Thomas Jefferson was born April 13, 1743 in Shadwell, Virginia. During his life, he had many accomplishments. Among them were a lawyer, a farmer, and a public official. He was the founder of the Democratic-Republican party. He became a member of the Continental Congress in 1775. He wrote the Declaration of Independence, and was the governor of Virginia from 1779 to 1781. As governor of the state, he guided Virginia through the troubled last years of the American Revolution. He was vice-president from 1797 to 1801 and later became 3rd President of the United States from 1801-1809. Jefferson's most famous accomplishment was writing the Declaration of Independence. He was 33 when he wrote it. Jefferson had to write a declaration that would show the spirit of America -- one that would state the basic rights of individuals, justify a revolution, and inspire the people to make it happen. It had to state principles such as freedom, equality, justice, and democracy; but it also had to be written in an accurate, logical manner that would appeal to common sense and be understood by all the people who read it or heard it read. As stated by John W. Selfridge in Thomas Jefferson the Philosher President , "As enthusiastic as Adams was, in 1776 neither he, Jefferson, nor any of their friends could have forseen that the Declaration of Independence would be cherished by generations of Americans to come. The Declaration of Independence became a priceless national treasure, not only for its historical value with respect to the founding of the United States of America, but for its universal themes of freedom, equality, justice, and democracy. These ideals are at the foundation of American society and government, and have inspired democratic movements around the world for more than two centuries." Of all his accompishments, the one he is most proud of is his family. His wife Martha Wayles Skelton, and his children, Martha Jane Randolph, Mary, and Lucy. They lived in a nice, cozy house overlooking Albermarle Country's lovely rolling hills. He named the place Monticello which means "little mountain" in Italian.
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