Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson By: Catherine Hudson

Thomas Jefferson • Born at Shadwell in Albemarle County, Virginia on April 13, 1743 • Was about six feet tall and very thin • Had hazel eyes and a reddish color hair • Attended College of William and Mary at age 16 (1760-1762) and studied law • Was the third of 8 children to live to maturity • He didn’t like being around crowds and tried to avoid public speeches • Was influenced largely on the works of Rousseau, Voltaire and Locke • While Jefferson believed slavery to be a moral evil, he owned about 150 slaves • Married Martha Wayles Skelton in1772 • Had six children, but only two survived infancy • Martha died in 1782, but he never remarried

Jefferson as an Inventor • Invented the: • Obelisk Clock- a dial supported by two black marble obelisks • Plow Moldboard- turned soil more efficiently • Adjustable Table- moved up and down for sketching • Swivel Chair • Beds- retractable into a wall • Indoor Indicator- to allow him to determine wind direction without going outside • Dumbwaiter- used to carry goods from the cellar to the dining room • Polygraph- contraption of rods that connected two pens and made the hand movements of a writer to make copies of documents

Jefferson as an Architect • Studied designs of buildings from ancient Rome • Learned mainly about architecture from books by famous architects • Designed his home in Virginia, Monticello • Monticello was built on the land he inherited from his father when he was fourteen • Monticello was in the center of about 5,000 acres • The building of Monticello began in 1768 • He once described Monticello as an “essay in architecture” • Jefferson designed the house over a period of about forty years • After returning from France and serving as Secretary of State for four years, he redesigned Monticello and expanded the house from only eight rooms to twenty-one • The remodeling of Monticello after Jefferson’s return from France began in 1796 and was mostly completed by 1809 • When he redesigned Monticello, it was based on Vesta, an ancient temple in Rome • The new design had a dome, which was the first one to be built in an American house

Monticello

Founding of the University of Virginia • Founded in 1819 by Jefferson • First university to use the elective course system • First nonsectarian university • Jefferson wanted to create a new type of university that would educate leaders in practical affairs and public service instead of just teaching about becoming a teacher or preacher • University opened for class in 1825 with only eight faculty members and sixty-eight students • Jefferson worked very hard to get the most elite faculty members (five came from England and three from the United States) • At the start of the university, most students were not from Virginia • Jefferson opposed granting degrees because he thought of them as “artificial embellishments” • Jefferson founded the University “based on the illimitable freedom of the human mind, to explore and to expose every subject susceptible of its contemplation.”

Relationship with Sally Hemings • Sally Hemings was the daughter of Elizabeth Hemings and was one of his slaves • It is sometimes believed that Jefferson’s wife, Martha and Sally were half-sisters because it is believed that John Wayles, Martha Jefferson’s brother, was Sally’s father • Started as a rumor in the early 1800s which said that Jefferson and Sally Hemings were in a relationship • The rumor was that Jefferson was the father to some of Sally Heming’s children • One of Sally’s children even said that he was Jefferson’s son • It is still uncertain if Jefferson ever had children with Sally, but it was found in 2000 that he was most likely father to at least one of the six children

Thomas Jefferson • Served as: • Delegate to 2nd Continental Congress • Member of the Virginia House of Burgesses (1768) • Governor of Virginia (1779-1781) • U.S. minister to France (1784-1789) • First U.S Secretary of State (1790-1793) • Second Vice President of the United States under John Adams (1797-1801) • Third President of the United States (1801-1809)

Presidency • Third President from 1801-1809 • First President to be inaugurated in the new capital city on the Potomac River, Washington D.C. • Inaugurated on March 4, 1801 • Jefferson’s first term as President is often viewed as one of the most successful presidential terms in history • After eight years of presidency, his bill on wine alone was more than $10,000 • In the election of 1800, the two candidates for President and Vice-president were Aaron Burr and Thomas Jefferson and they ended up each having 73 votes • The election then had to be decided by the House of Representatives because of the tie • He was then chosen to be president and because of this tie in the election, the Twelfth Amendment was passed • The Twelfth Amendment provided for the naming of the President and Vice-president on each elector’s ballot

Jefferson and Franklin • Jefferson and Franklin Similarities: • Were both on the committee for writing the Declaration of Independence • Writers • Inventors • Influenced by European philosophers such as Voltaire • Wrote autobiographies • Statesmen • Ambassadors to France • Heavily involved in politics • Members of the Second Continental Congress • Jefferson and Franklin Differences: • Jefferson was less involved in scientific discoveries • Franklin was never elected President like Jefferson • Jefferson was born in Virginia and Franklin was born in Boston

Writings “I am drudging at the writing table from sun-rise to one or two o’clock, and often from dinner to dark.” -Thomas Jefferson

