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Thomas Jefferson was born in Shadwell, Goochland County, Virginia on April 13, 1743.
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He attended the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg in Virginia and studied law privately in 1767.
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Jefferson married Martha Wayles Skelton in 1772 and had children (Only 2 of their 6 child survive to adulthood).
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Jefferson was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates. He fought for the separation of church and state and other causes that were important.
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In 1776 Thomas Jefferson and several others were appointed by congress to draft the Declaration of Independance
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Jefferson was elected Governor of Virginia in 1779. He served two years, resigning during his second term after the British invaded Virginia.
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He was elected to Congress in 1783
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Washington appointed Jefferson Secretary of State in 1789, but he resigned in 1793
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Jefferson ran for president in 1796 but lost to John Adams, he instead became Vice President.
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Jefferson was elected president in 1800 and re-elected for his second term in 1804. (His Vice Presidents were Aaron Burr and George Clinton).
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Jefferson arranged the purchase of Louisiana Territory in 1803, which increased the area of the United States.
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Jefferson retired from office in 1809 and moved to Monticello.
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In 1814 Jefferson sold his personal library to the U.S. government to re-start the library of Congress. (He was paid $23,950 for 6,487 books).
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In 1819 Jefferson founded the University of Virginia
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Jefferson died on July 4th, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
