Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson became the 3rd President of the United States of America in 1800. He defeated John Adams in the first actual Presidential race since Washington left office due to serving two full terms. He is acknowledged as one of the most influential politicians of all time. He enforced the strict separation of Church and State, a regulation still in place today. Jefferson was elected for a second term as President as well.
Jefferson was well educated in a variety of areas so he was able to combine all of these different areas when needed as President. He was a skilled architect, author, and inventor among many other things. He loved being around other individuals who could share their knowledge with him. Even though he knew a great deal he never portrayed it in a demeaning light. People loved to listen to his stories because of that.
He is believed to be the master mind behind the wording of the Declaration of Independence. Originally a group of five men were asked to draft the first document but everyone loved the concepts of Jefferson so much they didn’t participate in it. He didn’t seem to mind being the one to put the beliefs of the entire group onto paper.
Some notable events that took place during Jefferson’s reign as President include the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and the Lewis and Clark Expedition that ran from 1804 to 1806. The Louisiana Purchase resulted in the United States acquiring a great deal of land from the French. The purchase includes the areas we now know as Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Texas, Montana, Colorado, and Wyoming. This was a significant purchase that basically more than doubled the size of the United States.
The Lewis and Clark expedition was a historical event that helped map out the land and all it had to offer in the various locations. They were also very concerned about the Indians who lived on the land as they were rumored to be savages. How would the land be used for settlers with such a risk out there? Jefferson definitely had big dreams for the growth of the United States and he wanted to know everything there was to find out.
After his two terms as President ended Jefferson was still very interested in learning. He founded the University of Virginia in 1825. The center of the University was a vast library where all students could go to fill themselves with knowledge.
