The Declaration of Independence

Jefferson is the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. He was a politician, philosopher, architect, diplomat, and writer. In addition to being considered one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, Jefferson served as the nation’s first secretary of state, second vice president, and third president.

Jefferson was born in Virginia in 1743. At age 21, he inherited 5,000 acres including his family home of Monticello. After attending the College of William and Mary, Jefferson practiced law and served as a representative in the Virginia House of Burgesses. With incredibly wide interests and talents, he maintained a large library of Enlightenment-era and classical texts. After the British Parliament passed a series of punitive laws against the colonies in 1774 (known as the Intolerable Acts), Jefferson called for protests and a boycott of British goods. Once the American Revolution started, Jefferson joined the Continental Congress and lobbied to write the Declaration of Independence. He approached Adams (who became a close friend) to ask for his support in being named to the Committee of Five. Once on the committee, he became the principal author of the declaration. After minor edits by the other committee members, Jefferson’s manuscript was presented to the full Congress. After days of debate, approximately a quarter of the text was removed by the full congress, including a passage that personally criticized George III and another that blamed him for supporting the slave trade.

After the revolution, Jefferson served in various capacities in state and federal government. Among his other accomplishments, he wrote Notes on the State of Virginia, a book that shares data about the state’s economy, topography, and environment. After a viciously contentious presidential election between Jefferson and Adams in 1796, Jefferson became vice president and, four years later, president. In that office, he made the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the size of the new country, and steered the nation through the Barbary War. After his presidency, Jefferson founded and designed the University of Virginia. He eventually made peace with Adams and began a long correspondence with him. Scholars regard their exchange of letters as a canonical work of US political literature. Both men died on July 4, 1826, 50 years to the day after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.