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Thomas Jefferson

Born

in Shadwell Plantation, Goochland, Virginia Colony

April 13, 1743

Died

July 04, 1826

Genre

Nonfiction, Politics

Influences

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Thomas Jefferson was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence. Following the American Revolutionary War and prior to becoming president in 1801, Jefferson was the nation's first U.S. secretary of state under George Washington and then the nation's second vice president under John Adams. Jefferson was a leading proponent of democracy, republicanism, and individual rights, and produced formative documents and decisions at the state, national, and international levels. His writings and advocacy for human rights, including freedom of thought, speech, and religion, se Thomas Jefferson was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence. Following the American Revolutionary War and prior to becoming president in 1801, Jefferson was the nation's first U.S. secretary of state under George Washington and then the nation's second vice president under John Adams. Jefferson was a leading proponent of democracy, republicanism, and individual rights, and produced formative documents and decisions at the state, national, and international levels. His writings and advocacy for human rights, including freedom of thought, speech, and religion, served as substantial inspirations to the American Revolution and subsequent Revolutionary War in which the Thirteen Colonies succeeded in breaking from British America and establishing the United States as a sovereign nation.
During the American Revolution, Jefferson represented Virginia at the Second Continental Congress and served as the second governor of Virginia from 1779 to 1781. In 1785, Congress appointed Jefferson U.S. minister to France, where he served from 1785 to 1789. President Washington then appointed Jefferson the nation's first secretary of state, where he served from 1790 to 1793. During this time, in the early 1790s, Jefferson and James Madison organized the Democratic-Republican Party to oppose the Federalist Party during the formation of the nation's First Party System. Jefferson and Federalist John Adams became both friends and political rivals. In the 1796 U.S. presidential election between the two, Jefferson came in second, which made him Adams' vice president under the electoral laws of the time. Four years later, in the 1800 presidential election, Jefferson again challenged Adams, and won the presidency. In 1804, Jefferson was reelected overwhelmingly to a second term.
As president, Jefferson assertively defended the nation's shipping and trade interests against Barbary pirates and aggressive British trade policies, promoted a western expansionist policy with the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the nation's geographic size, and was able to reduce military forces and expenditures following successful negotiations with France. In his second presidential term, Jefferson was beset by difficulties at home, including the trial of his former vice president Aaron Burr. In 1807, Jefferson implemented the Embargo Act to defend the nation's industries from British threats to U.S. shipping, limiting foreign trade and stimulating the birth of the American manufacturing industry. Presidential scholars and historians praise Jefferson's public achievements, including his advocacy of religious freedom and tolerance, his peaceful acquisition of the Louisiana Territory from France, and his leadership in supporting the Lewis and Clark Expedition; they give radically differing interpretations of his views on and relationship with slavery.
Jefferson is ranked by both scholars and in public opinion among the upper-tier of American presidents. ...more

Combine Editions
Thomas Jefferson’s books

Average rating: 4.21 · 16,065 ratings · 1,007 reviews · 1,377 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson, Michael Hardt (Introduction), Garnet Kindervater 4.56 avg rating — 3,659 ratings — published 1776 — 248 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Jefferson Bible: The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth 3.88 avg rating — 2,658 ratings — published 1819 — 320 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Writings: Autobiography / Notes on the State of Virginia / Public and Private Papers / Addresses / Letters by Thomas Jefferson, Merrill D. Peterson (Editor) 4.23 avg rating — 1,486 ratings — published 1984 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Autobiography of Thomas Jefferson 3.88 avg rating — 1,190 ratings — published 1821 — 108 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Notes on the State of Virginia (Published by the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture and the University of North Carolina Press) 3.45 avg rating — 611 ratings — published 1785 — 218 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution with Bill of Rights and all Amendments (Annotated) by Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Founding Fathers 4.73 avg rating — 224 ratings — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Speeches That Changed the World: The Stories and Transcripts of the Moments That Made History 3.81 avg rating — 233 ratings — published 2006	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Portable Thomas Jefferson by Thomas Jefferson, Merrill D. Peterson (Editor) 4.08 avg rating — 210 ratings — published 1975 — 14 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Life and Selected Writings of Thomas Jefferson by Thomas Jefferson, Adrienne Koch (Editor), William Harwood Peden (Editor) 4.16 avg rating — 167 ratings — published 1944 — 32 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Constitution of the United States and The Declaration of Independence 4.44 avg rating — 122 ratings — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Thomas Jefferson…

Series by Thomas Jefferson

Project Gutenberg (2 books)
by

Thomas Jefferson,

Michael Hardt (Introduction),

Garnet Kindervater

4.56 avg rating — 3,660 ratings

The Papers of Thomas Jefferson (42 books)
by

Thomas Jefferson,

Julian P. Boyd (Editor)

4.47 avg rating — 79 ratings

The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Retirement Series (11 books)
by

Thomas Jefferson,

J. Jefferson Looney (Editor)

4.61 avg rating — 33 ratings

Quotes by Thomas Jefferson (?)

“I cannot live without books.”
― Thomas Jefferson

tags: books

7356 likes

“Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.”
― Thomas Jefferson

tags: inspiration, motivation

3614 likes

“I predict future happiness for Americans, if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.”
― Thomas Jefferson

tags: freedom, government, politics

1885 likes

See all Thomas Jefferson's quotes »

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