Thomas Jefferson

By Kamil Issa and Samer Mcheileh

Thomas Jefferson
 Who was Thomas Jefferson?
Thomas Jefferson was an American founding Father,
the main author of American Declaration of
Independence, and the Third President of USA.
He also served as the second vice president of USA, as
the first secretary of state, and as a minister to France
He organized the Democratic Republican party with
his friend and founded the University of Virginia.
His thoughts were influenced by the Enlightenment,
so he supported democracy, freedom, education, etc
Thomas Jefferson
 Early life
Jefferson was born in April 13, 1743 in Shadwell, Virginia.
His father, Peter Jefferson, was a planter and a surveyor
in the Shadwell slave plantation. His mother, Jane
Randolph, was a well known daughter of a Virginia
family. He was the third child born out of 10 siblings
 He was educated in a local private school. There he
studied Latin, Greek and French.
Peter died in 1757, leaving Thomas as the head of the
family. Thomas later inherited huge area of Peter’s land
with a number of slaves.
 Early life
In 1760, he started to study and practice law in the
College of William and Mary. He graduated in 1762.
During his childhood, he was a skilled violin player,
reader ,and a horseman.
Thomas Jefferson as a kid
Birthplace
 After graduating from college
After graduating in 1762, Thomas starts reading law
under George Wythe in Williamsburg.
In 1767, he was admitted to Virginia bar as a lawyer
until 1774 when the courts were closed by the
American Revolution
In 1769 Jefferson build Monticello, a house designed
by him, in which he lived the rest of his life.
He was a member of Virginia House of Burgesses from
1769-1774
Monticello
 Marriage
Thomas married Martha Wayles Skelton, a widow and
a daughter of a wealthy Virginia family, in January 1,
1772.
They had six children, but only 2 of them survived to
adulthood. His children were called Peter, Martha,
Lucy Elizabeth, Mary, Eston and Jane. Martha and
Mary survived to adulthood.
When Martha’s father died in 1773, Thomas inherited
about 5000 acres of his land with slaves and massive
debts.
Thomas and his wife
 The American Revolution
When the American Revolution started, Jefferson was
chosen to write the American Declaration of
Independence. He wrote it in July 4, 1776 with four
other members of the Congress, including John
Adams and Benjamin Franklin. At that time, all ties
were cut with England.
Second Continental Congress
 The declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is a document
which says why the colonies should be independent of
Britain. Jefferson wrote that every person is born
equal, that every person has the right to life, liberty
and happiness, that a government should protect
people’s rights and that people had the right to
overthrow a bad government. He also listed how the
King of Britain violated the colonists rights, which was
the reason why America should gain its independence.
The American Declaration of Independence
Virginia Statute for Religious freedom
When Jefferson left the Continental Congress in 1776
and was re-elected to Virginia House of Delegates
(known before as House of Burgesses), he wrote the
Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, which stated
that people should be free to practice any religion and
that state and church should be separated. It was
written in late 1700s, but it was adopted as a law in
1786.
Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom
 1779-1789
From 1779 till 1781 Jefferson was the governor of
Virginia
From 1783 till 1785 Jefferson was a member of the
Congress (known since 1781 as Congress of the
Confideration).
From 1785 till 1789 Jefferson succeeded Benjamin
Franklin as the U.S minister to France.
 Road to Presidency
When Jefferson returned from France in 1789, he
became the Secretary of State of U.S.A under President
George Washington.
When he was the Secretary of State, he created the
Democratic-Republican party that opposed the
Federalist Party of Secretary of Treasury Alexander
Hamilton, therefore they always feuded because of
their different beliefs on foreign policy and
government. They were both trusted advisors to
George Washington.
 Vice President of the U.S
After resigning as secretary of state in 1794,
presidental elections were held on who would succeed
Washington. Jefferson faced John Adams in the
election, and he got the second highest amount of
votes, making him the second vice president of U.S in
1797.
 Presidency and Louisiana Purchase
Jefferson was elected as the third president of the U.S
in March 4, 1801.
In 1803 Jefferson made another achievement in his life
by making the Louisiana Purchase from France for 15
million Dollars.
By making the Louisiana Purchase, the size of the U.S
was doubled.
The land that Jefferson bought was more than 820000
square miles in size.
The Louisiana Purchase
 The Louisiana Purchase
The land purchased in the Louisiana Purchase
extended between the Mississippi River and Rocky
Mountains and the Gulf of Mexico to present day
Canada.
Jefferson also explored places in the purchased land
and provided good information about geography,
Indian tribes and plant life.
The Tripolitan War (1801-1805)
The Tripolitan War was a brief war between the U.S
allied with Sweden and Ottoman Tripolitania allied
with the Sultanate of Morocco.
It took place because pirates from Barbary states were
seizing U.S ships and demanding ransom to release
them.
Jefferson refused to pay ransom and he attacked
Tripolitania. The U.S won the war and a peace treaty
was made
The First Barbary War
Other things before re-election
Ohio became a part of the U.S in the 1804. It was the
first state to prohibit slavery.
Jefferson also signed a peace treaty with Spain.
He improved the U.S army and lowered taxes on
people.
 Re-election
In 1804, Jefferson was re-elected as the president of
the U.S.
During his second term in office, Jefferson mainly
focused on trying to keep America out of Napoleonic
Wars in Europe.
He did not succeed since Britain and France, who
fought each other, both began harassing American
merchant ships. As a result, Jefferson implemented the
Embargo of 1807
Embargo of 1807
 Embargo of 1807
The Embargo of 1807 closed U.S ports to foreign trade.
This act was not good since it damaged the U.S
economy, so it was repealed in 1809.
Despite all those efforts to maintain peace, the U.S
went to war with Britain in 1812.
 After leaving presidency
Jefferson left the U.S presidency in 1809 and he was
succeeded by James Madison, who was also a former
secretary of state from Virginia.
After resigning from presidency, Jefferson returned to
Monticello, where he lived for the rest of his life.
He pursued his interests of architecture, music,
reading and gardening.
In 1825 he founded the University of Virginia.
 Death
Thomas Jefferson died in Monticello at July 4, 1826
due to health problems.
He died 50 years after writing the Declaration of
Independence. John Adams also died in the same day
Jefferson died
He was buried in Monticello.
Jefferson’s grave with his achievements
U.S money with Jefferson’s picture
Thomas Jefferson carved into Mount
Rushmore
The Jefferson Memorial
 Why was he famous?
He was famous for being the 3rd U.S president.
He was also famous for writing the Declaration of
independence (The document set forth the colonists’
reason to separate from the Great Britain)
He was also a gardener, father, designer and a thinker
who believed in human rights, religious freedom,
education, etc
Hw also knew and valued John Locke and other
Enlightenment thinkers.
Famous Quotes
•Famous quotes
Famous quotes
 sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Jefferson
http://www.biography.com/people/thomas-jefferson-
9353715#synopsis
http://www.shmoop.com/thomas-jefferson/timeline.
html
http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/biographies/thomas-jeffers
on/his-early-career.php
http://millercenter.org/president/jefferson/essays/bio
graphy/2
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/history/us/pres/j
efferson/
http://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/thomas