---
title: Thomas Jefferson
author: Harrison W. Mark
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/Thomas_Jefferson/
format: machine-readable-alternate
license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
updated: 2024-10-23
---

# Thomas Jefferson

_Authored by [Harrison W. Mark](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/harrisonwmark/)_

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) was an American lawyer, statesman, philosopher, and a Founding Father of the United States. A prominent figure of the [American Revolution](https://www.worldhistory.org/American_Revolution/), he wrote the [Declaration of Independence](https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2411/declaration-of-independence/) and later served as the first secretary of state, the second vice president, and the third president of the United States (served 1801-1809).

### Early Life

Thomas Jefferson was born on 13 April 1743 at Shadwell Plantation in Albemarle County, Virginia. He was the third of ten children born to Peter Jefferson, a wealthy planter and land surveyor, and Jane Randolph Jefferson, a daughter of one of Virginia's most influential families. When Peter Jefferson died in 1757, 14-year-old Thomas inherited 5,000 acres of land as well as 60 enslaved people. From 1758 to 1760, he was privately tutored by Reverend James Maury before going on to the colonial capital of Williamsburg to attend the College of William & Mary. In his first year at college, he spent lavishly on parties, horses, and clothing, but he would soon regret this "showy style of living" (Boles, 18). His second year, therefore, was much more studious; he would apparently spend 15 [hours](https://www.worldhistory.org/Horae/) a day at his studies, pausing only to exercise or to practice his violin.

The studious Jefferson soon became the protégé of mathematics professor William Small, who he would fondly remember as "the first truly enlightened or scientific man" he had ever met (Boles, 17). Small introduced Jefferson to the two other great intellectuals in Williamsburg – [law](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/law/) professor George Wythe and Lt. Governor Francis Fauquier – and, at their weekly dinner parties, the four men would discuss politics and [philosophy](https://www.worldhistory.org/philosophy/), greatly influencing the young Jefferson's political and intellectual development.

After completing his formal studies in 1762, Jefferson remained in Williamsburg to study law under Wythe and was admitted to the Virginia bar five years later in 1767. In 1768, he was elected to the [House of Burgesses](https://www.worldhistory.org/House_of_Burgesses/), representing Albemarle County. That same year, he began construction of a new home atop an 868-foot-high (265 m) mountain that overlooked his plantation. Called Monticello – Italian for "little mountain" – the house became the passion of Jefferson's life, and he would spend the next several decades designing and renovating it. The actual labor, of course, was mostly performed by his slaves; over the course of his lifetime, Jefferson owned approximately 600 enslaved people, most of whom were born into slavery on his property.

In 1772, after several failed romantic pursuits, Jefferson was finally married to the beautiful young widow Martha Wayles Skelton. Five years his junior, Martha shared his passions for [literature](https://www.worldhistory.org/literature/) and [music](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Music/); indeed, they often played music together – she on the harpsichord, he on the violin. The couple would have six children, only two of whom – Martha 'Patsy' (1772-1836) and Mary 'Polly' (1778-1804) – would survive to adulthood. When Jefferson's father-in-law died in 1773, he and Martha inherited 11,000 acres of land and 135 more enslaved people. By then, Jefferson had become involved with Virginia's struggle against Great [Britain](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Britain/). Parliament's attempts to tax the colonists without their consent were vehemently opposed by the American Patriots, who saw such taxes as violations of their 'rights as Englishmen'. In 1774, Jefferson argued as much in his *A Summary View of the Rights of British America*. In it, he asserted that the colonies had the right to govern themselves, that they were tied to the English king only through voluntary bonds and that Parliament had no right to interfere in their affairs. This work earned him recognition as a Patriot leader in Virginia and led to his appointment as a delegate to the [Second Continental Congress](https://www.worldhistory.org/Second_Continental_Congress/) in Philadelphia in the spring of 1775.

