Road to Liberty: Thomas Jefferson

Born on April 13, 1743, near present-day Charlottesville, Virginia, Thomas Jefferson was the primary drafter of the Declaration of Independence and the third President of the United States. The son of Peter Jefferson, a farmer and surveyor, and Jane Randolph, who hailed from a prominent Virginia family, Jefferson was educated by private tutors.

He later attended the College of William and Mary, where he studied mathematics, philosophy, law, and languages. A man of the Enlightenment, he inherited a large estate from his father and designed his lifelong residence, Monticello.

At 26, Jefferson entered the Virginia House of Burgesses, where his eloquence earned him a seat in the Second Continental Congress. At 33, he agreed to draft the Declaration of Independence upon John Adams’s insistence that Jefferson was more eloquent and well-liked than him. He penned the words that inspired thousands of young men to give their lives for the ideals that still ring true in the heart of every American: “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Following a term as Governor of Virginia, Jefferson became Minister to France, strengthening ties with America’s key wartime ally. Under George Washington, he served as the first Secretary of State. In 1796, Jefferson was elected Vice President under John Adams, and in 1800, he defeated Adams in a fiercely contested election. As President, Jefferson orchestrated the Louisiana Purchase, doubling the nation’s size, and pursued neutrality during the Napoleonic Wars.

After two terms, he retired to Monticello, where he corresponded with former rival John Adams. Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. According to one account, just before he died, he asked his physician, “Is it the Fourth?”