Early+History

Thomas Jefferson was born April 13, 1743 in Shadwell, Virginia. He could speak 5 languages and read 2 others. Jefferson studied Latin, Greek, and French from the time he was 9 years old. Knowing French helped him later on when he was first a Trade Commissioner and then the Minister to France from 1784 to 1793. Jefferson's education continued when he started attending the College of William and Mary to be a lawyer at age 16. His education furthered when he started studying law under George Wythe who was the first professor of law in America. Not long after he was elected to the House of Burgesses in 1768. Jefferson's career in politics and law started young and continued until he died. He served as a delegate to the 2nd Continental Congress and in 1776 he drafted and signed the Declaration of Independence. He was the governor of Virginia, an American minister to France, and served as the secretary of state under George Washington. Jefferson was the vice president to John Adams from 1793-1801. He felt that Adams' presidency was restricting civil rights. He disagreed wih laws like the Alien and Sedition Laws because it restricted freedom of speech, assembly, and press. Jefferson knew that the acts were unconstitutional.