Thomas Jefferson was a natural born leader. He lived in a time of much uncertainty and despite this, or maybe because of it, he is known as one of the most brilliant men in our nation’s history. He authored the Declaration of Independence and was our country’s third president. He made decisions that furthered the development of our country and was revered as one of the greatest minds of his time.
Thomas Jefferson served as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses from 1769 to 1774. As a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, Thomas Jefferson was an active member of the Virginia Committee of Correspondence, which worked to remove Britain’s rule over the colonies. During this time, Thomas …show more content…
He was selected to be part of this group at the Second Continental Congress that was held in June 1776. All other members of the committee, which included John Adams and Benjamin Franklin among others, selected Thomas Jefferson to draft the document on his own (Biography). Even though Jefferson’s original work underwent several revisions, some parts remain his own which include the following: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights; that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” …show more content…
The primary goal of Jefferson’s presidency was to weaken the Federalist control on the judicial branch. He was extremely angered by the Judiciary Act of 1801 that went into place immediately before Jefferson became president. The law created positions that John Adams filled with Federalists before his term was over. The act also reduced the number of Supreme Court justices so that Jefferson’s chance to name a new Supreme Court justice was postponed. Jefferson’s supporters in Congress repealed the Judiciary Act, but William Marbury filed suit, asking the Supreme Court to order the Jefferson administration to appoint him as Supreme Court justice. The Supreme Court declared the repeal by Congress to be unconstitutional. This was the first time that this had ever happened in history