History UsefulNotes / ThomasJefferson

Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 ‒ July 4, 1826) was a Founding Father and the third President of the United States ([[UsefulNotes/AntebellumAmerica 1801‒09]]), immediately succeeding UsefulNotes/JohnAdams and preceding UsefulNotes/JamesMadison. He is best known for being the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, written in 1776. The first President from the Democratic-Republican Party, Jefferson previously had a prominent career in politics, serving as UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington's Secretary of State and John Adams' Vice President. A highly intelligent man skilled in many subjects, his other areas of expertise included theology, history, music, architecture, and earth sciences.

->[[caption-width-right:250:''The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.''[[note]]He goes on to say, "It is its natural manure." Practical fellow…[[/note]]]]

Despite his contradictions, Thomas Jefferson is one of the most important men in American history, whose legacy endures even today for a variety of reasons. He made major antislavery moves like abolishing importation of slaves into America, which was done at the same time as England's abolition and the enforcement of the West Africa Squadron. This ended the international slave trade from Africa, but internal slavery within America continued until UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln abolished it. Jefferson also oversaw the acquisition of the Louisiana Territory into the United States and doubled America's territory overnight.

As a politician, he promoted democracy for the common man. Jefferson was highly skeptical of contemporary aristocrats and corporations, and he criticized the rule of the wealthiest classes and plutocracy numerous times, often including slavery as a great sin of the upper classes (his political rivals of the time would often accuse him of hypocrisy). He also supported the social goals of the UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution, in contrast to his rival UsefulNotes/AlexanderHamilton. Jefferson's criticism of Christianity and promotion of UsefulNotes/{{Deism}} made him a consistent voice for the separation of Church and State among Americans, and indeed he would be denounced by contemporaries like Hamilton for this, but also cited by later religious freedom advocates like Creator/ChristopherHitchens as a role model. Jefferson's time as Adams vice-president Jefferson arguably contained instances of undermining him for his own ambition but the two reconciled in later life (coincidentally dying on the same day, with the last words of each man being about the other). His writings are still of great value, and today defenders see his personal contradictions as evidence of a personality who was far more complex than previously believed. The man, [[Creator/WaltWhitman as one of his latter day admirers said]], contained multitudes. He was also responsible for founding the University of Virginia, which later became Creator/EdgarAllanPoe's alma mater.

As a politician, he promoted democracy for the common man. Jefferson was highly skeptical of contemporary aristocrats and corporations, and he criticized the rule of the wealthiest classes and plutocracy numerous times, often including slavery as a great sin of the upper classes (his political rivals of the time would often accuse him of hypocrisy). He also supported the social goals of the UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution, in contrast to his rival UsefulNotes/AlexanderHamilton. Jefferson's criticism of Christianity and promotion of UsefulNotes/{{Deism}} made him a consistent voice for the separation of Church and State among Americans, and indeed he would be denounced by contemporaries like Hamilton for this, but also cited by later religious freedom advocates like Creator/ChristopherHitchens as a role model. His writings are still of great value, and today defenders see his personal contradictions as evidence of a personality who was far more complex than previously believed. The man, [[Creator/WaltWhitman as one of his latter day admirers said]], contained multitudes. He was also responsible for founding the University of Virginia, which later became Creator/EdgarAllanPoe's alma mater.

Jefferson was the intellectual visionary of the Revolution, the author of the Declaration of Independence, and also a staunch critic of Christianity and upholder of the separation of Church and State. He has been tough for some historians to get a handle on, in how he claimed that "All Men Are Created Equal" and opposed slavery while also possessing hundreds of slaves, among other seemingly contradictory aspects of his life. This became even more complicated in the light of the validation of the long-denied rumor of his affair with Sally Hemings via a DNA test, accepted by a sizable consensus of American historians (and Jefferson's descendant, journalist Lucan Truscott IV) with a dissenting minority. Sally Hemings was a half-sister of his late wife, the daughter of a black slave and a Virginia landholder. Jefferson began a relationship with Sally and fathered several children with her, all of whom were born slaves. Several died in infancy and bondage, while those who lived were freed during Jefferson's life or upon his death. Sally however, was freed instead by Jefferson's daughter Martha after 'doing her time'.

