Written in 1821, just five years before his death, Thomas Jefferson’s Autobiography tells the story of the third president’s childhood, political career and retirement. The third of ten children, Jefferson spent most of his childhood on his family farm with his father, a planter and surveyor. After his father’s death in 1757, Jefferson inherited the famous Monticello, which he would take over at the age of 21. Serving in the Continental Congress at the start of the American Revolution, Jefferson soon moved to represent Virginia as wartime Governor in 1779. Just after the war ended, he served as a diplomat, stationed in Paris, and became the U.S. Minister to France in 1785. In 1790, he served as the first Secretary of State for President George Washington and was elected as Vice President to John Adams in 1796. Jefferson’s autobiography touches on his rivalry with President Adams and his secret publishing of the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions with James Madison. Following his election as the third U.S. President in 1801, Jefferson saw the purchase of the Louisiana Territory, the expedition of Louis and Clark, and legislation that banned the importation of slaves to the United States. After his retirement from politics, Jefferson lived a quiet life in Monticello, frequently hosting guests of high political status who valued his opinions and ideas.
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