THOMAS JEFFERSON Third President of the United States Born in 1743 - Died in 1826 Enter your search terms Submit search form   Web gardenofpraise.com

Thomas Jefferson wanted the 13 colonies to become a nation. He was a good writer, so he wrote letters asking people to help the nation become free. He wrote letter after letter; 50,000 letters during his lifetime.

He was such a good writer that he was one of five men chosen to write the Declaration of Independence. He wanted to be able to think, so he rented a house and stayed there by himself for 17 days. He searched in his mind for just the right words. When he had finished it, he gave it to the Continental Congress, and on July 4, 1776 it was adopted * . The war for freedom; the revolution * had started.

Jefferson was born on the family farm in Virginia to a wealthy family. He had six sisters and three brothers; a large family indeed.

When he was a boy he enjoyed hunting, fishing, riding horses and canoeing. He also loved music and learned to play the violin.

His father was his teacher and his parents talked to him about the importance of serving others. His father died when Thomas was 14 years old.

When he was 17 he entered college and studied law. He would make a schedule for himself and study 15 hours or more a day. Because of his hard work, he was at the head of his class. He soon passed the bar exam * and became a lawyer in Virginia.

Monticello Photo by Christopher Hollis

He married and built a home called Monticello (Mon-ti-CHELLO). Later his wife, Martha, died. When George Washington was president, Jefferson was his secretary of state. Then he served as vice president under John Adams. Jefferson was elected the third president of the United States in 1801.

His wife died 19 years before he became president, so there was no "First Lady" * . Sometimes his daughters served as hostesses * . Dolley Madison, the wife of his Secretary of State, was also a popular hostess in the White House.

He knew the country had to grow, so he completed the Louisiana Purchase which doubled the size of the nation.

After two terms as president he returned to Monticello and farming. He grew hundreds of different kinds of vegetables and fruit trees.

He knew education was important, so he planned the University of Virginia. He designed the buildings and marked where they should be built. He also chose the library books, and even hired the teachers. The school opened in 1825 with 40 students.

Thomas Jefferson died 50 years after the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

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PRINTABLES Thomas Jefferson Word Search Thomas Jefferson Crossword Puzzle Thomas Jefferson - Word Scramble Jefferson Study Sheet Worksheet Color a picture of Thomas Jefferson

The Thomas Jefferson Papers
at the Library of Congress

Writing the Declaration of Independence,1776
from Eye Witness to History

My Own Book
put yourself in this story about the Louisiana Purchase

The Declaration of Independence
video lesson
(Click on the topics "Interactive Media Files", be sure volume is turned up.)

Jefferson as President
video lesson
(Click on the topics "Interactive Media Files" )

"Thomas Jefferson, A Character Sketch"
online book by Edward Ellis

"Thomas Jefferson"
online book by Thomas Watson

Thomas Jefferson
American Presidents, Life Portraits
Listen to stories about this president.

Presidents - coloring pages
Whitehouse Kids.gov

At biography.com search for Thomas Jefferson.
Scroll the panel for the "Video & Audio Results".

Discover Thomas Jefferson: Architect, Inventor By Patricia A. Pingry / Ideals Publications Inc Young readers will enjoy discovering the life of Thomas Jefferson on their own through humorous watercolors and informative, easy-to-read text. Features simple sentences and color illustrations. Written at a second-grade level.

Fandex Field Guide: Presidents By Workman Publishing Which president served two non-consecutive terms? Which one also served as chief justice of the Supreme Court? From George Washington to Bill Clinton, this full-color deck of presidential cards helps kids keep history straight! Each full-face, die-cut portrait includes a short biography, historic moments, First Lady's name, and more, and fans out to put the facts right at your fingertips---all in chronological order. From Workman.

First Ladies - Fandex By Workman Publishing Each of the first ladies from Martha Washington to Laura Bush is included in this 50-page Fandex. Die-cut cards include photos and biographical details, plus some interesting inside information you may not have already known! Fun for the whole family on a never-lose-a-card handy Fandex design. 11" tall. Boxed.

