Thomas Jefferson was a man of countless talents and countless interests.
Best known for the many ways he served his country, Jefferson was one of the founders of the United States. He wrote our nation’s first and perhaps most famous document—the Declaration of Independence. He served as governor of his home state of Virginia. He traveled to France to represent the new U.S. government. In 1800, he was elected our country’s third president.
But during his 83 years, Jefferson was many other things, too. He was a farmer, a lawyer, a lawmaker, an architect, an inventor, an archaeologist, and a musician. He enjoyed studying weather, plants, human and animal bones, and fossils. He was also a loving son, a husband, a father, and a grandfather. He could read books in seven different languages.
Thomas Jefferson thought of himself as an ordinary man. Was he ordinary, or was he extraordinary? Judge for yourself as you read further.
