Thomas Jefferson
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| Thomas Jefferson | |
 Portrait of Thomas Jefferson |
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3rd President of the United States
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| In office March 4, 1801 – March 3, 1809 |
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| Vice President(s) | Aaron Burr; George Clinton |
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| Preceded by | John Adams |
| Succeeded by | James Madison |
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| Born | April 13, 1743 Shadwell, Virginia |
| Died | July 4, 1826 Charlottesville, Virginia |
| Political party | Democratic-Republican |
| Spouse | Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson |
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 - July 4, 1826) was the third President of the United States and author of the Declaration of Independence.
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[edit] Early life
Jefferson was born in Shadwell, Virginia. His parents were farmers. Jefferson was very smart and studied many things at school and college. His home Monticello was very advanced for that period of time.
Jefferson married Martha Wayles Skelton in 1772.
[edit] Political life
Jefferson wanted the Thirteen Colonies to be independent of Great Britain. He was a leader of those who wanted the same thing. He was a member of the Second Continental Congress. He was chosen to be on the committee that wrote the Declaration of Independence and was its main writer.
Jefferson served as a legislator in Virgnia and as Governor of Virginia.
Jefferson was minister to France from 1785-1789.
Jefferson was selected by George Washington as the first Secretary of State. Jefferson thougt that the federal government should be small. He had the opposite view of Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton. He led the party that opposed Hamilton and the Federalist Party. This party was called the Anti-Federalist Party and would become the Democratic-Republican Party.
Jefferson ran for president against John Adams. He got the second highest number of votes and as was the law at the time, became vice-president.
[edit] Presidency
Jefferson ran again as the Democratic-Republican candidate in 1800 and won by a landslide. He was reelected in 1804. Jefferson made the Louisiana Purchase. Jefferson sent the Lewis and Clark Expedition to explore the land gained by the Louisiana Purchase.
Jefferson had to deal with the threat of war during his second term. Great Britain and France were at war for almost all of Jefferson's time as president. Each side did things that could have made the United States enter the war. Jefferson worked to keep the United States out of the war and neutral.
[edit] Later years
Jefferson created the University of Virginia.
Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, on the 50th anniversary of the ratification of the Declaration of Independence, the same day as John Adams. He is considered one of the greatest United States Presidents.
| Presidents of the United States of America |  |
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| Washington | J. Adams | Jefferson | Madison | Monroe | J. Q. Adams | Jackson | Van Buren | W. H. Harrison | Tyler | Polk | Taylor | Fillmore | Pierce | Buchanan | Lincoln | A. Johnson | Grant | Hayes | Garfield | Arthur | Cleveland | B. Harrison | Cleveland | McKinley | T. Roosevelt | Taft | Wilson | Harding | Coolidge | Hoover | F.D. Roosevelt | Truman | Eisenhower | Kennedy | L. B. Johnson | Nixon | Ford | Carter | Reagan | G. H. W. Bush | Clinton | G. W. Bush | ||
