On This Day in History - Thomas Jefferson was Born

Thomas Jefferson -- Author of the Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, third President of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia -- voiced the aspirations of a new America as no other individual of his era. As public official, historian, philosopher, and plantation owner, he served his country for over five decades.

Born: April 13, 1743. Birthplace: Shadwell, Virginia. Now for you historians that really keep track. His birthday was actually April 2nd under the old calender. You will see this notated as 'O.S.' When you see the earlier date. Look for my post on the change of the Gregorian to Julian calenders and how that effects many of our dates in history.
His father Peter Jefferson was a successful planter and surveyor and his mother Jane Randolph a member of one of Virginia's most distinguished families. Having inherited a considerable landed estate from his father, Jefferson began building Monticello when he was twenty-six years old. Three years later, he married Martha Wayles Skelton, with whom he lived happily for ten years until her death. Their marriage produced six children, but only two survived to adulthood. Jefferson, who never remarried, maintained Monticello as his home throughout his life, always expanding and changing the house.

Here is my Daughter, Lindsay giving her Uncle Thomas a hug. We are descendants from his sister Mary Jefferson. Ironically, Lindsay did not know this when this picture was taken as the developement of this line of our family had not been done yet. It does makes it more sweet to me that she felt some admiration and kinship to this great man.


There are many wonderful books on Thomas Jefferson. Please look to read a few, he was a remarkable thinker and writer.


Incidently, Jefferson's obelisk gravemarker is at Monticello, as he died on July 4, 1826, just hours before his close friend John Adams, on the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. He was eighty-three years old, the holder of large debts, but according to all evidence a very optimistic man.


It was Jefferson's wish that his tomb stone reflect the things that he had given the people, not the things that the people had given to him. It is for this reason that Thomas Jefferson's epitaph reads:

HERE WAS BURIED

THOMAS JEFFERSON

AUTHOR OF THE

DECLARATION

OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE

OF THE

STATUTE OF VIRGINIA

FOR

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

AND FATHER OF THE

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

BORN APRIL 2, 1743 O.S.

DIED JULY 4. 1826

Happy Birthday Sir.