Declaration of Independence

Declaration of Independence • Best known for his writing of this document • Originally appointed to draft a “Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking up Arms” after the beginning of the Revolutionary War • The men on the committee for forming the document was John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston • Was appointed the chairman of the committee to form the document • The men chose him to write the document because they believed he was the most logical choice because he was popular throughout the colonies and known for his writings • Also, he had written a Summary View of the Rights of the British America and this document helped the colonists decide that he was the right candidate for the writing of the Declaration of Independence • At the time, Jefferson was only 33 years old

Declaration of Independence • Jefferson had the document completed only two weeks after he was asked to write it and sent it to be approved by the Committee on June 28, 1776 • The document contains three parts: the preamble, the list of grievances, and the conclusion • Was more concerned with writing a new constitution for Virginia and his wife’s failing death than the writing of the Declaration • Jefferson said the point of the document was “to place before mankind the common sense of the subject, in terms so plain and firm as to command their assent…Neither aiming at originality of principle or sentiment, nor yet copied from any particular and previous writing, it was intended to be an expression of the American mind…” • The main changes from Jefferson’s original draft made by the Second Continental Congress was leaving out a part on the condemnation of the British slave trade because there were some pro-slave delegates and removed statements against the British people, rather than just their government

Declaration of Independence (Preamble) • The introduction (first two paragraphs) is called the preamble • It was written from books and declarations written by Englishmen such as John Locke • In the first paragraph, Jefferson explains that since the colonies want to separate from England, it is only right to explain why • John Locke once wrote that the three purposes of government were life, liberty, and property • Jefferson changed this philosophy slightly to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” • Jefferson described the reasons for wanting independence

Declaration of Independence (List of Grievances) • Following the preamble was a list of how George III, the British king, had disobeyed his own laws and abused the colonists • This list also makes charges against Parliament as well as other British royal officials • Some of the charges against the British include, “cutting off our trade with all parts of the world,” “imposing taxes on us without our consent,” and “quartering large bodies of armed troops among us.” • The list explains the colonists rights and justifies the decision for independence • Jefferson begins every charge with “He”, which refers to George III

Declaration of Independence(Conclusion) • In the conclusion, Jefferson uses a quote from Richard Henry Lee, “That these United States are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved..” • Jefferson lists specific powers that the colonies will have as free and independent states when he writes that “they (the states) have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do.” • Final sentence: “ And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” • Approved July 4, 1776 • All 56 men signed • On July 5, John Hancock sent copies of the Declaration to the states • On July 8, 1776, it was first read aloud to the public in Philadelphia • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yb7MI8NQLoo

Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom I. Whereas Almighty God hath created the mind free; that all attempts to influence it by temporal punishment or burthens, or by civil incapacitations, tend only to beget habits of hypocrisy and meanness, and are a departure from the plan of the Holy author of our religion, who being Lord both of body and mind, yet chose not to propagate it by coercions on either, as was his Almighty power to do . . . • First paragraph explains Jefferson’s deism (or the belief that God created the Earth but isn’t associated with the world’s affairs) and natural rights. II. Be it enacted by the General Assembly, that no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burthened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinion in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities. • Second paragraph explains that no one should be forced to attend church and should not have to pay taxes to a specific religious group. Additionally, it says everyone should be able to worship as they wish without any discrimination. III. And though we well know that this assembly elected by the people for the ordinary purposes of legislation only, have no power to restrain the act of succeeding assemblies, constituted with powers equal to our own, and that therefore to declare this act to be irrevocable would be of no effect in law; yet we are free to declare, and do declare, that the rights hereby asserted are of the natural rights of mankind, and that if any act shall be hereafter passed to repeal the present, or to narrow its operation, such as would be an infringement of natural right. - Third paragraph explains Jefferson’s belief in the people’s right to change laws through elected assemblies. He also says that this document should never be repealed or it would be “an infringement of natural right.”

Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom • Written by Thomas Jefferson and passed on January 16, 1786 by the Virginia General Assembly • Divided into three paragraphs • Document written to describe the separation between the church and the state and freedom of conscience and states Jefferson’s philosophy

Essays • Jefferson wrote many papers and letters throughout his life, but was mainly noted for The Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom, his The Autobiography of Thomas Jefferson, and the Declaration of Independence • Wrote a Summary View of the Rights of British America • This document was a pamphlet that he wrote in 1774 • It established him as a lawyer and stylist • In the document, he proved that Parliament had no power over the colonies • In TheAutobiography of Thomas Jefferson, he explains the events of his life • He also attaches A Declaration by Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress Assembled • In A Declaration by Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress Assembled, he underlines important parts of the Declaration that were changed by Congress

Thomas Jefferson’s Tombstone

Death • Died at Monticello on July 4, 1826 (the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the same day as John Adams) • Jefferson designed his tombstone to says: “Here was buried Thomas Jefferson, Author of the Declaration of Independence, Of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, And the father of the University of Virginia” • It is also worth noting that he did not write that he was the third president of the United States • At death, his debts totaled about $107,274

Thomas Jefferson