Throughout many students’ educational careers, the name Thomas Jefferson becomes very familiar. Before class, I identified Jefferson as a member of the committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence, the third president of the United States, founder of the University of Virginia, and the man behind the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 that doubled the size of our country. As I began writing what I thought I had known about him, I realized I truly knew very little. As my class explored Jefferson’s long list of incredible achievements, I was surprised to learn about how much he shaped our country into what it is today. I learned about his multiple interests outside of politics, such as architecture, geography, horticulture, and even meteorology. I was also unaware of Jefferson’s profound belief in expanding education and freedom of religion to all people, despite their place in society to better the future of our country. I was even more amazed to find that Jefferson died on July 4, 1826: the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Well done! It's so weird how he died on that day, yes? Apparently, he was very sick, but held on until that morning. He asked the date before passing.
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