Thomas Jefferson facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Thomas Jefferson


3rd President of the United States
In office March 4, 1801 – March 4, 1809
Vice President	Aaron Burr; George Clinton
Preceded by	John Adams
Succeeded by	James Madison
2nd Vice President of the United States
In office March 4, 1797 – March 4, 1801
President	John Adams
Preceded by	John Adams
Succeeded by	Aaron Burr
1st United States Secretary of State
In office September 26, 1789 – December 31, 1793
President	George Washington
Preceded by	New Office
Succeeded by	Edmund Randolph

Personal details
Born	(1743-04-13)April 13, 1743 Shadwell, Virginia, U.S.
Died	July 4, 1826(1826-07-04) (aged 83) Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S.
Nationality	American
Political party	Democratic-Republican
Height	6 ft 2½ in (189 cm)
Spouse	Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson
Signature

Thomas Jefferson (born April 13, 1743 – died July 4, 1826) was the third President of the United States. He is famous for writing the Declaration of Independence. This important document said that the Thirteen Colonies were free from Great Britain.

Jefferson was also a plantation owner who had many slaves. Even though he owned slaves, he often worked to help them gain their freedom. He also invented the swivel chair, which he used while writing the Declaration of Independence.

Early Life and Education
Starting a Political Career
- First Secretary of State
Becoming President
- Doubling the Country's Size
- Keeping Peace
Later Years and Legacy
Monuments and Museums
Jefferson's Inventions
Famous Quotes by Thomas Jefferson
Interesting Facts About Thomas Jefferson
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Education

Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743, in Shadwell, Virginia. He was the third of ten children in a family that owned a large farm called a plantation. His parents were Peter and Jane Jefferson.

From a young age, Thomas loved to learn. When he was 9 years old, he started studying Latin, Greek, and French. He also learned to ride horses very well. Later, he became a lawyer.

In January 1772, Jefferson married Martha Wayles Skelton. They had six children together.

Starting a Political Career

Jefferson strongly believed that the Thirteen Colonies should be free from Great Britain. He quickly became a leader among others who shared his ideas.

When he was 33, Jefferson became one of the youngest people chosen to go to the Second Continental Congress. This meeting started in 1775, at the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. Representatives from all 13 colonies were there.

On July 4, 1776, the Congress approved the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson was the main writer of this very important document.

After the war, he served as the minister (like an ambassador) to France from 1785 to 1789.

First Secretary of State

Alexander Hamilton, who had different ideas about government than Jefferson.

George Washington chose Jefferson to be the first Secretary of State. This job meant he was in charge of how the United States dealt with other countries.

Jefferson believed the federal government should be small and not have too much power. This was different from the ideas of Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton.

In 1792, Jefferson and James Madison started a political party called the Democratic-Republican Party. They formed this party to go against Hamilton and his Federalist Party. Part of this party later became today's Democratic Party.

Jefferson later ran for President against John Adams. He came in second place, and because of the rules at that time, he became Vice President.

Becoming President

Thomas Jefferson, the third U.S. President.

Jefferson ran for President again in 1800 as the Democratic-Republican candidate and won! He was elected for a second time in 1804.

Doubling the Country's Size

One of Jefferson's biggest achievements as President was the Louisiana Purchase. This was when the United States bought a huge amount of land from France. This purchase actually doubled the size of the country!

To explore this new land, Jefferson sent the Lewis and Clark Expedition. They traveled across the country, mapping the land and meeting Native American tribes.

Keeping Peace

During his second term, Jefferson worked hard to keep the United States out of war. Great Britain and France were fighting each other for most of his time as President. Both countries did things that could have pulled the U.S. into their war. Jefferson wanted the U.S. to stay neutral.

He passed a law called the Embargo Act of 1807. This law made it illegal for the United States to trade with other countries. Jefferson hoped this would keep the U.S. separate from the problems of the world.

Later Years and Legacy

The University of Virginia, which Jefferson founded.

After his presidency, Jefferson continued to contribute to the country. He started the University of Virginia, a famous school.

During the War of 1812, the British burned Washington D.C. and many books in the Library of Congress were destroyed. Jefferson sold his own large collection of books to help replace them.

Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826. This was exactly 50 years after the Declaration of Independence was approved. Interestingly, John Adams also died on the same day.

Monuments and Museums

The Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.

There are many places where you can learn about Thomas Jefferson:

The Jefferson Memorial is a beautiful monument near the National Mall in Washington, D.C..
Jefferson is one of the four presidents carved into Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.
You can visit his home, Monticello, near Charlottesville, Virginia.

Jefferson's Inventions

An early swivel chair, similar to Jefferson's invention.

Thomas Jefferson was very inventive and created many useful things. He also improved existing inventions. Some of his improvements include:

The pedometer, a device that counts steps.
The polygraph, which was a machine for copying writing.
The moldboard plow, a tool for farming.

He is especially known for creating the swivel chair. He made the first one and used it to write much of the Declaration of Independence. This chair allowed the seat to turn around.

Jefferson also helped change the patent system in the U.S. He believed in protecting new inventions.

Famous Quotes by Thomas Jefferson

Here are some of Thomas Jefferson's most famous sayings:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
"When angry, count to ten before you speak. If very angry, count to one hundred."
"In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock."
"The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers."

Interesting Facts About Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson loved new inventions and technology.
He knew how to speak four languages: English, Latin, French, and Italian. He could also read Greek and Spanish.
Jefferson doubled the size of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase from France.
He helped make ice cream popular in the United States.
He had a pet mockingbird.
His home called Poplar Forest in Virginia was shaped like an octagon.
Thomas Jefferson was a much better writer than he was a speaker.
He and John Adams (who he served as vice president for) both died on the same day.