Thomas Jefferson The Book example essay topic

Thomas Jefferson The book that I choose to read and analyze was Jefferson The Virginian, written by Dumas Malone. This book was the first volume and it was written in 1948. I choose this book because I have always been interested in Thomas Jefferson and his life. I found this book to be extremely informative about Jefferson. It included growing up on the fringe of western settlement in Virginia, the college of William and Mary in Williamsburg, to the years he served in the Virginia House of Burgesses, to helping write the Declaration of Independence, and to his years as president of the United States.

Thomas Jefferson was born April 2nd 1743 in Albemarle County, Virginia. His parents were Peter Jefferson and Jane Randolph, the House they live in was called Shadwell, it was named after the parish in London where his mother was from. Jefferson's father died in the summer of 1757. In Peter Jefferson's will he said not until his son turned twenty-one would he be able to receive what had been left to him, which included lands on either the Rihanna or the Fluvanna, a proper share of the livestock, half of the slaves not disposed of, and the residue of the estate.

After his father's death he had no true father figure in his early life. The man who had the greatest impact early in his life was while he was studying under the Reverend James Maury. This partnership probably did little to influence Jefferson's political views in future years, but Maury did encourage him to study the classics like the Greeks and Italians. After leaving from Maury's school he attended William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. The most influential professor that he had here was William Small who taught philosophy. Another Influence that Small had on his life was that he got Jefferson work in the law office of George Wythe.

He studied law for five years under Wythe. While under Wythe's leadership Jefferson became friend's with the governor of the time Francis Fauquier, he was able to meet him through Wythe's service on the general court. In 1767 he was elected to the Virginia House of Burgess at the age of twenty-five, and five years later he married Martha Wales Skelton. When it came to time for the revolution against the British Empire, Thomas Jefferson was more than ready.

Before he wrote his chief literary contribution to the revolutionary cause, he wrote Summary View. The single most important literary contribution was The Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Independence "became the most state paper of the American Republic not merely because it was the first, but because to most people it seemed the best" (pp. 223). After writing the Declaration he went back to Virginia to help them write their constitution. He had definite impacts on the ideas of slavery, which he was against but new that it could not be abolished, crime, religion and education. He became governor of Virginia in 1779, he says that he did not have as much fulfillment from this job as much as the public thought.

Following his service as governor he became Minister to France in 1785. He later became president in 1801 and served until 1809. As president he reduced national debt by one third. After his presidency he helped form the University of Virginia. Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826. I felt that this book was very informative on the life and times of Thomas Jefferson.

It showed throughout that he was a scholar, diplomat, and a man that was devoted to what was right and wrong in the forming of our great country. I did feel that the book spent too much time talking about Jefferson and his life at Monticello. I understand that this is an important part of this private man's life, but I would have to liked to ream more about his thoughts and ideas about the revolution. Also to go along with the statement above I felt the book was more devoted to Jefferson helping write the Virginian constitution than the American constitution and the Declaration of Independence. When talking about the Declaration of Independence Malone only allows about ten pages to this great literary work. I did enjoy reading this work by Dumas Malone, even though I feel it could have done some certain things, but as a whole it gives a great representation of what Thomas Jefferson meant to our country.