MORE
ABOUT
THOMAS JEFFERSON
Thomas
Jefferson
1743-1826
"I
have sworn, upon the altar of God, eternal hostility
against every form of tyranny over the mind of man."
When
Thomas Jefferson's will was read, it stated that there
were only three things for which he wanted to be remembered.
Author
of the Declaration of Independence (at 33 years of age).
Founder
of the University of Virginia.
The
Virginia Act for Establishing Religious Freedom.
Thomas
Jefferson accomplished more in his
lifetime of 83 years then 10 men could do in one.
He
graduated from William and Mary College and became a lawyer.
He
was elected to the House of Burgesses (commonwealth legislature) in
Virginia.
He
was elected governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
He
wrote the Treatise for Religious Liberty
for Virginia.
He
was the Author-Signer of the Declaration
of Independence (co-authored
with John Adams).
He
was the 1st Secretary of State (under President George Washington).
He
was VP (under President John Adams).
He
was the 3rd President of the United States, 1801-1809.
He
purchased the Louisiana Territory from France.
He
sent Lewis and Clark to discover the trail to the Pacific.
He
worked at building his own home, Monticello, during his entire political
career (40
years).
He
was the Ambassador to France, succeeding Benjamin Franklin.
He
founded and built the University
of Virginia.
His
library of 8,000 books became the core collection of the Library of
Congress.
He
invented tools for writing and farming.
He
wrote enlightening correspondence to Adams, Washington, Madison, Franklin
and
other founding fathers.
He
rose each day at 3 AM and put his feet in a bowl of ice to invigorate
his
nervous system, an ancient yogic practice.
Jefferson
was the ideal American, the ideal Democrat, the ideal Renaissance Man.
Freckled and sandy-haired, and rather tall and awkward, Jefferson was
eloquent as a correspondent, but he was not a public speaker. In the
Virginia House of Burgesses and the Continental Congress, he contributed
his pen rather than his voice to the patriot cause.
He
inherited a 5000 acre plantation from his father at what would become
his farm-plantation, Monticello, along with a number of African slaves.
The slaves worked the plantation. They were treated extremely well by
Jefferson.
In that time, tobacco was the number one cash crop in the colonies.
When he inherited the Monticello plantation-farm on the hill in Charlottesville,
Virginia, he removed the tobacco from the soil. He knew it starved the
soil of its nutrients. He then planted potatoes to make the soil more
alkaline. Monticello is the oldest "organic" plantation in
America. Fruits, vegetables, plants, flowers, herbs still grow there.
No cotton!
Jefferson's favorite beverage was apple cider, though he kept a rare wine collection in his cellar. He served these wines only to guests.
He played the violin.
He,
himself was almost a vegetarian. He used meat as a condiment.
He laid the first parquet floor in America.
He
created a swinging door (the glass and door he invented is still working).
This was done so that when his nieces and nephews came to visit and
were running through the home, when they touched the door it automatically
opened, just like grocery store doors automatically open today.
He loved to hang pictures in his home. They covered almost every inch
of wall space. By today’s standards the home would be considered
cluttered. He believed pictures should be hung not so much for their
qualities as beautiful art, but to tell a story. He mostly had pictures
of famous people such as John Locke, who was an influence in Jefferson’s
life, and busts of Adams, Washington, and Franklin as well.
Jefferson’s
closest neighbor was James Madison, the author of the U.S. Constitution.
John Adams last two words on his death bed were, "Jefferson lives!",
July 4th 1826. Thomas Jefferson died a few hours later.
Editor's
Note: In the election of 1800, Thomas Jefferson and President John Adams
ran the first real political campaign. Although then President Adams
was somewhat progressive and a Congregationalist (now the United Church
of Christ), some say a Unitarian, he ran on being a “Christian”
president. The right-wing of Christianity backed him. The more liberal
establishment and free-thinkers backed Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson ran
on the issue of Religious Liberty. He was labeled an “Atheist”
by some of the major newspapers and evangelical Christians of that time.
Jefferson won the election, and because of his victory, some would say
we have more true religious diversity in our Republic today.
Thank God for Thomas Jefferson.
See Jefferson's Virginia Act for Establishing Religious Freedom.
The
Declaration of Independence
The first Thanksgiving Day Prayer
Whatever happened to the Declaration Signers
Jefferson's Virginia Act for Establishing Religious Freedom
