THOMAS JEFFERSON

Third President of the United States
Born in 1743 - Died in 1826



Thomas Jefferson
 

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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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".







955102: Discover Thomas Jefferson: Architect, Inventor 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.


12030: Fandex Field Guide: Presidents 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.

129448: First Ladies - Fandex 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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