Thomas Jefferson's Role In The House Of Burgesses

Thomas Jefferson: The Author of Independence

The Revolutionary War is viewed by many as the turning point for American independence. It opened many doors for the future United States of America, with all of the credit due to our Founding Fathers, who had much to do with the independence our country gained from Great Britain. One of our most memorable Founding Fathers; Thomas Jefferson, gained much of his fame and made the most contribution to our county’s freedom from his work: The Declaration of Independence. His involvement in the Continental Congress ultimately led to the writing of this great document. Jefferson’s membership in the Continental Congresses is largely due to the involvement he had in Virginia’s Legislature and in the House

In addition to being where Jefferson’s career began, the House of Burgesses was where the voting took place for the state of Virginia. It was also “. . . the first democratically-elected legislative body in the British American colonies,” (Kimberly 2015). This membership was the start of something great for Jefferson and held the potential for a great writing career. According to History.com (2009), a website encompassing a plethora of information on Thomas Jefferson’s life and his importance during the Revolutionary War, “As a member of colonial Virginia’s House of Burgesses from 1769 to 1775, Jefferson, who was known for his reserved manner, gained recognition for penning a pamphlet. . .” Jefferson’s writing of this pamphlet was a major factor in what determined his membership in the 2nd Continental Congress. According to the Virginia Historical Society, “. . . Jefferson sent a paper to the convention, later published as A Summary View of the Rights of British America. The force of its arguments and its literary quality led the Convention to elect Jefferson to serve in the Continental Congress.” Jefferson’s experience and work in the House of Burgesses led to his initial fame as a Founding Father because of his future involvement in both the Virginia Legislature and the Continental Congress during the Revolutionary

Boundless (2015), a website about the importance of the Second Continental Congress, states, “The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that formed in Philadelphia in May 1775, soon after the launch of the American Revolutionary War.” Jefferson was elected to Congress and placed on a team of five men including Ben Franklin, Roger Sherman, John Adams, Robert Livingston, all put in charge of writing the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson was chosen to be the main author of the Declaration, primarily because of his famed writing abilities as shown in his writing of the document; A Summary View of the Rights of British America. “He [Thomas Jefferson] was too anti-British to be made use of until a total break with Great Britain had become inevitable. Then he was entrusted with drafting the Declaration of Independence,” (Virginia Historical Society) proving just how motivated Jefferson was for liberty. Jefferson was so motivated that those around him placed him in charge of writing the document that would announce the colonies’ freedom from Great Britain, a document that became the living voice of American independence. The Second Continental Congress was a huge part of America’s freedom because of their