From Word Central's Student Dictionary
by Merriam - Webster
(Pronunciation note: the schwa sound is shown by &)

adopt
Pronunciation: &-'dopt
Function: verb
to accept formally as in "the assembly adopted a constitution"

revolution
Pronunciation: "rev-&-'loo-sh&n
Function: noun
a sudden, extreme, or complete change or a basic change in government; especially : the overthrow of one government and the substitution of another by the governed, rebellion

examination (exam)
Pronunciation: ig-"zam-&-'nA-sh&n
Function: noun
a test to determine progress, fitness, or knowledge

First Lady
Function: noun
Usage: often capitalized
the wife or hostess of the male chief executive of a state or nation

hostess
Pronunciation: 'hO-st&s
Function: noun
a woman who acts as host; especially : one who greets

Biographies in this Series

Presidents of the United States	George Washington 1st U.S. President	John Adams 2nd U.S. President	Thomas Jefferson 3rd U.S.President
	James Monroe 5th U.S. President	Andrew Jackson 7th U.S. President	Abraham Lincoln 16th U.S.President
	Franklin D. Roosevelt 32nd U.S. President	John F. Kennedy 35th U.S. President	James Madison 4th U.S. President
	Theodore Roosevelt 26th U.S. President	Ronald Reagan 40th U.S. President
American Patriots	Benjamin Franklin patriot and statesman	Francis Scott Key Star Spangled Banner	Deborah Sampson woman soldier in the Revolutionary War
World Leaders	Constantine Roman Emperor	Alexander the Great conqueror	Winston Churchill British Prime Minister
Inventors	Alexander Graham Bell telephone	Johann Gutenberg printing press	Cyrus McCormick mechanical reaper
	The Wright Brothers first airplane	Henry Ford Automaker	Thomas A. Edison electric light bulb
	Sequoyah Cherokee alphabet	Nikola Tesla 700 patents	.
Explorers	Christopher Columbus explorer	Meriwether Lewis explorer	Robert Peary Arctic explorer
	John Muir Naturalist	Matthew Henson Arctic Explorer	Sir Edmund Hillary Mr.Everest
	Kit Carson Indian agent	"Johnny Appleseed" orchardist	.
Women who made a difference	Clara Barton founder of the Red Cross	Helen Keller overcame blindness & deafness	Florence Nightingale founder of nursing profession
	Joan of Arc religious and military leader	Amelia Earhart Aviator	Annie Oakley sharpshooter
	Susan B. Anthony Suffragette	Elizabeth Keckly Seamstress	Harriet Tubman deliverer of slaves
	Anne Frank Diarist	Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian	.
Scientists	George Washington Carver botanist and educator	Sir Isaac Newton explained gravity and properties of light	Marie Curie scientist, physicist
	Louis Pasteur Biologist	Albert Einstein physicist, genius	Galileo Astronomer, physicist
	Lise Meitner Physicist	.	.
Educators	Noah Webster writer of dictionary	Booker T. Washington leader and educator	Aristotle Greek philosopher
Physicians	Hippocrates father of medicine	Walter Reed discovered cause of yellow fever	Albert Schweitzer humanitarian
Religious Leaders	Increase Mather Salem witch trials	.
Athletes	Lou Gehrig baseball player	Wilma Rudolph Olympic gold medal winner	Tiger Woods golfer
	Michael Phelps Olympic swimmer	.	.
Civil Rights Leaders	Martin Luther King civil rights leader	Rosa Parks bus desegregation	Sojourner Truth Former slave
	Frederick Douglass Abolitionist	Mary Ann Shadd Cary Civil rights leader	James Forten Inventor, abolitionist
Composers	Beethoven composer
Artists	John James Audubon artist and naturalist	Gutzon Borglum sculptor, Mount Rushmore	Ansel Adams photographer

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