Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743. He lived in a big home on a plantation in Virginia. When he was a little boy, he loved learning so much that when he grew up, he went to college to be a lawyer. A lawyer is a person that helps keep people safe by making and protecting laws and rules.

Thomas Jefferson grew to be six-feet tall! He married Martha Skelton in 1772 and they had six children together. Sadly, after they had only been married for ten years, his wife passed away.

At this time, the United States was not yet a country. It was a group of colonies that were controlled by England. Many Americans did not want to be controlled by another country. They wanted freedom.

These feelings led to the American Revolution. This was the war against England for America's freedom.

During the American Revolution, Thomas Jefferson was asked to write the Declaration of Independence. He was a very good writer and was very smart too. Other men helped write it, but most of the words were Thomas Jefferson's words. The Declaration of Independence was a paper that said that the colonists should control their own country and not allow England to control them anymore.

On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed. This day is remembered as Indepedence Day, or the 4th of July. It is usually celebrated at night time with fireworks.

When writing the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson showed positive character traits such as courage and commitment in securing independence from England. He showed courage by being brave, standing up to England, and protecting the colonies from England's control. In addition, he showed commitment by making and keeping his promise to protect the colonies from England's control.

In 1800, Thomas Jefferson became the 3rd president of the United States. He was president for 8 years!