Thomas Jefferson Is Born

Setting the scene

Peter Jefferson, a planter and surveyor, and his wife Jane Randolph raised Thomas at Shadwell plantation in Virginia's Piedmont. The boy learned Latin and Greek early and entered the College of William & Mary at sixteen.

What happened

Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743, in the British colony of Virginia, fourteen years before the French and Indian War reshaped North America. He would draft the Declaration of Independence, serve as governor, ambassador to France, secretary of state, vice president, and third president.

Why it still matters

Jefferson's legacy spans the Louisiana Purchase, founding the University of Virginia, and the contradiction of advocating liberty while enslaving hundreds at Monticello. Memorable detail: Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, hours before John Adams, on the Declaration's fiftieth anniversary.

Background

He founded the University of Virginia after the presidency.