Born at Shadwell, Albermarle County, Virginia. Attended College of William and Mary. Married to Martha Wayles Skelton in 1772. Although they had six children, only two survived to adulthood.

Served as member of Virginia House of Burgesses from 1769 to 1775. Served as member of the Continental Congress 1775 to 1776. During this period he wrote the draft of the Declaration of Independence.

Jefferson resigned from the Congress to return to Virginia. He served in the Virginia Legislature from 1776 to 1779. He was Governor of Virginia from 1779 to 1781. He returned to the Continental Congress 1783 to 1785.

President Washington appointed Jefferson as the first Secretary of State serving 1789 until December 31, 1793. In 1797 he ran for President but was defeated by John Adams. He served as Vice President under Adams until 1801. In the Presidential election of 1800, Jefferson and Aaron Burr received equal electoral votes. The election went to the House of Representatives. Jefferson won after 36 roll call votes. He was inaugurated March 4, 1801.

In 1803 Jefferson was responsible for the Louisiana Purchase. An exploration of the new territory was undertaken by Lewis and Clark. The purchase and expedition were commemorated by the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis in 1904.

Jefferson was reelected in 1804 and served until March 3, 1809. He retired to Virginia and worked toward the establishment of the University of Virginia.

Jefferson died at Monticello, Virginia, July 4, 1826, on the same day as John Adams, and on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. His extensive private library became the foundation for the Library of Congress. Jefferson donated coins to the American Philosophical Society in 1806 and later.

Author of Notes on the Establishment of a Money Mint, and of a Coinage for the United States in 1784.

Jefferson appears on the obverse of the 5-cent coin issued after 1938. The reverse shows the Jefferson home, Monticello, a building designed by Jefferson. The coin was designed by Felix Schlag. New obverse dies were created for the nickels of 2005 and 2006.

He appears on the 100 mm Indian Peace Medal (Julian IP-2). Dies were by Robert Scot. This medal was produced as two thin pieces, obverse and reverse, joined with a band on the edges, and looped at the top. This is the medal presented to the Indians. Later a 76mm medal (Julian IP-3) and 50 mm medal (Julian IP-4) were produced. The modern mint medal (USM 103) is 76 mm. Jefferson appears on the Assay Commission Medal for 1937 (AC-82). the obverse was a modification of the Jefferson Indian Peace Medal by Reich.

Jefferson appears on paper money:

5 cent postage currency,

first issue 25 cent postage currency, first issue

$2 United States legal tender notes, many series

$2 Federal Reserve Bank note, series of 1918

$2 Federal Reserve note, series of 1976

$3 Farmers and Mechanics Bank of Milford, DE

$5 Real Estate Bank of Newport, Delaware, 1863

$5 Bank of Kentucky in Louisville

$5 Bank of Charleston, West Virginia

$5 Bank of Chester, Tennessee

$5 Monticello Bank, Virginia

$10 Mechanics Bank in Concord, New Hampshire

$10 Monticello Bank, Virginia

$20 State of Louisiana in New Orleans

$20 Bank of the Commonwealth in Richmond,VA

$20 Monticello Bank, Virginia

$100 Monticello Bank, Virginia

The Thomas Jefferson presidential dollar coin was released August 16, 2007, with a launching event the previous day at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.. The obverse was designed and sculpted by Joseph Menna.

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