At the age of five, Thomas Jefferson began his studies under his cousin’s tutor. By the time he was nine years of age, he learned to speak Latin, Greek and French. At fourteen, he studied classical literature and additional languages. He turned sixteen and began his studies at William and Mary College. At nineteen, he studied law for five years and, at twenty-three, started his own law practice. At the age of twenty-five, he was elected to the Virginia house of Burgesses, which at the time was the legislative body of the Colony of Virginia. At thirty-two, he became a Delegate to the second Continental Congress and at thirty-three, wrote the Declaration of Independence. He later went on to become Governor of Virginia and served as first Secretary of State under President George Washington. He then became Vice President under President John Adams. In 1801 he was elected the third President of the United States and served until 1809.
Some of his other accomplishments: The Louisiana purchase which doubled the size of our nation and, at the age of 80 helped President Monroe shape the Monroe Doctrine. Was elected President of American Philosophical Society and became the active head of the Republican Party. Here’s some of what Thomas Jefferson had to say:
"Democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."
"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."
"My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government."
"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
And we could fill a library with the wisdom and forsight of Thomas Jefferson.
John F. Kennedy once held a dinner in the White House for a group of the brightest minds in the nation at that time. He made this statement: "This is perhaps an assembly of the most intelligence ever to gather at one time in the White House, with the exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone."
Thomas Jefferson was also an inventor. Such things as the Wheel Cipher used for encoding messages with ease. The Dumbwaiter used to transport food and wine between floors in hotels. He created a machine that could make pasta. It was a board with different holes spread about it that would produce small curved, hollow macaroni noodles as a crank was turned. Where would us Italians be without that one.
Over the last few years, towns and cities across America have been taken over by the radical woke mob and allowed “cancel culture” to take over. Among the early targets was Thomas Jefferson. A statue of Thomas Jefferson was removed from New York City Hall where it had stood for 187 years. Today, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation is welcoming visitors to Monticello to tell them a story that is more about the horrors of slavery than it is about one of our country’s greatest founding fathers. The people who take the tour leave sad and demoralized. They are being introduced to the Monticello estate and president Thomas Jefferson in an incredibly misleading way. The Thomas Jefferson Foundation who are in charge of the estate, should be ashamed and stripped of their duties. In this writer's mind, he was one of the greatest thinkers, architects, and statesmen of all time. Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence paved the way for the abolition of slavery and thats the story that should be told.
He died peacefully at his beloved home in Monticello, Virginia on July 4th 1826, the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. His good friend and fellow patriot John Adams died later that same day, his last words were "Thomas Jefferson survives", though Adams was unaware that Jefferson had died several hours early. Jefferson was 83 years old.
This was Thomas Jefferson.
Written by Walt Ryba Feburary 13, 2024
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