Thomas Jefferson is known as a Founding Father of the United States. He is most famous for writing the Declaration of Independence. By the 1770s, the American colonies, including Jefferson's Virginia, began to feel they were being unjustly treated by their British rulers. Thomas Jefferson became a leader in the fight for independence and represented Virginia at the Continental Congress.
Writing the Declaration of Independence
During the Second Continental Congress, Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, were tasked to write a Declaration of Independence. This document was to state that the colonies considered themselves free from British rule and were willing to fight for that freedom. Jefferson was the primary author of the document and wrote the first draft.
Fun Facts about Thomas Jefferson
- Jefferson was also an accomplished architect. He designed his famous home at Monticello.
- Jefferson would eventually become the third president of the United States of America, one of the first things he did was to lower taxes!
*Click on the Declaration of Independence to learn more!