Research Paper On Thomas Jefferson A Renaissance Man

Lentz Jeanty

CHY4U

Mr.Soto

15 March, 2016

Renaissance Man Essay

Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13th, 1743, the son of a surveyor, he attended the college of William and Mary, was accepted to the Virginia bar at the age of 17 and became a member of the continental congress by the age of 25. He married his wife Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson on new year's day 1772 and she died ten years later, they had six children together but only 2 made it into adulthood. In 1800 he defeated his friend John Adams to become the third president of the United States, after deciding not to run again in the election of 1809 he retired to Monticello, his Virginia home, until his death on July 4, 1826. Today he is remembered as the author of the Declaration

Thomas Jefferson meets this requirement easily because he used his talents to do many great things such as become president of the United States of America and found the university of Virginia. Jefferson’s greatest creation the Declaration of Independence, is the perfect example of him using his literary gift to create something great. In June 1776, the Continental Congress wanted to draft a declaration of independence and they needed someone to write it, Jefferson who was a member of congress at the time was chosen because he had acquired a reputation as a skilled draftsman("Monticello"). He used both his legal expertise and his literary skill to create something with a huge historical impact. Another one of his great creations was Monticello Jefferson’s home near Charlottesville, Virginia. This building was designed by Thomas Jefferson himself and is often called an “architectural masterpiece”. He started construction in 1769 with only the knowledge he had learned through books, but was inspired by Renaissance and Neoclassical works of architecture during his time as American Commissioner to France. Jefferson used his architectural prowess and his inventive mind to create this building and fill it with his inventions like hideaway beds, dumbwaiters,and swivel chairs("Monticello"). These two creations serve as examples that Thomas Jefferson

He had a profound faith in the common man this led to his belief that the government should be a servant to the people and that their was no need for a central government. The most obvious humanist ideal in his life was his constant search for knowledge and improvement, this can be seen in the fact that at the age of 76 he came of retirement to found the University of Virginia(Malone). In 1786 Jefferson wrote a letter to his legal mentor George Wythe, who is recognised by historians as the first American legal professor, in it he speaks on the necessity of