[ ![Writing the Declaration of Independence](https://www.worldhistory.org/img/r/p/500x600/18469.png?v=1772406005-1707732862) Writing the Declaration of Independence Jean Leon Gerome Ferris (Public Domain) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18469/writing-the-declaration-of-independence/ "Writing the Declaration of Independence")### Revolution

Jefferson was among the youngest and least distinguished members of Congress, and his inherent shyness prevented him from speaking much during the first months of discussions. Yet when it came time for Congress to vote on the prospect of declaring independence from Great Britain in June 1776, Jefferson was assigned to the so-called Committee of Five and tasked with drafting a statement justifying such a separation. The committee included the eminent statesmen [John Adams](https://www.worldhistory.org/John_Adams/), [Benjamin Franklin](https://www.worldhistory.org/Benjamin_Franklin/), Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman, but it was Jefferson who was the primary author of the document that would become the Declaration of Independence. Written in poetical prose and drenched in the ideals of [the Enlightenment](https://www.worldhistory.org/The_Enlightenment/), the Declaration would become one of the most famous documents in American history:

> We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness: that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.
> (Meacham, 104)

The Declaration was submitted to Congress on 28 June, where it was subjected to a series of discussions and edits that made the sensitive Jefferson squirm. Eventually, a full one-fifth of the text was removed or revised to make it less radical; a section in which Jefferson blamed the king for the evils of the slave [trade](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/trade/) was taken out entirely. Finally, the Declaration was adopted on 4 July 1776, and the United States of America was born. Jefferson remained in Congress until October, then hurried back to Virginia to be closer to his wife, whose health had become quite delicate after four years of constant pregnancies. Back in Williamsburg, Jefferson helped revise Virginia's legal code to bring it more in line with the values of the American Revolution. He worked to abolish the antiquated laws enforcing primogeniture inheritance and sought to undercut the Anglican Church's monopoly on Virginians' spiritual lives by encouraging freedom of [religion](https://www.worldhistory.org/religion/); in these efforts, he was aided by his protégé, [James Madison](https://www.worldhistory.org/James_Madison/), who would become his most important lifelong ally.

[ ![US Declaration of Independence](https://www.worldhistory.org/img/r/p/500x600/18745.jpg?v=1773082814-1711449227) US Declaration of Independence Copy by William Stone; Original by Second Continental Congress (Public Domain) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18745/us-declaration-of-independence/ "US Declaration of Independence")From 1779 to 1781, Jefferson served two single-year terms as Governor of Virginia. He worked tirelessly to keep General [George Washington](https://www.worldhistory.org/George_Washington/) and the Continental Army supplied, but was taken by surprise when the British invaded Virginia in early 1781. He was too slow to call out the state militia, and he and the General Assembly were forced to flee when British troops under the turncoat [Benedict Arnold](https://www.worldhistory.org/Benedict_Arnold/) converged on the new state capital of Richmond. For the rest of his career, he would be haunted by his flight, which his opponents presented as cowardice. Yet the state, and indeed the country, were saved when Washington won the [Siege of Yorktown](https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2532/siege-of-yorktown/) that October, effectively ending the [American Revolutionary War](https://www.worldhistory.org/American_Revolutionary_War/). Whatever joy Jefferson must have felt quickly soured, however; on 6 September 1782, Martha Wayles Jefferson died after a difficult childbirth. Jefferson went mad with grief. As his daughter Patsy would later recall, for three weeks he did little but pace restlessly back and forth in Monticello, leaving only to ride "incessantly on horseback, rambling about the mountain" (quoted in Boles, 108).

### [Paris](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/paris/) & Sally Hemings

Jefferson briefly returned to Congress for the 1783-84 session, his primary contribution being the Land Ordinance of 1784, which laid the groundwork for the settlement of western lands and the admittance of new states into the Union. He was then appointed US minister to France and arrived in Paris on 6 August 1784 with his eldest daughter Patsy and two slaves. The refined Jefferson delighted in the elegance of Paris, where he mingled with influential figures, frequented the opera, and spent extravagantly on books and paintings. He even fell in love with Maria Cosway, a beautiful – albeit married – Anglo-Italian musician, although their romantic strolls through the Parisian gardens abruptly ended when her husband brought her back to London. Jefferson was still in the [city](https://www.worldhistory.org/city/) during the [Storming of the Bastille](https://www.worldhistory.org/Storming_of_the_Bastille/) and witnessed the start of the [French Revolution](https://www.worldhistory.org/French_Revolution/). He advised his friend, [Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette](https://www.worldhistory.org/Gilbert_du_Motier_Marquis_de_Lafayette/), in the drafting of the [Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen](https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2012/declaration-of-the-rights-of-man-and-of-the-citize/), a landmark human rights document.