Jefferson was the intellectual visionary of the Revolution, the author of the Declaration of Independence, and also a staunch critic of Christianity and upholder of the separation of Church and State. He has been tough for some historians to get a handle on, in how he claimed that "All Men Are Created Equal" and opposed slavery while also possessing hundreds of slaves, among other seemingly contradictory aspects of his life. This became even more complicated in the light of the validation of the long-denied rumor of his affair with Sally Hemings via a DNA test, accepted by a sizable consensus of American historians (and Jefferson's descendant, journalist Lucan Truscott IV) with a dissenting minority. Sally Hemings was a half-sister of his late wife, the daughter of a black slave and a Virginia landholder. Jefferson began a relationship with Sally (when she was possibly only fourteen) and fathered several children with her, all of whom were born slaves. Several died in infancy and bondage, while a few were freed upon his death. Sally however, was freed instead by Jefferson's daughter Martha after 'doing her time'.

Jefferson was the intellectual visionary of the Revolution, the author of the Declaration of Independence, and also a staunch critic of Christianity and upholder of the separation of Church and State. He has been tough for some historians to get a handle on, in how he claimed that "All Men Are Created Equal" and opposed slavery while also possessing hundreds of slaves, among other seemingly contradictory aspects of his life. This became even more complicated in the light of the validation of the long-denied rumor of his affair with Sally Hemings via a DNA test, accepted by a sizable consensus of American historians (and Jefferson's descendant, journalist Lucan Truscott IV) with a dissenting minority. Sally Hemings was a half-sister of his late wife, the daughter of a black slave and a Virginia landholder. Jefferson began a relationship with Sally and fathered several children with her, all of whom were born slaves and who received manumission on Jefferson's death (as did Sally).

As a politician, he promoted democracy for the common man. Jefferson was highly skeptical of contemporary aristocrats and corporations, and he criticized the rule of the wealthiest classes and plutocracy numerous times, often including slavery as a great sin of the upper classes. He also supported the social goals of the UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution, in contrast to his rival UsefulNotes/AlexanderHamilton. Jefferson's criticism of Christianity and promotion of UsefulNotes/{{Deism}} made him a consistent voice for the separation of Church and State among Americans, and indeed he would be denounced by contemporaries like Hamilton for this, but also cited by later religious freedom advocates like Creator/ChristopherHitchens as a role model. His writings are still of great value, and today defenders see his personal contradictions as evidence of a personality who was far more complex than previously believed. The man, [[Creator/WaltWhitman as one of his latter day admirers said]], contained multitudes. He was also responsible for founding the University of Virginia, which later became Creator/EdgarAllanPoe's alma mater.

* Mentioned as one of the ex-demigods filling in as a judge of the Underworld (as such implied to be a son of Zeus since as per agreement between Zeus and Hades, all the judges of the Underworld are sons of Zeus) in PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians.

'''Thomas Jefferson''' (April 13, 1743 ‒ July 4, 1826) was a Founding Father and the third President of the United States ([[UsefulNotes/AntebellumAmerica 1801‒09]]), immediately succeeding UsefulNotes/JohnAdams and preceding UsefulNotes/JamesMadison. He is best known for being the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, written in 1776. The first President from the Democratic-Republican Party, Jefferson previously had a prominent career in politics, serving as UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington's Secretary of State and John Adams' Vice President. A highly intelligent man skilled in many subjects, his other areas of expertise included theology, history, music, architecture, and earth sciences.

As a politician, he promoted democracy for the common man. Jefferson was highly skeptical of contemporary aristocrats and corporations, and he criticized the rule of the wealthiest classes and plutocracy numerous times, often including slavery as a great sin of the upper classes. He also supported the social goals of the UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution, in contrast to his rival UsefulNotes/AlexanderHamilton. Jefferson's criticism of Christianity and promotion of UsefulNotes/{{Deism}} made him a consistent voice for the separation of Church and State among Americans, and indeed he would be denounced by contemporaries like Hamilton for this, but also cited by later religious freedom advocates like Creator/ChristopherHitchens as a role model. His writings are still of great value, and today defenders see his personal contradictions as evidence of a personality who was far more complex than previously believed. The man, ([[Creator/WaltWhitman as one of his latter day admirers said]]), contained multitudes. He was also responsible for founding the University of Virginia, which later became Creator/EdgarAllanPoe's alma mater.

