Thomas Jefferson Biography

Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States and one of the drafters of the Declaration of Independence. Biographer James Parton said Thomas Jefferson could "calculate an eclipse, survey an estate, tie an artery, plan an edifice, try a cause, break a horse, dance a minuet, and play the violin." Besides serving two terms as president, Jefferson served as vice-president, Secretary of State, minister to France, congressman, and governor of Virginia; he also founded the University of Virginia and served as president of the American Philosophical Society. For all that, Jefferson is best remembered as a champion of human rights and the lead draftsman of the Declaration of Independence. High points of his presidency include the Louisiana Purchase from Napoleon and the exploration of the west by Lewis and Clark. Jefferson was the third person to be president, following George Washington and John Adams; he was succeeded by James Madison.