Thomas
Jefferson wasn't a very good public speaker, but he was an eloquent writer and
penned one of America's most important documents - the Declaration of Independence.
Jefferson was elected as the nation's 2nd Vice President and 3rd President. After
the birth of the new nation, the founding fathers split into two sharply divided
political parties. The Federalists believed in a strong centralized government,
while the Democratic-Republicans championed the rights of the individual states
and believed strongly in the separation of church and state. Thomas Jefferson
became the leader of the Democratic-Republicans. He served as President of the
United States for two terms. Under his presidency, he reduced the national debt
by a third by cutting the budget and reducing the Army and Navy. His administration
also purchased the Louisiana Territory from the French -- this land makes up nearly
one-quarter of the entire current United States.
After
leaving the presidency, Jefferson continued to be active in public affairs, and
turned a good deal of his attention to a dream he had had for decades -- to help
create a university. His vision was to create a university that was free of influence
by any church, and where students could specialize in many different fields of
study. He wanted all citizens of Virginia to be able to attend this institution
of higher learning. The University of Virginia, one of the largest construction
projects in the nation at the time, was completed in 1825. Thomas Jefferson and
John Adams died on July 4, 1826 - exactly 50 years after the birth of the nation
they helped to found.
