Thomas Jefferson Declaration Of Independence Summary

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson, author of the American Declaration of Independence and the third U.S. president, was born on April 13, 1743, at the Shadwell plantation located just outside of Charlottesville, Virginia. Jefferson was born into one of the most prominent families of Virginia 's planter elite. The young Jefferson was the third born of ten siblings. From 1767-74, Jefferson practiced law in Virginia with great success, winning most of his cases. During these years, he also met and fell in love with Martha Wayles Skelton. The pair married on January 1, 1772.

Thomas Jefferson was one of the earliest and most fervent supporters of the cause of American independence from Great Britain. He was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1768. In 1774, Jefferson penned his first major political work, "A Summary View of the Rights of British America," which established his reputation as one of the most eloquent advocates of the American cause. In June 1776, the Continental Congress appointed a five-man committee to draft a Declaration of Independence. The committee then chose Jefferson to author the declaration 's first draft. Over the next 17 days, Jefferson drafted one of the most beautiful and powerful testaments to liberty and equality in world history. After authoring the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson returned to Virginia, where, from 1776 to 1779, he served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. There he

After authoring the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson returned to Virginia, where, from 1776 to 1779, he served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. There he sought to revise Virginia 's laws to fit the American ideals he had outlined in the Declaration of Independence. In the presidential election of 1800, Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr to tied for first place with 73 electoral votes each. After a long and contentious debate, the House of Representatives selected Jefferson to serve as the third U.S.