Thomas Jefferson

Hello! My name is Thomas Jefferson, and I would like to tell you my story. I was born on a farm in a place called Virginia on April 13th, 1743. Even as a little boy, I was very curious. I loved to read every book I could get my hands on. I also enjoyed playing my violin and exploring the beautiful woods and rivers near my home. My days were filled with learning new things about the world around me.

When I grew up, the place where I lived, America, was not its own country yet. It was ruled by a king from a country far across the ocean. I, along with many others, believed that people should be free to make their own rules and choose their own leaders. In 1776, I was given the very important job of writing down these big ideas in a special document. This paper was called the Declaration of Independence. In it, I wrote that everyone has the right to 'Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.' These words were powerful, and they helped start a brand new country, the United States of America!

A few years after our country was started, I was given another big responsibility. In 1801, I became the third president of the United States. It was a very important job! One of the biggest things I did as president was to buy a huge piece of land for our country in 1803. This was called the Louisiana Purchase, and it made the United States nearly twice as big as it was before. To see what this new land was like, I sent my friends, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, on a long journey to go explore it all.

Besides being a leader, I loved to design and build things. I designed my own special home called Monticello, and I filled it with lots of clever inventions that I came up with myself. I also knew how important learning was for everyone. Because of this, I started a brand new school, the University of Virginia, in 1819. I wanted to create a place where other people could learn, grow, and share their ideas with the world.

I lived a long and very full life. I lived to be 83 years old and passed away on a very special day: July 4th, 1826. That day was exactly 50 years after the Declaration of Independence was first shared with everyone. Today, people remember me for writing the words that helped create the United States and for always believing that knowledge and freedom could make the world a better place for everyone.