Biography

3rd President of the United States. He is the author of the Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom. He is also the founder of the University of Virginia.

Having inherited a considerable landed estate from his father, Jefferson began building Monticello when he was twenty-six years old. Jefferson inherited slaves from both his father and father-in-law, John Wayles. He held a variety of political positions throughout his life. In 1790 he accepted the post of Secretary of State under George Washington. His tenure was marked by his opposition to the pro-British policies of Alexander Hamilton. In 1796, as the presidential candidate of the Democratic Republicans, he became vice-president after losing to John Adams. He was elected president in 1800 and the most notable achievements of his first term were the purchase of the Louisiana Territory in 1803 and his support of the Lewis and Clark expedition. His second term, a time when he encountered more difficulties on both the domestic and foreign fronts, is most remembered for his efforts to maintain neutrality in the midst of the conflict between Britain and France. However, the US did enter was with Britain in 1812 despite his efforts.