Thomas Jefferson is pictured on U.S. nickels. He is also portrayed on the giant Mount Rushmore sculpture in South Dakota. The Jefferson Memorial is a popular landmark in Washington, D.C. Jefferson City, Missouri, and Mount Jefferson in Oregon are among the many places named for him.
Why is Thomas Jefferson honored in all these ways?
He wrote the Declaration of Independence. This paper announced the birth of the United States in 1776. Its stirring words, such as “all men are created equal,” have inspired people for more than 225 years.
Jefferson was a giant in many fields. A great statesman, he was our third President. A gifted architect, he designed Virginia’s statehouse and the University of Virginia campus. People called him “Mr. Mammoth” because he collected prehistoric bones. His book collection became the core of the Library of Congress.
Despite his many public triumphs, Jefferson’s private life was often sad. His wife, Martha, died at the age of only thirty-three. Only two of Thomas and Martha’s six children lived to adulthood. Jefferson also felt guilty that he didn’t live by his own words. The man who wrote, “all men are created equal,” owned hundreds of slaves. And toward the end of his life, the former President landed deeply in debt.
This is the true story of a man with many sides: Thomas Jefferson. |