Thomas Jefferson

• Born: April 13, 1743
  
• Birthplace: Shadwell, Virginia
  
• 3rd President of the United States
  
• Died: July 4, 1826
  

Author of the Declaration of Independence
The following data is compiled
from Jefferson's life history:

• At 5, began his education under his cousin's tutor.
• At 9, studied Latin, Greek and French.
• At 14, studied classical literature and additional languages.
• At 16, entered the College of William and Mary.
• At 19, studied Law for 5 years starting under George Wythe.
• At 23, started his own law practice.
• At 25, was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses.
• At 31, wrote the widely circulated "Summary View of the Rights of British America"
  and retired from his law practice.
• At 32, was a Delegate to the Second Continental Congress.
• At 33, wrote the Declaration of Independence.
• At 33, took three years to revise Virginia’s legal code and wrote a Public Education
  bill and statute for Religious Freedom.
• At 36, was elected the second Governor of Virginia succeeding Patrick Henry.
• At 40, served in Congress for two years.
• At 41, was the American minister to France and negotiated commercial treaties with
  European nations along with Ben Franklin and John Adams.
• At 46, served as the first Secretary of State under George Washington.
• At 53, served as Vice President and was elected president of the American
  Philosophical Society.
• At 55, drafted the Kentucky Resolutions and became the active head of
  Republican Party.
• At 57, was elected the third president of the United States.
• At 60, obtained the Louisiana Purchase doubling the nation’s size.
• At 61, was elected to a second term as President.
• At 65, retired to Monticello.
• At 80, helped President James Monroe shape the Monroe Doctrine.
• At 81, almost single-handedly created the University of Virginia and served
  as its first president.
• At 83, died on the 50th anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence
  along with John Adams
  
  
  

On April 29, 1962, President John F. Kennedy hosted a dinner at
the White House honoring Western Hemisphere Nobel Prize Winners.
In his speech to the assembled brightest minds he said:

"I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human
knowledge, that has ever been gathered together at the White House,
with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone."

Statements made by Thomas Jefferson

The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing
to work and give to those who would not.

The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.

It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle
which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.

I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from
wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.

My reading of history convinces me that most bad government
results from too much government.

No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.

The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is,
as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time
to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.

To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of
ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.

I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than
standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control
the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks
and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of
all property - until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their
fathers conquered. 1802

"[Let us] carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted,
recollect the spirit manifested in the debates and instead of trying what
meaning may be squeezed out of the text, or invented against it, conform to
the probable one in which it was passed" Letter to William Johnson - 1823

The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, let us tie-down
the second with the chains of the Constitution so the second will not become
the legalized version of the first.


- Thomas Jefferson