Thomas Jefferson: Fun Facts, Quotes & Trivia


Thomas Jefferson's Achievements Make Indelible Mark on History

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) led a long and productive life filled with many achievements, including serving as the third President of the United States of America.

 

As a young man, his upper class upbringing afforded him a fine education that he put to good use. Known as a "thinker" his accomplishments covered the gamut from architect and farmer to inventor and politician. Above all, Jefferson is famous for being a formidable patriot and one of the country's founding fathers.

 

* In 1776 Jefferson authored the colonists' Declaration of Independence in defiance of the British Empire and ultimately initiating the Revolutionary War. To this day, the Declaration is considered to be the blueprint for democracy.

 

*Jefferson was governor of Virginia after the Revolutionary War.

 

*Following governorship, the Virginian served in congress where he is credited with the idea of creating the U.S. currency on the decimal system with the dollar comprised of 100 cents as the base.

 

*Jefferson worked as the ambassador to France from 1785-1789.

 

*From there Jefferson went on the serve President George Washington as Secretary of State.

 

*In 1796, Jefferson lost in his first campaign for the presidency to John Adams, but was elected as his vice president.

 

*The second time around, Jefferson beat Adams to become President for two terms from 1801-1809. (Friendly rivals, he and Adams would maintain a lifelong friendship.) Jefferson is widely considered to have been one of the greatest US presidents.

 

*During his presidency, he is credited with adding lucrative territories to the country. In 1803, he acquired a large tract of land from France, The Louisiana Purchase, which would nearly double the size of the young nation. In this spirit of expansion, he commissioned Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to who explored all the way to the Pacific Coast.

 

After his presidency, Jefferson returned to Monticello, his beloved Virginia home where he helped to start the University of Virginia. He continued to write and serve as council to politicians and leaders. Today his indelible mark on history is symbolized by his portrait, along with that of George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln, on the side of Mount Rushmore.



Tags: Thomas Jefferson Achievements

Rate This Article:

Add to Yahoo MyWeb Add to Yahoo Buzz Add to Yahoo Bookmarks Stumble on StumbleUpon Add to Reddit Add to Google Bookmarks Add to Newsvine Add to MySpace Add to Windows Live Add to Furl Add to Fark Add to Facebook Submit to Digg Add to Delicious Add to Blinklist

Comment on "Thomas Jefferson's Achievements Make Indelible Mark on History"

Your Name

Your Comments

Verification Code: C8A48
Enter Code:


Bookmark and Share

Privacy Policy | Copyright/Trademark Notification