Jefferson Quotes and Family Letters from Monticello The other exhibit, on Jefferson’s personal library, focuses on his private book collection, the largest in North America in his time.Įxplore the “Thomas Jefferson” exhibit here and the ‘Thomas Jefferson’s Library” exhibit here > The first, an exhibit on Jefferson’s life in general, focuses on the legacy of Thomas Jefferson–founding father, farmer, architect, inventor, slaveholder, book collector, scholar, diplomat, and the third president of the United States. The Library of Congress has two online exhibits on Thomas Jefferson. Online Exhibits on Jefferson at the Library of Congress Read the piece at the New York Times website > In 2015, JMC faculty partner Allen Guelzo wrote an op-ed for the New York Times on Lincoln’s conflicted feelings for Jefferson in regards to both personality and policy. What Did Lincoln Really Think of Jefferson? The papers, which span from 1760 to 1826, include teenage musings, multiple drafts of the Declaration of Independence, a letter from the Lewis and Clark expedition, and Jefferson’s design and inscription for his tombstone, on which he wishes to be remembered as the “Author of the Declaration of American Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom, & Father of the University of Virginia.”īrowse the Jefferson Papers at the National Archives > The National Archives has made the Jefferson Papers available in an online format. Selected online resources on Thomas Jefferson: The Jefferson Papers at the National Archives Browse these resources or jump from section to section by clicking the links below: Exactly 50 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and on the same day as John Adams, he died on July 4, 1826.īelow is a collection of resources recognizing Thomas Jefferson’s influence in American political thought and as writer of the Declaration of Independence. In his retirement years, Jefferson remained active, founding the University of Virginia and becoming involved with the fledgling Library of Congress. territory through the Louisiana Purchase, as well as his organization of the Lewis and Clark expedition. During his two terms in office, one of Jefferson’s most notable achievements was the expansion of U.S. Four years later, he defeated Adams in the 1800 election, becoming our third president. Running for president in 1796, Jefferson lost to John Adams, subsequently becoming vice president instead. During this period, he butt heads with Alexander Hamilton over questions of foreign policy and states’ rights. Minister to France.Īfter the Constitution was ratified, Jefferson became the first secretary of state under the Washington administration. He also served as Virginia’s governor from 1779-1781, and then as trade commissioner and U.S. During this time, Jefferson formed a strong and enduring tie with Madison. His authorship of the document cemented his place as one of our most important founding fathers.įrom 1776-1779 he served in Virginia’s House of Delegates, where he worked to abolish primogeniture and, along with James Madison, to establish religious liberty. Of the committee, Jefferson was selected by the members to draft the Declaration because of his eloquent and skillful writing. He then studied law under George Wythe and passed the Virginia bar in 1767.Īfter practicing law for two years, Jefferson served as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses from 1769-1774 and actively spoke out against Britain’s treatment of the 13 colonies in his “Summary of the Rights of British America.” In 1776, as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress, Jefferson was nominated to a committee (along with John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston) to write the Declaration of Independence. At the age of 17, Jefferson began his education at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, where he studied and excelled in a variety of subjects. Thomas Jefferson was born in Shadwell, Virginia on Apto Peter and Jane (neé Conway) Jefferson, a successful planter and the daughter of an esteemed Virginia family.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |