BIOGRAPHICAL TIMELINE 13 Apr. Born to Peter and Jane Randolph Jefferson at Shadwell in 1743 Albemarle County, Va. Jan. 1758 Enrolled in school of Rev. James Maury; remained for two years. Mar. 1760 Entered College of William and Mary, Williamsburg. 1762 Left college to study law under George Wythe. 1766 Began garden book. 1767 Admitted to Virginia bar. Construction of Monticello underway. 1769 Elected to Virginia House of Burgesses through 1776. Nov. 1770 Occupied Monticello after burning of Shadwell. 1 Jan. 1772 Married Martha Wayles Skelton. Mar. Named to Committee of Correspondence to channel 1773 communication and to unify the colonies. Jan. 1774 Began farm book. July Delegate to Virginia Convention in Williamsburg; illness prevented 1774 attendance; drafted "Albemarle Resolutions." Aug. Published "A Summary of the Rights of British America." 1774 Chairman of Committee of Safety in Albemarle County. Mar. 1775 Attended Second Virginia Convention. May 1775 Delegate to Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Sep. 1775 Named commander of Albemarle militia. Virginia accepted his draft for state constitution, the first colony to June become a state. 1776 Completed Declaration of Independence. 2-8 July 1776 Declaration signed. Sep. 1776 Resigned from Congress. Oct. Attended sessions of Virginia House of Delegates through 1779 and 1776 started revision of Virginia legal code. July 1779 Elected governor of Virginia. June Retired from office after much dispute. 1781 Sep. 1782 Wife Martha died. Nov. 1782 Congress named him to peace commission in France. Apr. Released from commission after preliminary peace signed with 1783 England. Nov. 1783 Delegate to Virginia Congress; drafted 31 state papers. May Appointed minister plenipotentiary with John Adams and Benjamin 1784 Franklin to negotiate treaties of commerce with Europe. Aug. 1784 Arrived in Paris. Mar. 1785 Succeeded Franklin as minister to France after latter's retirement. May Notes on the State of Virginia first published in Paris; written 1781- 1785 1782. Jan. Virginia Assembly passed his "Ordinance of Religious Freedom," 1786 written in 1779. Mar. 1786 Journeyed to London for seven weeks to assist John Adams. Mar. 1787 Toured southern France and northern Italy for three months. Oct. 1787 Re-elected minister to France for a three-year term. Mar. 1788 Visited Germany and the Low Countries for seven weeks. Nov. 1789 Returned to America. Accepted President Washington's offer of position of secretary of Dec. state. 1789 Reworked and expanded Monticello from 1789 until 1809. Mar. 1790 Sworn in as secretary of state in New York. Nov. 1790 Moved to temporary capital at Philadelphia. May Traveled for a month with James Madison through New York, 1791 Vermont, and Connecticut to line up political support. 31 Dec. Resigned from position as secretary of state after conflicts with 1793 Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton. Nov. 1796 Placed on Republican ticket for president in national election. Feb. Votes counted; received second most votes to become vice 1797 president under John Adams. Sworn in at Philadelphia. 4 Mar. Acted as president of the American Philosophical Society until 1797 1814. Sep. Wrote Kentucky Resolutions in defense of states' rights in protest 1798 of the Alien and Sedition Acts. Nov. 1799 Second set of Kentucky Resolutions passed. May Republicans organized first national platform with a caucus, with 1800 Jefferson for president in election. Dec. 1800 Tie between votes for Jefferson and Aaron Burr. 11-17 Feb. Special session of House of Representatives called to break the tie; 1801 Jefferson finally voted in as president. 4 Mar. 1801 Inauguration held in Washington, D.C. May Tripoli declared war on the U.S. over commercial policy; warships 1801 sent to the Mediterranean. Dec. 1801 Sent first annual message to Congress. Feb. 1802 War with Tripoli declared. Mar. 1802 Repealed Judiciary Act of 1801 to nullify judicial appointments. Apr. 1802 Signed bill against internal taxes. Oct. Louisiana Purchase ratified; bought for $15 million, it restored right 1803 of deposit at New Orleans. Feb. Re-nominated and re-elected as president with George Clinton as 1804 vice president. May Lewis and Clark departed from St. Louis to start exploration of new 1804 territory. 4 Mar. 1805 Second inauguration held. June 1805 Peace treaty with Tripoli and Morocco signed. Jan. 1806 House authorized $2 million to buy Florida from Spain. British troops began practice of impressment. Summer British ships banned from American waters after Chesapeake 1807 attack. Dec. 1807 Embargo Act passed. Mar. Repeal of Embargo Act. 1809 Jefferson retired to Monticello. Sep. Offered to sell personal library to Congress for $25,000; transferred 1814 six months later. 7 Mar. 1825 University of Virginia opened. 4 July 1826 Jefferson died at Monticello.