As a politician, he promoted democracy for the common man. Jefferson was highly skeptical of contemporary aristocrats and corporations, and he criticized the rule of the wealthiest classes and plutocracy numerous times, often including slavery as a great sin of the upper classes. He also supported the social goals of the UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution, in contrast to his rival UsefulNotes/AlexanderHamilton. Jefferson's criticism of Christianity and promotion of UsefulNotes/{{Deism}} made him a consistent voice for the separation of Church and State among Americans, and indeed he would be denounced by contemporaries like Hamilton for this, but also cited by later religious freedom advocates like Creator/ChristopherHitchens as a role model. His writings are still of great value, and today defenders see his personal contradictions as evidence of a personality who was far more complex than previously believed. The main, ([[Creator/WaltWhitman as one of his latter day admirers said]]), contained multitudes. He was also responsible for founding the University of Virginia, which later became Creator/EdgarAllanPoe's alma mater.

Jefferson was the intellectual visionary of the Revolution, the author of the Declaration of Independence, and also a staunch critic of Christianity and upholder of the separation of Church and State. Jefferson's opinions on racism and slavery have also been noted, and greatly inform subsequent fictional portrayals to this effect. Jefferson has been tough for some historians to get a handle on, in how he claimed that "All Men Are Created Equal" while possessing hundreds of slaves, among other seemingly contradictory aspects of his life. This became more complicated in the light of the validation of the long-denied rumor of his affair with Sally Hemings via a DNA test, accepted by a sizable consensus of American historians (and Jefferson's descendant, journalist Lucan Truscott IV) with a dissenting minority. Sally Hemings was a half-sister of his late wife, the daughter of a black slave and a Virginia landholder. Jefferson began a relationship with Sally and fathered several children with her, all of whom were born slaves and who received manumission on Jefferson's death (as did Sally).

As a politician, he promoted democracy for the common man. Jefferson was highly skeptical of contemporary aristocrats and corporations, and he criticized the rule of the wealthiest classes and plutocracy numerous times, often including slavery as a great sin of the upper classes. He also supported the social goals of the UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution, in contrast to his rival UsefulNotes/AlexanderHamilton. Jefferson's criticism of Christianity and promotion of UsefulNotes/{{Deism}} made him a consistent voice for the separation of Church and State among Americans, and indeed he would be denounced by contemporaries like Hamilton for this, but also cited by later religious freedom advocates like Creator/ChristopherHitchens as a role model. His writings are still of great value, and today defenders see his personal contradictions as evidence of a personality who was far more complex than previously believed. The main,[[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/WaltWhitman as one of his latter day admirers said]], contained multitudes. He was also responsible for founding the University of Virginia, which later became Creator/EdgarAllanPoe's alma mater.

'''Thomas Jefferson''' (April 13, 1743 ‒ July 4, 1826) was a Founding Father and the third President of the United States ([[UsefulNotes/AntebellumAmerica 1801‒09]]), immediately succeeding UsefulNotes/JohnAdams and preceding UsefulNotes/JamesMadison. He is best known for being the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, written in 1776. The first President from the Democratic-Republican Party, Jefferson previously had a prominent career in politics, serving as UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington's Secretary of State and John Adams' Vice President. A highly intelligent man skilled in several subjects, his other areas of expertise included theology, architecture, and earth sciences.

Jefferson is often invoked as the intellectual visionary of the Revolution, the author of the Declaration, the critic of Christianity and upholder of the separation of Church and State. Jefferson's opinions on racism and slavery have also been noted, and greatly inform subsequent fictional portrayals to this effect. Jefferson is sometimes seen as highly contradictory, claiming that "All Men Are Created Equal" while possessing hundreds of slaves. This became more complicated in the light of the validation of the long-denied rumor of his affair with Sally Hemings via a DNA test, accepted by a sizable consensus of American historians (and Jefferson's descendant, journalist Lucan Truscott IV) with a dissenting minority. Sally Hemings was a half-sister of his late wife, the daughter of a black slave and a Virginia landholder. Jefferson began a relationship with Sally and fathered several children with her, all of whom were born slaves and who received manumission on Jefferson's death (as did Sally).

