J. Adams, and became, in accordance with the then electoral system, vice-president in the Adams administration. During the winter months he enjoyed "philosophical evenings" as president of the American Philosophical Society, and spent the summer months in Monticello, read reports on the remains of a giant sloth found in South America, on a plow with a blade, and wrote his Guide to Parliamentary Practice (Manual of Parliamentary Practice). This work, which was based on research from the early years and the experience of long-term legislative practice, went through a large number of editions, was translated into many languages and is still the procedural basis of the work of the US Senate.

The federalist opposition has taken refuge in the judiciary, headed by Chief Justice J. Marshall, a Jeffersonian relative and implacable enemy. Jefferson did not believe in impeachment as a way to curb the partisan ambitions of the judiciary. He ignored as unworthy of attention "midnight appointments", most likely illegally undertaken by the previous administration in the last days of its tenure, and only at the insistence of his supporters gave the Republicans a number of posts previously held by federalists. Jefferson was not a supporter of the booty-sharing system and, although he resented the pro-party politics of federalist judges, did not take open action against the judiciary and did not approve of constitutional amendments proposed in several states, according to which the president has the right to dismiss judges at the request of Congress. Facing a dilemma - respect for an independent judiciary or condemnation of the conduct of judges, the president reacted with his characteristic restraint. He pardoned the victims of the Instigation Act and repealed the 1801 Judiciary Act.

In 1760 Jefferson entered the College of William and Mary, deciding to study Greek and Latin and learn the basics of mathematics. In 1762, leaving college, he began to study law. When the American Revolution began, Jefferson was a prominent lawyer, a successful planter, a lover of reading, science, music, a devoted spouse and father, and a loyal subject to the crown.

From 1768 to 1775 Jefferson was engaged political activities in Virginia. On June 7, 1776, a member of the Virginian delegation to Congress, R. Lee, proposed to proclaim the independence of the North American colonies from the British crown. Jefferson wrote the text of the draft declaration of independence. In September 1776 he became a member of the House of Delegates of Virginia, and in 1779 he was elected to succeed P. Henry as governor. An irreparable loss for the politician was the death of his wife Martha in 1782, and he gave up the idea of ever again taking up an official post.

During his retirement, Jefferson compiled the Virginia Notes. In 1783 he returned to active politics, became the leader of Congress and again took up intensive legislative activity. His report on the minting of coins (prepared jointly with G. Morris) contained a proposal to establish the dollar as a decimal currency.

In 1784 Jefferson left for France to participate in negotiations on trade agreements and in 1785 replaced Franklin as envoy. He managed to achieve significant concessions for American trade. He tried to negotiate the supply of salt and rice to France and expand the consumption of French goods in America. During his diplomatic service, he witnessed the beginning of the Great French Revolution.

He returned to his homeland in 1789 and received an offer to take the post of Secretary of State in the Washington administration.

He proposed the minting of a national coin and achieved the creation of a mint. Jefferson retired at the end of 1793, determined to no longer accept any official office.

However, in 1800 he ran for president, using the Kentucky Resolutions as a political platform. Jefferson was the first president to be inaugurated in Washington with the support of Secretary of State Madison and Treasury Secretary E. Gallatin. He served as president for two consecutive terms - from 1801 to 1809.
He welcomed the acquisition of Louisiana from Napoleon in 1803 and even proposed a constitutional amendment to give legal effect to this act.

He actively opposed the Federalist Party, an association of large tycoons and financiers, distinguished by militant anti-democratic aspirations. As the head of a neutral state, caught between two warring great powers, France and England, during the Napoleonic Wars, Jefferson pursued a policy of peace that was essentially doomed to failure. Illegal requisitions, invasions of territorial waters and other violations committed by England were repeated by Napoleonic France. He resorted to diplomatic, then to the threat of an economic boycott, and was forced, in complete despair, to decide on the 1807 embargo law, which prohibited trade with the belligerent states.

After the burning of Washington in the 1812 War, Jefferson sold his vast library to the government in order to create the nucleus of the Library of Congress. He received a large number of visitors, corresponded with famous and completely unknown, and occasionally consulted his presidential successors.

In 1814 Jefferson proposed the creation of a public education system. Thanks to his efforts, the University of Virginia was officially founded in Charlottesville in 1819. Jefferson became its first rector, developed a unique architectural project for the academic town, supervised a significant part of the educational process, and looked for competent teachers abroad.

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