CENTS of the Life, DOLLAR Lib Ty and the P Suit of Happiness
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Jefferson PEN-PAL PRESIDENTS HOW TO WRITE 2 LETTERS AT ONCE HE MADE CENTS OF THE Life, DOLLAR Lib ty and the p suit of Happiness IN PARTNERSHIP WITH Jefferson_FC.indd 1 3/15/17 5:34 PM 2 the new U.S. government. In 1800, he was The Remarkable Jefferson eected our countrs third resident Thomas Jefferson was a man of countless But during his 83 years, Jefferson was talents and countless interests. many other things too. He was a farmer, a Best known for the many ways he served lawyer, a lawmaker, an architect, an inven- his country, Jefferson was one of the found- tor, an archaeologist, and a musician. He ers of the United States. He wrote our na- enoed studin weather, ants, human tions first and erhas most famous docu- and animal bones, and fossils. He could ment the ecaration of ndeendence read books in seven different languages. He He served as governor of his home state of was also a loving son, brother, husband, fa- irinia e traeed to rance to reresent ther, and grandfather. Thomas Jefferson thought of himself as an ordinary man. Was he ordinary, or was he extraordinary? Judge for yourself as you read further. GEORGE WASHINGTON THOMAS JEFFERSON Jefferson_2-3.indd 2 3/15/17 5:35 PM 3 l THE NATION’S capital, Washing- ton, D.C., is home to this well-known memorial to Jeffer- son. A memorial is something made to remind us of a per- u DURING HIS son or event. Here, lifetime, Jeffer- a 19-foot-high son’s face was a bronze statue of popular image on Jefferson stands in plates and pitch- the middle of a ers. People who Greek-style temple admired him and overlooking the his politics bought Tidal Basin off the them to show they Potomac River. The agreed with his building honors the views. Shown here u THIS PICTURE OF Greek and Roman is some of the chi- Jefferson hangs in architecture that na (dishes) Jeffer- the White House. It Jefferson admired. son used in the was painted by He helped make White House. Rembrandt Peale both types of ar- in 1800 and is one chitecture popular of the most ad- in the United mired portraits of States. Jefferson. u WANT A GOOD son’s face on one look at Thomas side of the nickel AT MOUNT RUSHMORE, Jefferson? His face coin and his be- in the Black Hills of may be closer than loved home, Monti- South Dakota, Jef- you think. In 1938, cello, on the other. ferson’s face can the U.S. govern- be seen from miles ment put Jeffer- away. Along with the faces of three other presidents, it was carved out of granite with jack- hammers and dy- namite by sculptor Gutzon Borglum. He started in 1927 and worked on the project for 14 years. Borglum died when the sculpture was al- most complete. His son, Lincoln, fi n- ished the work in 1941. THEODORE ROOSEVELT ABRAHAM LINCOLN Jefferson_2-3.indd 3 3/15/17 5:36 PM 4 his early years exploring the world around Jefferson’s Early Life him, often with his older sister Jane. Both From an early age, Thomas Jefferson were smart, lively, and curious. In all, Tom lived by this advice, which he later gave to had fi e sisters and one rother is fa his daughter: “It is wonderful how much ther, eter efferson, was a sefeducated may be done if we are always doing.”* farmer and sureor is mother, ane Even as a young boy, Tom Jefferson was Randolph Jefferson, was the daughter of “always doing.” wealthy Virginia landowners. Young Tom Born on April 13, 1743, at Shadwell, sometimes went with his father on sure his family’s farm in Virginia, Tom spent ing trips. As Peter worked, Tom learned to EARLY LIFE u AT SHADWELL, u IN 1757, TOM’S Tom’s oldest sister, father died, at age Jane, was his fa- 49. He left several vorite playmate. thousand acres of But she was more land, more than 60 than that. Because enslaved people, and the family was so many horses, cattle, large, she was giv- and hogs. He also en the responsibili- left Tom his 40 ty of looking after books. They included him. Jane’s death a Bible, a prayer at age 25 was a book, a history of terrible loss for England, and the Tom. works of William Shakespeare. u TOM STUDIED AT teacher. Tom spent this schoolhouse in hours practicing Tuckahoe, 15 miles his penmanship, from Shadwell. dipping his quill Later, he had a tu- pen into a small tor, or private ink bottle. Jefferson_4-5.indd 4 3/15/17 5:38 PM 5 COLLEGE LIFE l WILLIAMSBURG survey, or map and