# Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was an American Founding Father, principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776), and the third President of the United States (1801–1809), whose Enlightenment-shaped vision of liberty, natural rights, and republican self-governance shaped the founding ideals of the American republic. A polymath who corresponded with leading European scientists and philosophers, he founded the University of Virginia (1819) as a secular institution dedicated to intellectual freedom. The profound contradiction between his declared ideals of liberty and his ownership of enslaved people remains a central tension in his historical legacy.

## Quick Facts

- **Born:** April 13, 1743
- **Birthplace:** Shadwell, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Occupation:** Philosophy / Enlightenment Thought
- **Category:** Scholars & Educators
- **Also Known As:** Author of the Declaration of Independence, Apostle of Liberty

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Source: https://peoplebio.info/p/thomas-jefferson