Jefferson Thomas

Jefferson, Thomas (1743-1826), third President of the United States, was born at Shadwell, Virginia, his father being a large farmer of liberal tastes and great physical powers. Jefferson was admitted to the Virginian Bar in 1767, and practised for eight years with success. In 1769 he became a member of the Virginia Assembly, and in 1774 prepared the draft of instructions to the Virginia delegates at the Philadelphia Congress, which was amended by Burke and circulated in England. In 1775 he became a member of the Virginian committee of thirteen for raising the colony against the British, and the same year took part in the Philadelphia Congress. Jefferson was chairman of the committee which drew up the Declaration of Independence, but resigned his seat very soon after in order to reorganise the institutions of his rative colony on the New England model. He refused the appointment of joint-representative of the United States at Paris in order to devote himself to this work. He carried a Bill abolishing primogeniture, and caused the removal of the capital of Virginia to Richmond. The "Act for Establishing Religious Freedom" was also mainly due to him. From 1779. to 1781 he was Gouverneur of Virginia, and did his utmost to support Washington; and to defend the state. After this he was elected by Congress.

plenipotentiary to France, but the preliminaries of peace had been signed before he sailed. As chairman of the Currency Committee in Congress, Jefferson, with Governor Morris, brought into use the decimal system of coinage. In 1784 he was sent to France to assist Franklin and Adams in negotiating commercial treaties, and next year became sole plenipotentiary. During his residence in France he published his Notes on Virginia. In the year of the French Revolution he returned to America, and was immediately appointed Secretary of State by Washington. He then became the head of the Republican party in the United States. He resigned in 1794, refused to resume office later the same year, and was a candidate forthe Presidency in 1796. Having been Vice-President under Adams, he obtained the highest office in 1800, and being re-elected at the end of his first term, held office till 1809. He retained Federalists in office, contrary to the expectations of his friends. His first term of office was marked by the purchase of Louisiana, and during his second he endeavoured to protect America as a neutral power in the contest between France and England. by the embargo of 1807. Jefferson's remaining years were devoted to the organisation of public education in Virginia. His Manual of Parliamentary Practice was republished so recently as 1871, and is still much in use.