[ ![Thomas Jefferson, 1786](https://www.worldhistory.org/img/r/p/500x600/19581.jpg?v=1765219829-1729588825) Thomas Jefferson, 1786 Mather Brown (Public Domain) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/19581/thomas-jefferson-1786/ "Thomas Jefferson, 1786")After having spent several years in Paris, Jefferson sent for his younger daughter Polly, who arrived in July 1787. She was accompanied by Sally Hemings, an enslaved 14-year-old girl. Hemings was the daughter of John Wayles (Jefferson's father-in-law) and an enslaved woman and was, therefore, a half-sister of the late Mrs. Jefferson. Sometime before leaving France in late 1789, Jefferson struck up a sexual relationship with the girl. While Jefferson's sympathizers like to believe their relationship was one of genuine affection, the power imbalance between master and slave – and indeed a 44-year-old man and a teenage girl – strongly suggests a coercive relationship if not outright rape. Sally Hemings' own thoughts on her situation have sadly been lost to history. She did, however, have at least one moment of control, when she refused to leave France with Jefferson unless he granted her concessions, and he ultimately agreed to free all her children when they reached the age of 21. Hemings would have six children, all believed to have been fathered by Jefferson.

### Opposition Leader

He returned to Virginia in November 1789, by which time the United States Constitution had been ratified, with Washington inaugurated as the first president. Jefferson had his doubts about the Constitution, which still lacked a Bill of Rights, but nevertheless accepted an offer to join the president's cabinet as secretary of state. In this role, Jefferson often butted heads with [Alexander Hamilton](https://www.worldhistory.org/Alexander_Hamilton/), secretary of the treasury. Hamilton sought to create a strong national government and turn the US into a modernized nation on par with the empires of [Europe](https://www.worldhistory.org/europe/); his plans, however, would concentrate money and influence in the North at the expense of the agrarian South. Jefferson also believed that Hamilton's attempts to create a strong federal government undercut the sovereignty of the states, and thereby went against the principles of the American Revolution. This was the basis for their rivalry, which would have a large impact on the political development of the US.

In 1790, Jefferson opposed Hamilton's financial program, which included the national government's assumption of state debts. The two men reached a compromise when Hamilton agreed to support a permanent national capital in the South along the Potomac River in return for Jefferson's compliance, but tensions flared up again when Hamilton proposed the establishment of a national bank. In foreign policy, Jefferson remained an admirer of the French Revolution and urged Washington to support the budding French Republic in its struggles against tyranny. Hamilton, on the other hand, believed the French revolutionaries to be anarchic and violent, and favored policies that would strengthen ties with Britain. Jefferson chafed at Hamilton's intrusions into the realm of foreign policy, and, after President Washington proclaimed a policy of neutrality in the [French Revolutionary Wars](https://www.worldhistory.org/French_Revolutionary_Wars/), Jefferson resigned. He returned to Monticello, where he continued to be the leading voice for the opposition, condemning the controversial [Jay Treaty](https://www.worldhistory.org/Jay_Treaty/) in 1795. Around this time, Jefferson became recognized as a leader of the Democratic-Republican Party, which supported republicanism, agrarianism and pro-French policies and opposed Hamilton's Federalist Party, which favored centralization, industry, and pro-British policies.

In September 1796, Washington announced he would not seek a third term in office, leading to the first contested presidential election in US history. Upon losing the election to the Federalist candidate, John Adams, Jefferson became vice president, a platform he used to continue rallying opposition to Federalist policies. He opposed the rising tensions with France, which ultimately boiled over into a brief, undeclared naval conflict called the [Quasi-War](https://www.worldhistory.org/Quasi-War/). The Adams administration used the [war](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/War/) as an excuse to implement the controversial [Alien and Sedition Acts](https://www.worldhistory.org/Alien_and_Sedition_Acts/) (1798), which Jefferson condemned as unconstitutional. He was aided in his opposition by his ally Madison, with their partnership later referred to as 'the great collaboration'. Accusing the Federalists of monarchism, Jefferson ran for president again in 1800. This time, he defeated Adams but tied with [Aaron Burr](https://www.worldhistory.org/Aaron_Burr/); the House of Representatives broke the tie and handed the presidency to Jefferson. After a decade of opposition, the Jeffersonian party was finally in control.

### Presidency

On 4 March 1801, Jefferson was inaugurated in the unfinished Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. In his speech, he urged conciliation, famously stating, "we are all Republicans – we are all Federalists." He viewed his election, sometimes referred to as the Revolution of 1800, as a reset, moving away from the aristocratic agenda of the Federalists and back toward a purer form of republicanism in the spirit of the Revolution. He appointed prominent Democratic-Republicans to his cabinet – James Madison as secretary of state, for instance, and Albert Gallatin as secretary of the treasury. Yet he resisted calls from within his own party to purge Federalists from their appointed offices. Jefferson did, however, attempt to block the appointment of the so-called 'midnight judges' that Adams had made during the lame-duck months of his presidency. This resulted in the landmark Supreme Court case *[Marbury v. Madison](https://www.worldhistory.org/Marbury_v._Madison/)*, which established the principle of judicial review.

