Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) was a politician and the third President of the United States.

Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743 to Peter Jefferson and Jane Rudolph, in Virginia. Jefferson represented Albemarle County as a delegate in the Virginia House of Burgess from 1769 until 1775. On January 1, 1772 Jefferson married Martha Wayles Skelton. He served as the Virginia delegate to the Second Continental Congress from 1775-1776 and as the second Governor of Virginia from 1779-1781. He served in France from 1785-1789 as the United States Minister to France. Upon returning to the United States, Jefferson served as the first United States Secretary of State under George Washington until 1793. After losing the presidential race to John Adams, he became Adams' Vice President, serving from 1797-1801. He then became the third President of the United States, serving for two consecutive terms from 1801-1809. Upon retiring from the presidency, Jefferson lived a private life at his home Monticello. In 1819, he founded the University of Virginia. Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826 at his home in Charlottesville, Virginia.