# 3 Thomas Jefferson

1801-1809

The most complex of the Founding Fathers

Born April 13, 1743Parents: Peter and

Jane (Randolph)Wife: Martha (Wayles)

Died 1782.Children: Martha,

Jane, Mary, Lucy, and Lucy*

Background

Jefferson was born into an elite Virginia family.

His father was a wealthy planter and his mother was also from an elite family.

He was the third of 10 children, several of whom died at birth, or at a young age.

Education and Youth

Jefferson received instruction at local schools, where he was a good student.

Jefferson entered the College of William and Mary at 16! He graduated with honors at 18, and then began studying law!

He had a wide variety of interests, including science, music, literature, and architecture.

In 1757 his father died, leaving him over 5,000 acres, and many slaves.

Young Adulthood

After leaving William and Mary, Jefferson was admitted to the bar in 1767.

He worked hundreds of court cases throughout Virginia, representing many of the best families.

He designed, and began building Monticello in 1769, and moved in in 1770.

Marriage

Jefferson was married to Martha Wayles in 1772, who was a widow.

Martha was thought to be a “very pleasant” looking woman.

She died in 1782, when she was only 33 years old.

By all accounts it was a happy marriage, and Jefferson was very distressed when Martha died.

Political Life

1769 Member of Virginia House of Burgesses.

1774 Wrote: Summary View of the Rights of British America.

1775 Deputy Delegate at First Continental Congress.

1775 Virginia Convention 1776 Delegate at Continental Congress 1776 Wrote the Declaration of Independence

Political Life Continued

1776 Virginia General Assembly 1779-1781 Governor of Virginia 1781 Peace Delegate with Britain 1783 Wrote Virginia Constitution 1784-1789 Minister to France 1790-1793 Secretary of State 1797-1801 Vice President 1801-1809 President

Political Philosophy

Jefferson was a strong supporter of Enlightenment ideas of personal liberty and property rights.

Jefferson was a strong supporter of freedom of religion.

Jefferson believed in popular sovereignty and supported the rights of people to revolt when necessary.

Political Philosophy Continued

Jefferson was an avowed opponent of a strong central government.

Jefferson supported states rights over the power of central government

Jefferson disdained government debt, cities, and industry.

Jefferson idealized America as an ideal republic of land owning farmers.

His ideas are often referred to as Jeffersonian Democracy.

Presidential Actions

Pardoned many of those punished by the Alien and Sedition Acts.

Removed Adams “Midnight Judges” Was president during the victorious war

against Tripoli, AKA the First Barbary War. He established the United States Military

Academy at West Point New York. Louisiana Purchase was made, doubling the

size of the U.S. and sent Louis and Clark to explore it.

Presidential Actions Continued

Pushed for Aaron Burr to be tried for treason, then invoked “executive privilege” Chief Justice Marshall backed him down.

Requested the ending of the Atlantic Slave trade in 1807.

Disastrous Embargo Act of 1807, banning trade.Contradictor

Presidency

Jefferson was a very informal president, greeting visitors in his house-clothes.

Jefferson became president vowing to shrink the size of government and the power of the president. He accomplished this by decreasing the federal payroll, but did the total opposite with the Louisiana Purchase.

Jefferson was a poor public speaker, and did most presidential work entirely in writing.

Contradictions

Says Limited Central

Authority Small Government All Men Are Created

Equal

Does Increases power of

the president. Increased Spending Owned slaves and

did not free them upon his death.

Slavery

Jefferson owned hundreds of slaves at one time or another.

Jefferson was in theory, against slavery and spoke out against it. In his life he did try to abolish it in 1769 and in 1784. He also supported ending the Atlantic Slave Trade.

Jefferson did not free his slaves upon his death. Many historians believe that he could not free them, due to his tremendous debt.

Slavery Continued

“Slavery is like holding the wolf by the ears, we can neither hold him, nor safely let him go.” T. Jefferson

While Jefferson spoke against slavery, he did not free his own, and did not exempt the old or young from manual labor.

Sally Hemings

Jefferson was alleged to have had a long relationship with a slave woman named Sally Hemings (The half sister of his actual wife!).

He is thought to have had as many as six children with her.

When these allegations became public, Jefferson never responded.

In 1998, DNA tests proved inconclusive, although Jefferson was proven to be at least a possible father to Sally’s children.

Later Years

Worked on Monticello, and pursued archeology, botany, bird watching, and numerous other interests.

Built many convenient devices including the first swivel chair, his own copying device, and a rotating book stand.

Jefferson was in tremendous debt, due to his extravagant spending.

He died on July 4th 1826.

University of Virginia

Jefferson founded University of Virginia in 1819.

He designed the architecture and the layout for the campus himself.

Legacy

Thomas Jefferson’s Legacy is as complex as he was himself.

He is regarded as on of the most important of the Founding Fathers, and his Declaration of Independence is one of the greatest expressions of human liberty ever recorded.

He was a staunch supporter of liberty, and an opponent of any and all tyranny.

Legacy Continued

Jefferson’s contradictions are enormous and invite accusations of hypocrisy such as:

1. Fighting for freedom, but owning slaves.2. Opposing strong government, but

expanding the power of government while president.

Despite this, Jefferson has been considered among the greatest figures in American History, with a monument in Washington D.C. and his face in on Mt. Rushmore.

Humorous Quote:

At a ceremony to honor winners of the Noble Prize, President Kennedy said:

“This is the most extraordinary collection of human talent ever gathered at the White House-with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.”