Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson — page 1
Introduction A lthough Thomas Jefferson held many titles over the course of his life secretary of state vice presi dent and president the most prominent among them the title of architect may have suited him best Not only did he design buildings his own home being one nota ble example but as primary author of the Declaration of Independence cofounder of the Republican party and engineer of the Louisiana Purchase he also helped craft a nation Indeed the foundation of the United States rests on many of the contributions Jefferson made to law and governance The remarkable life of this Founding Father is chronicled in the following pages Jefferson’s passions were many and his accomplishments widespread From a young age he developed and indulged interests as diverse as music classical literature science and architecture ultimately choosing to pur sue a legal career First cast into the public eye as a representative in Virginia’s House of Burgesses Jefferson began to demonstrate his talent for public service during the try ing period of the American Revolution He was appointed as Virginia’s delegate to the Second Continental Congress a body of 6