measure, the land. was the capital of the colony of Vir- When Tom was 14 years old, his father ginia. When Jeffer- died. As the oldest son, Tom became son started college head of the household. In 1760, he there, it had just 300 houses. Al- moved to Williamsburg, Virginia, to at- though fewer than tend the College of William and Mary. 2,000 people lived there, Williamsburg is fi rst months there were fi ed more was the largest with fun than with study. But in time he city Tom had ever became a serious, hardworking student seen. who made just about every minute count. r WHEN TOM *Letter from Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson, May 1787. From The Jefferson Cyclopedia, arrived at the Col- edited by John P. Foley. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1900. lege of William and Mary, he became AS A BOY, TOM KEPT bloomed. He also very social right records of the nat- noted the migra- away. He went to ural world around tions of birds. Lat- fox hunts, horse him. In his Garden er, he began keep- races, plays, and Book, he made ing records of balls at the Raleigh having fun. Howev- alize that he had daily notes on the every planting of Tavern. He even er, on a visit home, been wasting too temperature and seeds and all the joined a secret so- a conversation much time. Soon when different trees and bushes ciety called the Flat with his best after, Tom settled wildfl owers on his farm. Hat Club. It was friend, Dabney down. He became devoted entirely to Carr, made Tom re- a serious student. l TOM WAS A GOOD singer. He also was an expert violinist. When he was at college, the gover- nor of the Virginia colony, Francis Fauquier, often in- vited Tom to his home for musical evenings. POST-COLLEGE LIFE r ON NEW YEAR’S at Monticello. One d AFTER GRADUATING Day, 1772, when thing the couple from college in he was 29 years shared was a love 1762, Tom decided old, Jefferson mar- of music. Martha to stay in Williams- ried a young wid- often played the burg. He studied in ow, Martha Wayles harpsichord while the law offi ce of Skelton. He Jefferson played his friend George brought her to live his violin. Wythe. Five years later, he took an exam and began MARRIED LIFE practicing law. l THE COUPLE HAD known as Maria. one son and fi ve As often happened daughters. But only at the time, the two of their chil- Jefferson children dren lived to adult- died of such com- hood: Martha (left), mon childhood ill- who was called nesses as whoop- Patsy, and Mary, ing cough. who was later Jefferson_4-5.indd 5 3/15/17 5:38 PM 6 IN HIS CABINET, JEFFERSON OFTEN ATE pictures of the 34 or study, Jefferson his breakfast in American heroes wrote letters and what he called the he most admired. conducted science tea room. He said it Among them were experiments. When was his “most George Washing- W EAVER he was serving as honorable suite.” ton, Benjamin ’S C president of the That’s because it Franklin, and John OTTAGE United States, he contained busts or Paul Jones. MULBERRY ROW E u THIS SKETCH BY did some of his Jefferson shows work there, too. his original plan for Monticello. After living in Paris from 1784 to 1789, Jef- ferson decided to enlarge his eight- NSLAVED room house. By the W time he was fin- ORKERS ished, Monticello ’ P had 33 rooms and AID W a dome on top. ORKERS ’ S TOREHOUSE ON THE SOUTH END and book room, or of the first floor, library. Jefferson’s N Jefferson had sev- library contained eral rooms where nearly 7,000 even his family books. Many of was rarely allowed. them were about These included his law, history, and bedroom, study, government. AILERY B Monticello Jefferson once said, “Architecture is my delight, and put- LACKSMITH ting up and pulling down one of my favorite amuse- ’S S ments.”* As we shall see, he really meant it. HOP u MORE THAN 100 knew that enslav- Jefferson spent 40 years building and rebuilding his enslaved Africans ing another human home. He named it Monticello (mon-ti-CHEL-oh), which lived on the planta- being was terribly tion and did most wrong, and he in Italian means “little mountain.” Monticello was built on of the work at fought to bring the the top of a small mountain near Jefferson’s birthplace. Monticello. Person- African slave trade Jefferson began work on Monticello in 1768. He didn’t ally, Jefferson felt to an end. Yet he great conflict over failed to fully act stop until a few years before his death.