Despite his contradictions, Thomas Jefferson is one of the most important men in American history, whose legacy endures even today for a variety of reasons. He made major antislavery moves like abolishing importation of slaves into America (as required by the Constitution), which was done at the same time as England's abolition and the enforcement of the West Africa Squadron. This ended the international slave trade from Africa, but internal slavery within America continued until UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln abolished it. Jefferson also oversaw the acquisition of the Louisiana Territory into the United States and doubled America's territory overnight.

As a politician, he promoted democracy for the common man. Jefferson was highly skeptical of contemporary aristocrats and corporations, and he criticized the rule of the wealthiest classes and plutocracy numerous times, often including slavery as a great sin of the upper classes. He also supported the social goals of the UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution, in contrast to his rival UsefulNotes/AlexanderHamilton. Jefferson's criticism of Christianity and promotion of UsefulNotes/{{Deism}} made him a consistent voice for the separation of Church and State among Americans, and indeed he would be denounced by contemporaries like Hamilton for this, but also cited by later religious freedom advocates like Creator/ChristopherHitchens as a role model. His writings are still of great value, and today defenders see his personal contradictions as evidence of a personality who was far more complex than previously believed; whose failure to fully achieve his radical goals and sentiments makes him representative of the ambiguous achievements of UsefulNotes/TheAmericanRevolution. He was also responsible for founding the University of Virginia, which later became Creator/EdgarAllanPoe's alma mater.

Despite his contradictions, Thomas Jefferson is one of the most important men in American history, whose legacy endures even today for a variety of reasons. He made major antislavery moves like abolishing the slave trade in America, which was done at the same time as England's abolition and the enforcement of the West Africa Squadron. This ended the international slave trade from Africa, but internal slavery within America continued until UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln abolished it. Jefferson also oversaw the acquisition of the Louisiana Territory into the United States and doubled America's territory overnight.

Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 ‒ July 4, 1826) was a Founding Father and the third President of the United States ([[UsefulNotes/AntebellumAmerica 1801‒09]]), immediately succeeding UsefulNotes/JohnAdams and preceding UsefulNotes/JamesMadison. He is best known for being the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, written in 1776. The first President from the Democratic-Republican Party, Jefferson previously had a prominent career in politics, serving as UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington's Secretary of State and John Adams' Vice President. A highly intelligent man skilled in several subjects, his other areas of expertise included theology, architecture, and earth sciences.

* Jefferson is one of the main antagonists in ''Theatre/{{Hamilton}}''. He's played by Daveed Diggs.

* Mentioned as one of the ex-demigods filling in as a judge of the Underworld (as such implied to be a son of Zeus) in PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians.

For a long time, Jefferson was invoked as the intellectual visionary of the Revolution, the author of the Declaration, the critic of Christianity and upholder of the separation of Church and State. In the course of the latter half of the twentieth century, Jefferson's opinions on racism and slavery have coloured how some people have viewed him, and greatly inform subsequent fictional portrayals to this effect. These days, Jefferson is occasionally seen as the emblem of American hypocrisy, claiming that "All Men Are Created Equal" while possessing hundreds of slaves. This is seen as doubly hypocritical in the light of the validation of the long-denied rumor of his affair with Sally Hemings via a DNA test, accepted by a sizable consensus of American historians (and Jefferson's descendant, journalist Lucan Truscott IV) with a dissenting minority. Sally Hemings was a half-sister of his late wife, the daughter of a black slave and a Virginia landholder. Jefferson began a relationship with Sally and fathered several children with her, all of whom were themselves slaves and who received manumission on Jefferson's death. Recent portrayals invoke his relationship with Sally more than they do his actual accomplishments.

In spite of such criticisms, Thomas Jefferson is one of the most important men in American history, whose legacy endures even today for a variety of reasons. He did make major antislavery moves like abolishing the slave trade in America, which was done at the same time as England's abolition and the enforcement of the West Africa Squadron. This ended the international slave trade from Africa, but internal slavery within America continued until UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln abolished it. Jefferson also oversaw the acquisition of the Louisiana Territory into the United States and doubled America's territory overnight, though historians today give credit to the Haitian Revolution (which Jefferson supported covertly but opposed in public) for halting UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte's plan to retake old French territories, forcing him to cut his losses instead.

