Political Leader
of the United Stetes
Stepanyan Lolita
 Thomas Jefferson
• Quick Facts
• Birthday: April 13, 1743
• Nationality: American
• Died At Age: 83
• Sun Sign: Aries
• Born Country: United States
• Born In: Shadwell, Virginia,
United States
• Famous As: 3rd U.S.
President
• Family: Spouse/Ex-: Martha Jefferson (M.
1772–1782)
• Father: Peter Jefferson
• Mother: Jane Randolph
• Siblings: Anna Scott Jefferson Marks,
Elizabeth Jefferson, Jane Jefferson, Lucy
Jefferson Lewis, Martha Jefferson Carr, Mary
Jefferson Bolling, Peter Field Jefferson, Peter
Thomas Jefferson, Randolph, Randolph
Jefferson, Thomas Mann Randolph Sr
• Children: Eston Hemings, Harriet Hemings,
Jane Jefferson, Lucy Elizabeth Jefferson, Lucy
Elizabeth Jefferson I, Madison Hemings,
Martha Jefferson Randolph, Mary Jefferson
Eppes, Peter Jefferson Thomas Jefferson
• Died On: July 4, 1826
• Place Of
Death: Charlottesville
• U.S. State: Virginia
• Notable
Alumni: College Of
William And Mary
• Founder/Co-
Founder: University Of
Virginia
• Thomas Jefferson was a major political leader and
the third president of the United States, serving from
1801 to 1809. He was also a co-founder and leader
of the ‘Democratic Republic Party.’ From 1779 to
1781, he served as the wartime governor of Virginia.
He also wrote ‘Virginia Statute for Religious
Freedom,’ a statute which was enacted by the
‘Virginia General Assembly’ into the state's law in
1786. Before he was elected to the presidency, he
was appointed as the first United States secretary of
state during 1789-1793 and was the second vice-
president of America, serving from 1797 to 1801. In
1776, he became the main author of the ‘Declaration
of Independence,’ and received appreciation for his
role in promoting republicanism in the United States.
While in power, Jefferson fiercely supported the idea
of democracy and favored states’ rights, which he
considered virtues of republicanism. A man of many
talents, Thomas Jefferson explored many interests
and found success as a horticulturist, statesman,
architect, archaeologist, inventor, and founder of the
‘University of Virginia.’
 Childhood & Education
• Born on 13 April 1743 in Virginia, Thomas Jefferson
was the third of ten children born to Peter Jefferson
and Jane Randolph. His father, who was of Welsh
descent, was a surveyor and worked as a planter. In
1745, his family moved to Tuckahoe and lived there
for seven years before returning to their home in
Albemarle County after his father was appointed to
the colonelcy of the county. Jefferson’s education
began in 1752 at a school run by William Douglas,
who was a Scottish minister. From the time he was
nine, Jefferson became an avid learner of Greek,
French, and Latin. His father died in 1757, making
Thomas Jefferson the heir to his assets and a
number of slaves.
• From 1758 to 1760, Jefferson was taught by
Reverend James Maury in Virginia where he
received classical education and studied
science and history. In 1760, he enrolled at
‘The College of William & Mary’ in
Williamsburg where he studied mathematics,
metaphysics, and philosophy, graduating with
supreme honors in 1762. As a keen student,
Jefferson took interest in learning different
languages. As a student, he studied for 15
hours a day. Thomas also learned to play the
violin and took a keen interest in arts. After
graduating, he studied law with George Wythe
and began practicing law in Virginia bar in
1767. From 1768 to 1773, he handled a
number of cases and established himself as a
reputed lawyer.
Marriage & Children
• Thomas Jefferson married a
young widow named Martha
Wayles Skelton in 1772 and
the couple had six children:
Martha Jefferson Randolph,
Jane Randolph, Mary
Wayles, Lucy Elizabeth, and
Elizabeth. Martha gave birth
to a stillborn son in 1777.
She died on 6 September
1782.
 Early Political Life
• Jefferson was appointed as a delegate to the ‘Second
Continental Congress’ in 1775. With the beginning of
American resolution of independence in 1776, he served as
a member to a committee that was responsible for preparing
the declaration of the independence resolution. The draft
was presented to congress on 2 July and on 4 July 1776 the
wording of the ‘Declaration of Independence’ was approved,
making Jefferson a popular person in the country.