[ ![Portrait of Thomas Jefferson, 1791](https://www.worldhistory.org/img/r/p/500x600/16012.jpg?v=1742934858) Portrait of Thomas Jefferson, 1791 Charles Willson Peale (Public Domain) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/16012/portrait-of-thomas-jefferson-1791/ "Portrait of Thomas Jefferson, 1791")The policies of the new administration would follow a political philosophy later referred to as 'Jeffersonian Democracy'. In a reversal of the Hamiltonian steps toward modernization, the Jeffersonian period saw a rise in agrarianism, and a reduced societal hierarchy; the practice of indentured servitude, for instance, declined during this period. Jefferson's administration also worked to dismantle Hamilton's financial system, by eliminating the despised excise tax on whiskey and getting rid of useless federal offices. Jefferson reduced the national debt from $83 million to $57 million by the end of his two terms. He also sought to reduce the 'majesty' of the presidential office. Rather than give long, grandiose speeches, most of his addresses were typically written and delivered. He received visitors regardless of their social status, and famously held weekly dinners in the White House attended by both Federalists and Democratic-Republican guests. [Dolley Madison](https://www.worldhistory.org/Dolley_Madison/), James' wife, would often play the hostess at these functions and indeed carried out the functions of First Lady for the widower Jefferson.

Early in his presidency, Jefferson decided to stop paying tribute to the Barbary pirates of North [Africa](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/africa/). He sent ships to the [Mediterranean](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/mediterranean/) as a show of force in the First Barbary War, the first conflict fought by the US outside the western hemisphere. But the most impactful moment of his presidency came in 1803 when his administration finalized the [Louisiana Purchase](https://www.worldhistory.org/Louisiana_Purchase/). The US bought the entire Louisiana Territory from [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://www.worldhistory.org/Napoleon_Bonaparte/), who needed the funds for his military campaigns. Jefferson had long been obsessed with the West, which he had romanticized as an untamed bastion of liberty. He commissioned his private secretary, Meriwether Lewis, to organize an expedition to explore these new lands. The resultant [Lewis and Clark Expedition](https://www.worldhistory.org/Lewis_and_Clark_Expedition/) (1804-1806) reached the Pacific Ocean – with [Native American](https://www.worldhistory.org/Native_Peoples_of_North_America/) aid – and sent back descriptions of rivers, plants, and animals hitherto unknown to Europeans. Jefferson sent additional expeditions west as well. But the president was not the only one interested in the West – his former vice president, Aaron Burr, went to Louisiana with suspicious intentions, prompting Jefferson to issue a warrant for his arrest. Burr was tried for treason in 1807, with Jefferson pressing hard for a conviction, but he was ultimately acquitted due to lack of evidence. Jefferson, who had disliked and mistrusted Burr, had dropped him as vice president in the 1804 election, replacing him with former New York governor George Clinton.

[ ![Lewis and Clark on the Lower Columbia](https://www.worldhistory.org/img/r/p/500x600/19582.jpg?v=1765219822-1729587972) Lewis and Clark on the Lower Columbia Charles M. Russell (Public Domain) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/19582/lewis-and-clark-on-the-lower-columbia/ "Lewis and Clark on the Lower Columbia")Jefferson's second term was plagued by the shadow of the Napoleonic Wars raging in Europe. Although the US attempted to maintain its neutrality, its shipping came under attack by both Britain and France. In one notable incident, the [Chesapeake-Leopard Affair](https://www.worldhistory.org/Chesapeake-Leopard_Affair/), a naval scuffle between a British and an American ship resulted in the deaths and capture of American sailors in June 1807. Many Americans clamored for war, but Jefferson preferred a diplomatic solution. In December 1807, Congress asserted American neutrality by passing the Embargo Act, which put a trade embargo on all foreign nations. The act was controversial and did not stymy Anglo-American tensions, which would finally erupt into the [War of 1812](https://www.worldhistory.org/War_of_1812/) a few years after Jefferson left office. One of President Jefferson's final significant actions was in 1808 when his administration abolished the slave trade (slavery itself would persist in the US for another half century).

