American Presidents

A Site to Complement C-SPAN's 20th Anniversary Television Series, American Presidents: Life Portraits
March-December 1999
ThomasJefferson
Read | Listen
to a letter from President Jefferson

Portrait Gallery

Did You Know?

• He authorized the Lewis and Clark expedition--an expedition which explored the land the U.S. obtained through the Louisiana Purchase.
• He was the first president elected by the House of Representatives.
• He wanted to be remembered not for his presidency, but for the roles he played in the creation of the Declaration of Independence, the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom and the University of Virginia.

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Key Events in the Administration
Thomas Jefferson
 (April 13, 1743 - July 4, 1826)
Life Facts

Personal:
• First Lady: Martha "Patsy" Randolph, daughter
• Wife's Maiden Name: Martha Wayles Skelton
• Number of Children: 5
• Education Level: College
• School Attended: College of William and Mary
• Religion: Deism
• Profession: Lawyer

Public Service:
• Dates of Presidency: 3/4/1801 - 3/3/1809
• Presidency Number: 3
• Number of Terms: 2
• Why Presidency Ended: End of 2nd Term
• Party: Democratic-Republican
• His Vice President(s): Aaron Burr, George Clinton
• Vice President For: John Adams (1797-1801)
• Cabinet Service: Secretary of State (George Washington, 1790-1793)
• Governor of a State: VA (1779-1781)
• Colonial Government: House of Burgesses (1769-1774), Continental Congress (1783-1784)
• Other Offices: Minister to France; Virginia Continental Congress; Virginia House of Delegates

Footnotes  

Methodology and Resources

Presidential Places

Birthplace: Shadwell
Gravesite: Monticello

Reference Material

Bibliography
Inaugural Address
Related Links
C-SPAN in the Classroom
Papers: DC, Washington, 202-707-5387
Watch American Presidents Programs from
C-SPAN's Archives

• LIVE from Monticello - Charlottesville, VA. Guests include: Dan Jordan, President, Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation; Andrew Burstein, author, The Inner Jefferson: Portrait of a Grieving Optimist; Annette Gordon-Reed, author, Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy; Fraser Neiman, Monticello Archaeology Director; Cinder Stanton, Monticello Research Historian; and Dianne Swann-Wright.  Watch | Order Videotape    
• CHAT with Cinder Stanton, Monticello Senior Research Historian. Read the Transcript       
• Programming includes (All Times Eastern):
• Biographical Vignette Watch
• Jefferson's Poplar Forest Retreat Watch
• Booknotes with Willard Sterne Randall  Watch
• Archaeology at Monticello Watch
• Jefferson Impersonator Bill Baker Watch 
• Peter Drummy on Jefferson Collections Watch
• Panel on Jefferson and Sally Hemmings Watch
• David Alder, A Picture Book of Thomas Jefferson  Watch
• Garrett Sheldon on What Would Jefferson Say? Watch
• Alfred Mapp and Gene Crotty, "Talking About Jefferson" 
• Booknotes with Annette Gordon-Reed on Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings Watch  

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