• In 1776, Jefferson was elected to the new ‘Virginia
House of Delegates.’ As a delegate, he instigated a
series of reforms and bills to expose Virginia’s new
status as a democratic state. Among his series of
reforms, the most prominent were the laws to end
primogeniture and establish freedom of religion in the
state. Jefferson further produced a bill on ‘General
Diffusion of Knowledge’ in 1778, which resulted in the
establishment of an elective system of study in the
‘College of William and Mary.’ He proposed bills to
eliminate death as a penalty, except in cases of
murder and treason. However, his efforts did not yield
results as crimes, such as rape remained punishable
to death for a long time after the proposal of
Jefferson’s bills with regards to capital punishment.
 Governor of Virginia
• Jefferson became the governor of Virginia in 1779
and remained in this position until 1781. It was
during his tenure as the governor that the capital
of Virginia was transferred from Williamsburg to
Richmond in 1780. His constant efforts in the field
of education were recognized in 1779, when
George Wythe was appointed as the first
professor of law at the ‘College of Williams and
Mary.’ Jefferson’s governorship was marred by
two British invasions which ruined his reputation
as governor and he never won any election in
Virginia thereafter. Jefferson served as minister to
France from 1785 to 1789 and supported France
against Britain when a war was declared between
these two countries in 1793.
Secretary State of the U.S
• Jefferson became the first secretary
of state in 1790, under the
presidency of George Washington.
As a secretary of state, he spoke
against widespread Federalism in
the U.S. and continued to view it as
a threat to Republicanism. Along with
James Madison, he co-founded and
led the ‘Democratic-Republican
Party’ and formulated a set of
connections with Republican allies to
fight the Federalists across the
country.
Vice-Presidency & Presidency
• After a failed bid for vice presidency in 1796, Jefferson
became vice-president of the United States in 1797.
Federalists, who were preparing for war with France,
passed the ‘Alien and Sedition Acts’ in 1798 as a source
of earning money through taxes. Jefferson harshly
criticized these tactics and intensified his attack on
Federalism, as he believed that Federalists had no right to
exercise such power.
• Thomas Jefferson ran for presidency for the first time in
1800. Though he did not campaign for his party, in
accordance with the tradition at the time, he became the
president of the United States in a landslide victory on 17
February 1801.
• Thomas Jefferson ran for presidency for
the first time in 1800. Though he did not
campaign for his party, in accordance
with the tradition at the time, he became
the president of the United States in a
landslide victory on 17 February 1801.
• During his tenure as the president, he
fought the ‘Barbary War,’ safe guarding
the US Coast from pirates, and
acquired Louisiana from France.
Subsequently, he won a second term at
the office in the 1804 presidential
elections.
Life after Presidency
• Thomas Jefferson remained active in
American politics and participated
enthusiastically in educational and
cultural organizations. Education
remained his prime concern
throughout his life, and he took
measures to promote higher
education among people. His efforts
finally fructified in 1819 when the
‘University of Virginia’ was founded.
‘University of Virginia,’ which was the
first university to offer a complete
array of elective courses, was opened
in 1825.
• Jefferson is also known for his love for
architecture and archeology, a subject
which was still developing at the time.
He contributed to the architectural
planning of the ‘University of Virginia’
which became an embodiment of
science and beauty with its planned
site surrounding lawn and linking
arcades. The university, which is
constructed in Greek and Roman style,
represents a unique architecture and
intellectual ideas of Thomas Jefferson,
who became known as the father of
the university.
• In 1780, Jefferson became a member of
‘Benjamin Franklin’s American Philosophical
Society’ and served as its president from
1797 to 1815. An avid wine lover, Jefferson
traveled to France and other European
countries in order to add to his collection of
famous wines. In 1801, he published ‘A
Manual of Parliamentary Practice’ whose
second edition came out in 1812. After the
‘Library of Congress’ was burnt down by the
British in 1814, Jefferson’s huge collection
of books became a part of the new library,
which is named after him in his honor.
Death
• Thomas Jefferson died on 4
July 1826, a date which
coincides with the 50th
anniversary of the ‘Declaration
of Independence.’ After his
death, his assets were sold off
in an auction to pay his huge
debt. His mortal remains were
buried at ‘Monticello,’ a home
which he had built in his youth
in Virginia
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