### Retirement & [Death](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Death/)

Jefferson left office at the end of his second term in March 1809. He was succeeded by Madison, who continued many of his former mentor's policies. Jefferson returned to Monticello, where he spent his last 17 years in retirement. He sold his extensive book collection to the Library of Congress and helped found the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. He kept up with his correspondence and even mended broken friendships – in 1812, he famously began exchanging letters with his old friends John and Abigail Adams after over a decade of bitter estrangement. Most of his time, however, was spent designing Monticello's renovations, tending to his garden, or spending time with his daughter Patsy and her twelve children (Polly had died after childbirth in 1804). Jefferson died at age 83, on 4 July 1826, the 50th anniversary of independence. He was buried at Monticello. Today, Jefferson is remembered both as one of the most revered and most controversial Founding Fathers, making him as contradictory in death as he was in life.

#### Editorial Review

This human-authored definition has been reviewed by our editorial team before publication to ensure accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards in accordance with our [editorial policy](https://www.worldhistory.org/static/editorial-policy/).

## Bibliography

- [Boles, John B. *Jefferson: Architect of American Liberty.* Basic Books, 2017.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0465094686/)
- [Feldman, Noah. *The Three Lives of James Madison.* Random House, 2017.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/081299275X/)
- [McCullough, David. *John Adams.* Simon & Schuster, 2002.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0743223136/)
- [Meacham, Jon. *Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power.* Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2013.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0812979486/)
- [Middlekauff, Robert. *The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789.* Oxford University Press, 2007.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/019531588X/)
- [Thomas Jefferson - Encyclopedia Britannica](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Thomas-Jefferson/Presidency "Thomas Jefferson - Encyclopedia Britannica"), accessed 18 Oct 2024.
- [Wood, Gordon S. *Empire of Liberty.* Oxford University Press Inc, 2011.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0199832463/)

## About the Author

Harrison Mark is a historical researcher and writer for World History Encyclopedia. He holds degrees in history and political science from SUNY Oswego.
- [Facebook Profile](https://www.facebook.com/harrison.mark.5/)
- [Linkedin Profile](https://www.linkedin.com/in/harrison-mark-b56213197/)

