Thomas Jefferson Reading Passage & Timeline Activity Made With Love By: Jenifer Bazzit Who Was Thomas Jefferson? Name: _________________________ Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743 at Shadwell, a slave plantation in Virginia. Jefferson inherited thousands of acres of land and around 30 slaves when his father died. Jefferson went to the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. He liked to study 15 hours per day! He became a lawyer and practiced law for many years. He loved the study of law, but he also was described as a great musician. Monticello was Jefferson’s beloved plantation. He spent 50 years building and maintaining Monticello. He had slaves and skilled white workers construct the buildings. On January 1, 1772, Jefferson married Martha Wayles Skelton. Together, they had 6 children but only 2 of them, Martha and Mary, survived to adulthood. In 1775, Jefferson was elected to the Continental Congress. He was asked to write the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson believed in the importance of individual rights and freedoms. He also believed all men should be treated fairly and equally. Thomas Jefferson was the governor of Virginia from 1779-1781. When he finished his term as governor, he returned to Monticello to care for his plantation. He remained a devoted father to his daughters. Jefferson won the presidential election and became our nation’s 3rd president in 1801. After his presidency, he founded the University of Virginia. On July 4, 1826, Jefferson died at his beloved plantation, Monticello. This date was the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson’s Life Timeline Name: _________________________ Instructions: Read Who Was Thomas Jefferson? Then, use the information to create a timeline of Jefferson’s life. Add an important detail about each event inside the arrows. If you enjoyed this freebie, click here to leave feedback: FEEDBACK Remember to “follow me” for more great freebies. Click this link. Then click the “follow me” star. Check out these other great products: Clip Art By: Microsoft Office KPM Doodles Glitter Meets Glue Designs .