As a politician, he promoted democracy for the common man. Jefferson was highly skeptical of contemporary aristocrats and corporations, and he criticized the rule of the wealthiest classes and plutocracy numerous times, even often including slavery as a great sin of the upper classes. He also supported the social goals of the UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution, in contrast to his rival UsefulNotes/AlexanderHamilton. Jefferson's criticism of Christianity and promotion of UsefulNotes/{{Deism}} made him a consistent voice for the separation of Church and State among Americans, and indeed he would be denounced by contemporaries like Hamilton for this, but also cited by later religious freedom advocates like Creator/ChristopherHitchens as a role model. His writings are still of great value, and today defenders see his personal failings as evidence of a personality who was far more complex than previously believed; whose failure to fully achieve his radical goals and sentiments makes him representative of the ambiguous achievements of UsefulNotes/TheAmericanRevolution. He was also responsible for founding the University of Virginia, which later became Creator/EdgarAllanPoe's alma mater and is invoked sometimes as a polymath.

On a lighter note, he was also the inventor of two great features of modern America: the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swivel_chair swivel chair]] (the kind you're probably sitting on, or sit on at work) and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaroni_and_cheese macaroni and cheese]] (the baked kind). If you're presently eating macaroni and cheese while sitting on a swivel chair, know that you owe your present condition to Jefferson.

It is without question though that Jefferson was one of the most influential figures in American history. He created the political party which would later become today's Democratic Party, and his writings were very important to numerous later American political figures like UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln.

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On a lighter note, he was also the inventor of two great features of modern America: the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swivel_chair swivel chair]] (the kind you're probably sitting on, or sit on at work) and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/Macaroni_and_cheese macaroni and cheese]] (the baked kind). If you're presently eating macaroni and cheese while sitting on a swivel chair, know that you owe your present condition to Jefferson.

'''Thomas Jefferson''' (April 13, 1743 ‒ July 4, 1826) was a Founding Father and the third President of the United States ([[UsefulNotes/AntebellumAmerica 1801‒09]]), immediately succeeding UsefulNotes/JohnAdams and preceding UsefulNotes/JamesMadison. He is best known for being the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, written in 1776. The first President from the Democratic-Republican Party, Jefferson previously had a prominent career in politics, serving as UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington's Secretary of State and John Adams' Vice President. A highly intelligent man skilled in several subjects, his other areas of expertise included theology, architecture, and earth sciences.

* Voiced by Creator/BenStiller(!) on the Creator/{{PBS}} show ''WesternAnimation/LibertysKids''.

For a long time, Jefferson was invoked as the intellectual visionary of the Revolution, the author of the Declaration, the critic of Christianity and upholder of the separation of Church and State. In the course of the latter half of the twentieth century, Jefferson's opinions on racism and slavery have coloured how most people have viewed him, and greatly inform subsequent fictional portrayals to this effect. These days, Jefferson is sometimes seen as the emblem of American hypocrisy, claiming that "All Men Are Created Equal" while possessing hundreds of slaves. This is seen as doubly hypocritical in the light of the validation of the long-denied rumor of his affair with Sally Hemings via a DNA test, accepted by a sizable consensus of American historians (and Jefferson's descendant, journalist Lucan Truscott IV) with a dissenting minority. Sally Hemings was a half-sister of his late wife, the daughter of a black slave and a Virginia landholder. Jefferson began a relationship with Sally and fathered several children with her, all of whom were themselves slaves and who received manumission on Jefferson's death. Recent portrayals invoke his relationship with Sally more than they do his actual accomplishments.

For a long time, Jefferson was invoked as the intellectual visionary of the Revolution, the author of the Declaration, the critic of Christianity and upholder of the separation of Church and State. In the course of the latter half of the twentieth century, Jefferson's opinions on racism and slavery have coloured how most people have viewed him, and greatly inform subsequent fictional portrayals to this effect. These days, Jefferson is sometimes seen as the emblem of American hypocrisy, claiming that "All Men Are Created Equal" while possessing hundreds of slaves. This is seen as doubly hypocritical in the light of the validation of the long-denied rumor of his affair with Sally Hemings via a DNA test, accepted by a sizable consensus of American historians (and Jefferson's descendant, journalist Lucan Truscott IV) with a dissenting minority. Sally Hemings was a half-sister of his late wife, the daughter of a black slave and a Virginia landholder. Jefferson began a relationship with Sally and fathered several children with her, all of whom were themselves slaves and who were the only ones to receive manumission on Jefferson's death. Recent portrayals invoke his relationship with Sally more than they do his actual accomplishments.