Thomas Jefferson: Founding Fathers Of The United States

Thomas Jefferson, possibly one of the most important Presidents of the United States, was a politician, architect, vice president, and secretary of state, author of the Declaration of Independence and most importantly the third president of the United States. He was born on April 13, 1743 in Shadwell, Goochland County, Virginia (McColley). In 1760 he studied at the College of William and Mary located in Williamsburg, Virginia ("Thomas Jefferson.”) where his main focus was law. Soon after graduating he was chosen to draft the Declaration of Independence and became one of the founding fathers of the United States. During his lifetime Thomas Jefferson led us through many social, economic and political issues like attempting to abolish slavery,

Finally, we come to the Lewis and Clark Expedition a political issue that changed the United States history forever because we doubled our size when the Louisiana Purchase was bought and wouldn 't have had this expedition if Napoleon wasn’t in debt at the time and Jefferson to negotiate. As president Jefferson wanted to explore and expand towards west he grew interested in Napoleon Bonaparte 's offer to sell France 's Territory known as the Louisiana Purchase for $15 million or (four cents per acre) which at the time, would nearly double the size of the country ("Biographies of the Secretaries of State). On April 30, 1803 the United States officially signed the Louisiana Purchase Treaty with France, in the terms of agreement it stated that all the 820,000 miles of territory from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains now property of the U.S (“Presidential Key Events.”). Most people believe that this is one the greatest achievements ever accomplished by a president. After the U.S purchased the territory, Jefferson appointed Meriwether Lewis, his personal secretary to gather up a party and began planning out an expedition (Binns). Lewis then approached his close friend William Clark to go along with him on the expedition (Wilson). The American government wanted

To know what the new land looked like and where they had specific things. They set out in May 14, 1804 ("Lewis & Clark and the Corps of Discovery.") and the expedition comes to an end in September 13, 1806. In October of 1804 they decided to bring on Toussaint Charbonneau and his wife Sacagawea, who would serve as a translator and guide for the expedition ("Sacagawea."). In 1806 Sacagawea and her husband leave the expedition to stay behind in Fort Madan. On September 1806 they finally arrived at St. Louis for the end of the expedition. At the end of the expedition Jefferson stated
"The expedition of Messrs. Lewis and Clark...has had all the success which could have been expected. they have traced the Missouri nearly to its source, descended the Columbia to the Pacific Ocean, ascertained with accuracy the geography...across our continent, learned the character of the country, of its commerce and inhabitants, and...have by this arduous service deserved well of their country."