## Timeline

- **13 Apr 1743 CE**: Birth of [Thomas Jefferson](https://www.worldhistory.org/Thomas_Jefferson/) at Shadwell Plantation in Albemarle County, Virginia.
- **1760 CE - 1762 CE**: [Thomas Jefferson](https://www.worldhistory.org/Thomas_Jefferson/) attends the College of William & Mary, is exposed to Enlightenment ideals.
- **1767 CE**: [Thomas Jefferson](https://www.worldhistory.org/Thomas_Jefferson/) is admitted to the Virginia bar, begins practicing [law](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/law/) before the General Court.
- **1768 CE**: [Thomas Jefferson](https://www.worldhistory.org/Thomas_Jefferson/) is elected to the [House of Burgesses](https://www.worldhistory.org/House_of_Burgesses/); begins construction of his beloved home at Monticello.
- **1 Jan 1772 CE**: [Thomas Jefferson](https://www.worldhistory.org/Thomas_Jefferson/) marries Martha Wayles Skelton, a young widow.
- **1774 CE**: [Thomas Jefferson](https://www.worldhistory.org/Thomas_Jefferson/) writes 'A Summary View of the Rights of British America', catapulting him to the front of the Patriot movement.
- **May 1775 CE**: [Thomas Jefferson](https://www.worldhistory.org/Thomas_Jefferson/) arrives in Philadelphia as a delegate to the [Second Continental Congress](https://www.worldhistory.org/Second_Continental_Congress/).
- **11 Jun 1776 CE - 28 Jun 1776 CE**: [Thomas Jefferson](https://www.worldhistory.org/Thomas_Jefferson/) writes the [Declaration of Independence](https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2411/declaration-of-independence/) in isolation before handing it off the Congress for approval.
- **1779 CE - 1781 CE**: [Thomas Jefferson](https://www.worldhistory.org/Thomas_Jefferson/) serves two single-year terms as the governor of Virginia.
- **6 Sep 1782 CE**: Martha Jefferson dies after a difficult childbirth, at the age of 33.
- **6 Aug 1784 CE**: [Thomas Jefferson](https://www.worldhistory.org/Thomas_Jefferson/) arrives in [Paris](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/paris/), having been appointed US minister to France.
- **Jul 1787 CE**: Sally Hemings, an enslaved teenaged girl, joins her master, [Thomas Jefferson](https://www.worldhistory.org/Thomas_Jefferson/), in [Paris](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/paris/); is likely impregnated by him within the next two years.
- **1790 CE - 1793 CE**: [Thomas Jefferson](https://www.worldhistory.org/Thomas_Jefferson/) serves as the first US Secretary of State in the Washington Administration; beginning of his rivalry with [Alexander Hamilton](https://www.worldhistory.org/Alexander_Hamilton/) and the Federalist Party.
- **4 Nov 1796 CE - 7 Dec 1796 CE**: The Election of 1796 is held in the United States; [John Adams](https://www.worldhistory.org/John_Adams/) is elected president, with [Thomas Jefferson](https://www.worldhistory.org/Thomas_Jefferson/) as his vice president.
- **Jun 1798 CE**: [Thomas Jefferson](https://www.worldhistory.org/Thomas_Jefferson/) condemns the [Alien and Sedition Acts](https://www.worldhistory.org/Alien_and_Sedition_Acts/) as unconstitutional; responds with the equally controversial Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions.
- **1801 CE**: President Jefferson declares [war](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/War/) on the Barbary Pirates, sparking the First Barbary War.
- **4 Mar 1801 CE**: [Thomas Jefferson](https://www.worldhistory.org/Thomas_Jefferson/) is sworn in as the third president of the United States.
- **2 May 1803 CE**: The [Louisiana Purchase](https://www.worldhistory.org/Louisiana_Purchase/) is finalized in [Paris](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/paris/); the 828,000 acres of the Louisiana Territory are sold to the United States.
- **1804 CE**: [Thomas Jefferson](https://www.worldhistory.org/Thomas_Jefferson/) is elected for a second term as US president.
- **17 Apr 1804 CE**: Mary Jefferson Eppes, daughter of US President [Thomas Jefferson](https://www.worldhistory.org/Thomas_Jefferson/), dies several months after a difficult childbirth.
- **14 May 1804 CE - 23 Sep 1806 CE**: In the [Lewis and Clark Expedition](https://www.worldhistory.org/Lewis_and_Clark_Expedition/), the Corps of Discovery heads west, eventually reaches the Pacific Ocean.
- **1 Jan 1808 CE**: The slave [trade](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/trade/) is prohibited in the United States, after Congress passes legislation promoted by the Jefferson Administration.
- **4 Mar 1809 CE**: [Thomas Jefferson](https://www.worldhistory.org/Thomas_Jefferson/) leaves office at the end of his second presidential term, returns to Monticello for retirement.
- **4 Jul 1826 CE**: [Thomas Jefferson](https://www.worldhistory.org/Thomas_Jefferson/) dies at Monticello, aged 83.

## Questions & Answers

### Who was Thomas Jefferson?
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) was a Founding Father of the United States. He was the main author of the Declaration of Independence and the third president of the United States (served 1801-1809). 

### Where did Thomas Jefferson live?
Thomas Jefferson took great pride in his home at Monticello, built atop an 868-foot-high mountain near Charlottesville, Virginia. 

### What did Thomas Jefferson do as president?
As president, Thomas Jefferson completed the Louisiana Purchase, commissioned the Lewis and Clark Expedition, oversaw the First Barbary War, and passed the Embargo Act. 

### Which political party was Thomas Jefferson a part of?
Thomas Jefferson was a leader of the Democratic-Republican Party (also known as the Republican Party or Jeffersonian Republicans). This party favored the spread of republicanism, agrarianism, and pro-French policies, and opposed the centralization and aristocratic tendencies of the rival Federalist Party. 


## Cite This Work

### APA
Mark, H. W. (2024, October 23). Thomas Jefferson. *World History Encyclopedia*. [https://www.worldhistory.org/Thomas\_Jefferson/](https://www.worldhistory.org/Thomas_Jefferson/)
### Chicago
Mark, Harrison W.. "Thomas Jefferson." *World History Encyclopedia*, October 23, 2024. [https://www.worldhistory.org/Thomas\_Jefferson/](https://www.worldhistory.org/Thomas_Jefferson/).
### MLA
Mark, Harrison W.. "Thomas Jefferson." *World History Encyclopedia*, 23 Oct 2024, [https://www.worldhistory.org/Thomas\_Jefferson/](https://www.worldhistory.org/Thomas_Jefferson/).

## License & Copyright

Submitted by [Harrison W. Mark](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/harrisonwmark/ "User Page: Harrison W. Mark"), published on 23 October 2024. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en). This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.