Thomas Jefferson was an impressive and phenomenal man. He was known to be an American Founding Father, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, and the third president of the United States of America. Jefferson was also a horticulturalist, father, inventor, archeoligist, and thinker, who believed in the rights of men.
Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743 in the rural Piedmont region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. When he was 14, he inherited his father’s estate and slaves. Before long, Jefferson attended the College of William and Mary where he studied mathematics, metaphysics, and philosophy. In 1767, Jefferson was admitted to the Virginia Bar and practiced law. He remained influential at the College of William and Mary throughout his life, and helped institute the nation’s first student honor code.
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As a member, he was picked to draft the Declaration of Independence, a document that reflects John Locke’s ideas of government's obligation to protect the people's natural rights, with the help of Benjamin Franklin and others. Locke wrote that all men have a natural right to "life, liberty, and property", which Jefferson changed to "the pursuit of happiness" when he wrote the Declaration of Independence. Locke also wrote that government is an instrument of the people's will, and the people had the right "to alter or abolish" unjust governments. This argument has been used by many revolutionaries, but Jefferson was one of the first to use Locke's ideas to justify revolution. The principle of popular sovereignty was also an important point in the Declaration. On July 4, 1776, American leaders adopted the Declaration, pledging "our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor" to creating and protecting the new United States of