Person

Thomas Jefferson

1743–1826 · 18th century

Thomas Jefferson was a Virginian planter, lawyer and statesman, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the third President of the United States from 1801 to 1809. As president he made the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, doubling the size of the country. He founded the University of Virginia and championed religious freedom, while owning more than 600 enslaved people during his life.

Thomas Jefferson
Image: Rembrandt Peale · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 profile

United StatesFoundation, Summary

Mentioned in 1 state history

Colony of Virginia

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Thomas Jefferson. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/thomas-jefferson
MLA
“Thomas Jefferson.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/thomas-jefferson. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Thomas Jefferson.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/thomas-jefferson.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Thomas Jefferson’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/thomas-jefferson (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