Thomas Jefferson the United States When France decided to sell its territory between the Mississippi and the Rocky Mountains Jefferson took advantage of the situation Despite his reser vations about the constitutionality of such a purchase Jefferson forged ahead with nego tiations and purchased all the land for 15 million dollars thereby doubling the area of the United States He served another term as president before retiring in 1809 Even as he established himself as a pub lic figure Jefferson reserved room for his personal interests and private life In 1768 he designed a mansion near Shadwell Va which he called Monticello and maintained until his death He lived there with his wife Martha and their children Patsy and Polly He pur sued his love of architecture throughout his life designing the Virginia Capitol during his time as ambassador to France and the University of Virginia after his retirement Despite the clarity of thought and vision attributed to Jefferson he was not without his weaknesses For example his position on slavery appeared inconsistent and malleable over the course of his life Although Jefferson was a slave owner himself he initially advo cated ending the slave trade Later however he distanced himself from the antislavery
Introduction movement even supporting the expansion of slavery into new territories Following the death of his wife Jefferson’s personal life also became the subject of some controversy While in France Jefferson pursued an intimate relationship with a mar ried woman Later allegations surfaced of Jefferson’s affair with Sally Hemings one of his slaves and it is believed that Jefferson fathered at least one of her children While there is still some uncertainty surrounding the details of the relationship there is evi dence of a genetic link between Jefferson and at least some of Hemings offspring A consummate scholar and statesman Jefferson was a steady presence in a rapidly changing political and cultural environment and even his missteps cannot diminish his significance to history With a voice immor talized in the Declaration of Independence and a legacy that included expanding the size and stature of the United States Jefferson was invaluable in shaping the character of the nation 11
Chapter 1 Early Life Early Life Early Life and Political and Political and Political Career Career Career Career Career Career A n agent of the American Revolution and the author of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 Thomas Jefferson was an active statesman who from 1801 to 1809 served as the third president of the United States During his presidency the territory of the United States doubled with the Louisiana Purchase To investi gate the vastness of this newly acquired land in the West he dispatched two of the most famous explorers in U S history Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to blaze a trail through the Rocky Mountains to the Pacifi c Ocean In the fi rst overseas war in U S history Jefferson sent military forces to the Mediterranean Sea to crush Tripoli’s piracy threats 1212
Early Life and Political Career Thomas Jefferson SuperStock Getty Images 13
