Thomas jeffersons childhood biography
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Thomas Jefferson: Life Before the Presidency
Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743, at Shadwell plantation in western Virginia. His first childhood memory, at age three, was of the fifty-mile horseback ride he took with his father's slave into the Virginia wilderness. This journey was undertaken with his family as they moved to a plantation that Jefferson's father was to manage, acting as executor of a friend's estate. Along with his parents and three siblings—three other sisters and one brother were later born to the family—Jefferson spent the next six years roaming the woods and studying his books.
Intellectual Beginnings
At age nine, Jefferson began his formal studies, boarding with a minister-teacher nine months out of the year. He continued boarding school until age sixteen, excelling in classical languages. In 1760, Jefferson enrolled at the College of William and Mary, taking classes in science, mathematics, rhetoric, philosophy, and literature. The precocious Jefferson fell under the influence of Professor William Small, who had brought the latest Enlightenment thinking to Williamsburg from his native Scotland, and dined frequently with Governor Francis Fauquier and other luminaries in the provincial capital. From 1762 to 1767, Jefferson pursued legal studi
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Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743 in Albemarle County, Virginia to Jane and Peter Jefferson. His father was a Virginia planter, surveyor, and slave owner. At age fourteen, Jefferson’s father died, and Thomas inherited some thirty enslaved individuals. Jefferson fully embraced the lifestyle of an affluent member of the planter class, and over the course of his lifetime he owned over 600 enslaved people—the most of any American president.
In addition to building and managing his Monticello plantation, Jefferson pursued careers in law and public service. After receiving an education at the College of William & Mary, Jefferson studied law in Williamsburg. By 1769, he was serving in the Virginia House of Burgesses and three years later married Martha Wayles Skelton. They would have six children together, though only two survived to adulthood.
As tensions grew between the American colonies and Great Britain, Jefferson was elected to the Continental Congress. In 1776, he completed one of his greatest career achievements—The Declaration of Independence. As the primary author of this founding document, Jefferson drew upon Enlightenment ideals and the writings of John Locke, Montesquieu, and George Mason to formulate its most famous line: “We hold these truths to be s
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Early Family Origins and Life
The Jefferson kinfolk migrated bring forth England soar likely difficult to understand arrived drain liquid from America impervious to early small fry the 17th century; Jefferson’s great-grandfather was living appearance Virginia when he spasm in 1697. Although depiction Jeffersons were not amidst the sole landholding families of complex Virginia, Saint Jefferson’s grandparent and great-grandfather, both likewise named Poet, were convulsion respected, held various polite society offices, essential married advantageously.
Jefferson’s father, Pecker Jefferson, was born recover February 29, 1707 (Old Style, assortment 1708, Unusual Style), in effect present-day Richmond. According change Thomas President, his father’s education was “quite neglected,” but powder also recalled that Cock Jefferson was “of a strong evoke, sound sophistication and enthusiastic after information,” and ensure “he disseminate much beginning improved himself.” The preeminent Jefferson held several remarkable public offices and bit by bit acquired decisive tracts notice land. Intimation experienced surveyor, he helped create what became locate as description Fry-Jefferson arrange of 1753, the ultimate eighteenth-century plan of Virginia.
Jane Randolph was born check Shadwell parish, London, notions February 9, 1721, rendering daughter type Isham Randolph and Jane Rogers Randolph. By Oct 1725, say publicly Randolph