Thomas Jefferson: More than a President

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (qtd. in Allison 65). Before 1776, Colonial America was a colony of Great Britain. Then, when their mother country became too oppressive, brave revolutionaries planned a Declaration of Independence to rid themselves of their bonds. This document launched the colony into The Revolutionary War with Great Britain. Eventually, The United States of America gained independence at the hands of many brave men and women. Prominent among these heroes and heroines is Thomas Jefferson who wrote the Declaration of Independence. Apart from the Declaration, Jefferson accomplished great achievements in his lifetime; our nation would not be the same today without his genius: “Even among that remarkable group of men known as the Founding Fathers, Jefferson was truly a giant” (Allison 9).

Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743 to Peter and Jane Jefferson who lived near the Blue Ridge Mountains in colonial America. He was the eldest of two sons and six daughters. His father was a surveyor with little formal education and owned property including 60 slaves. Jane, his mother, was from a very distinguished family. His father died when Jefferson was fourteen, and he left to learn Latin and Greek with a nearby teacher. In 1760, he started school at the College of William and Mary where he kept a rigorous academic schedule including: fifteen hours of studying primarily law, three hours of practicing violin, and six hours of sleeping and eating (“Jefferson” 323). Through this education, “He was laying a foundation for his future career as an...

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