THOMAS JEFFERSON

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson

Jefferson (Thomas), third U.S. president, born in Shadwell (Virginia) April 2, 1743, died at Monticello (Virginia) July 4, 1826. Son of Colonel Peter Jefferson, a rich planter, and Jane Randolph, he lost his father in 1757. He made strong classical studies and took a deep influence on his comrades. He served from 1767 the legal profession with a quick success, and from 1769, was elected to represent his county in the House of the colony. It soon became a leader of the opposition. At that time, he built his home of Monticello and married Martha Skelton, a beautiful and wealthy widow.

In 1774, Thomas Jefferson accentuated the conflict against the city and the governor. After the second dissolution of parliament Virginia, he played a leading role in the Convention free, spontaneously formed by the members present. He wrote under the title Summary View of the Rights of British America, a statement of the American claims, which was the prelude to the declaration of independence. He seemed to be too late and was not adopted by the congress of delegates from the colonies. Jefferson was regarded in America and England, where his manifesto was a high profile as a leader of the U.S. National party. He was elected to Congress in 1775 as an alternate in Randolph, Virginia held in his roles as chairman of the House. He wrote the response of Virginians proposals of Lord North, which was greeted with enthusiasm at the conference which adopted the terms. In May 1776 he received the Virginia mandate to propose the declaration of independence. He was appointed chairman of the committee responsible for drafting this document, and its text was adopted, except for minor changes (July 4, 1776).

Thomas Jefferson spent the years following the radical reform of the institutions of Virginia: suppression of substitution; abolition of primogeniture replaced by the equally divided between children, religious freedom, and abolition of official remuneration of the Church. It took a struggle of several years to accept these principles aristocratic Virginian, Jefferson was thus entitled to the United States a spirit quite different from that of England and principled philosophical revolution was going to enact French. He also pass a bill banning all imports of slaves. He had less success when elected governor of his state (1779-81), he had to resist the attack of the English armies, but it was because he had put all its resources to the federal army. Despite strong attacks, the local assembly passed a vote of thanks. He returned to Congress, there was rapporteur of the definitive peace with England, had adopted the currency system, replacing the pound sterling by the dollar, was set the organization of the vast western territories, ceded by Virginia to Confederation. In May 1784 he was sent to Europe to negotiate with John Adams and Benjamin Franklin commercial treaties. In 1785, Congress appointed him minister plenipotentiary to France, instead of Franklin, resigned. He lived in Paris very happy in the privacy of his friends Alembert ...