Thomas Jefferson should truly be remembered and honored today. What did he accomplish? I’ll just mention a few here. He graduated from William and Mary College and then studied law for 5 years under George Wythe, the first law professor in Virginia.

By then he was already an accomplished violinist and dancer. He fell in love with and married another musician, Martha Wayles Skelton. He had already begun construction on Montecello, so they moved in to the one room that was finished there. He worked on building and remodeling for the next 40 years. (If you haven’t been there, you should go to visit and to observe the detail and the beauty of his mansion on the hill.

Tom befriended Patrick Henry and soon joined him as a delegate to the House of Burgesses in Williamsburg. He was sworn in on the same day as another great leader, George Washington.

Tom became a representative of Virginia in the Continental Congress, where he was eventually named as the author of a draft for the soon to be approve “Declaration of Independence.” He followed Patrick Henry as the second Governor to the new State of Virginia.

He was sent by Congress to join John Adams and Benjamin Franklin as ambassadors to France ant to join them in Producing and signing the Treaty of Paris, ending the Revolutionary War.

Jefferson was still serving in France when the Constitutional Convention convened in Philadelphia. James Madison asked Tom to send him some reading material to help his draft a new Constitution He sent him three trunk-loads of reading materials to help James with the task. He fought long distance for a Bill of rights to be added to the Constitution. And it was.

Tom was the first Secretary of State under George Washington. He took the Presidency away from his erstwhile friend, John Adams. Jefferson served two terms and accomplished much, including defeating the Barbary Pirates in naval battles. Jefferson also doubled the size of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase.

When he retired he carried on a correspondence with John Adams for more than a dozen years. He created hybrid vegetables at his home at Monticello. He designed several buildings, most notably the Capitol building at Richmond, Virginia. He also established the University of Virginia for which he was the first President. Did I mention that he layed out the campus and structured the curriculum. He continued building Monticello, and also began a summer home know as Poplar Forest.

He also managed to be conversant in 4 languages, in which he also set the Bible verses in the New Testament side by side in those languages so he could read them and understand the nuances as he studied religion. He knew languages, agriculture, history, science, law, religion, and just about everything that was knowable at that time! He was a scholar, a diplomat, a lawyer, a writer, a politician, and a husband and father.

His beloved Martha had died after only 10 years of wedded bliss. He never remarried, but she had borne six children, only two of which lived to adulthood. He raised those two of his six children and several grandchildren lived at his home at Monticello. His home was always active and full of energy.

However, upon his death he directed than his tombstone bear only these words: “Author of the Declaration of American Independence, the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia.” Which was strictly observed.

He was quite the learned gentleman. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TOM!