Statesman · 1743 – 1826
Thomas Jefferson
Key Takeaways
- Jefferson was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence.
- He served as the third President of the United States.
- His Notes on the State of Virginia was a landmark of early American writing.
- He founded the University of Virginia and designed its buildings.
Thomas Jefferson was a statesman and president — but above all he was a writer, a man who shaped a nation with words. The pen that drafted the Declaration of Independence gave the American Revolution its voice and the modern world one of its great statements of liberty.
The author of independence
At just 33, Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, with help in editing from Benjamin Franklin. Drawing on the natural-rights philosophy of John Locke, its words — “all men are created equal” — became a creed echoing far beyond the United States. His only full-length book, Notes on the State of Virginia, ranged across science, geography and politics as a landmark of early American letters.
A mind that would not rest
Serving under George Washington and later as third president, Jefferson doubled the nation’s size with the Louisiana Purchase and founded the University of Virginia. Yet the man who wrote of equality enslaved hundreds — a contradiction at the heart of his legacy. A statesman of the Enlightenment, this writer chose, for his own epitaph, to be remembered not as president but as an author and founder.
Influence
Jefferson gave the American Revolution its founding words and the modern world one of its great statements of human equality and liberty, while his writings shaped American science, education and politics.
Legacy
Author of the Declaration and a founder of his nation, he remains a towering yet contradictory figure, celebrated for his ideals and judged for enslaving others.
Major Works
- Declaration of Independence
- Notes on the State of Virginia
- Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom
Controversies
- Despite writing that 'all men are created equal', he enslaved hundreds of people throughout his life.
Connections
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Thomas Jefferson?
Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) was an American statesman, principal author of the Declaration of Independence and third U.S. President, as well as a noted writer and scholar.
What did Thomas Jefferson write?
He wrote the Declaration of Independence, the book Notes on the State of Virginia, the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, and thousands of influential letters.
Citations & Sources
People Like Thomas
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