Thomas Jefferson - a Brief Biography

Thomas Jefferson, born in 1743 in Virginia, drafted the Declaration of Independence in 1776. "We hold these truths to be self-evident," wrote Jefferson, "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."

Jefferson studied law with George Wythe of Virginia and joined the bar in 1767. He was elected to the House of Burgesses in 1768 and married Martha Skelton in 1772. He became a member of the Continental Congress in 1775.

In his writings, Jefferson never raised form over substance. He inspired millions. On religious freedom and intellectual freedom, he wrote: "I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." To Jefferson, eternal vigilance was simply the price paid for liberty. He wrote, "If our house be on fire, without inquiring whether it was fired from within or without, we must try to extinguish it."

As an anti-federalist who believed strongly in limited government, he aligned with patriots like George Mason of Virginia who demanded a Bill of Rights. Jefferson did not sign the Constitution; he was actually in France during the 1787 Constitutional Convention. Historically, there has always been a place in American society for patriots like Jefferson who are highly skeptical of the Constitution but accept it nonetheless. To Jefferson, a written constitution was better than placing trust in men: "In questions of power, then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution." The anti-federalists were concerned about the lack of express protections in the new Constitution that would preserve their liberties, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, the right to bear arms, the right against unreasonable search and seizure, the right to due process, and the right against cruel and unusual punishment.

After acting as a diplomat to France, Jefferson returned to become the first Secretary of State in 1790. He became president in 1801; he purchased the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803.

He died on July 4, 1826, the same date as John Adams. In his will, he freed five slaves but did not free another 130.

Like many Americans of that age, he was caught historically in the controversy over slavery. At one time or another, he fell on both sides of the issue. He drafted the Northwest Ordinance of 1784, which brought territory that was originally a part of Virginia -- currently Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin -- into the Union as new states only on the condition that slavery would be prohibited.