Timeline of Jefferson's Life
| Public | Private | |
|---|---|---|
| 1735 | Peter Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson's father, patented 1,000-acre tract which became Monticello. | |
| 1743 | Thomas Jefferson born at Shadwell. | |
| 1757 | Peter Jefferson died. | |
| 1760-62 | Thomas Jefferson attended the College of William and Mary. | |
| 1762 | Began study of law with George Wythe. | |
| 1764 | Came into inheritance at age of 21. | |
| 1767 | Admitted to practice law before General Court. | |
| 1768 | Elected to House of Burgesses. | Leveling of Monticello mountaintop begun. |
| 1770 | Construction begun at Monticello. Shadwell burned. Moved to South Pavilion at Monticello. | |
| 1772 | Married Martha Wayles Skelton. Daughter Martha born. | |
| 1773 | Graveyard at Monticello established with the interment of Jefferson's friend and brother-in-law Dabney Carr. | |
| 1774 | Wrote A Summary View of the Rights of British America. | Retired from legal practice. Inherited 11,000 acres of land and 135 slaves from his father-in-law. Laid off ground for kitchen garden. Daughter Jane Randolph born. |
| 1775 | Elected to Continental Congress. | Daughter Jane Randolph died. |
| 1776 | Drafted Declaration of Independence. Elected to Virginia House of Delegates. Appointed to revise Virginia laws. (Get an .mp3 of the Declaration.) |
Mother Jane Randolph Jefferson died. |
| 1777 | Drafted Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, passed by General Assembly in 1786. | Unnamed son born and died. |
| 1778 | Drafted Bill for the More General Diffusion of Knowledge. | Daughter Mary (Maria) born. Brickwork of first home (Monticello) completed. |
| 1779-81 | Served as Governor of Virginia. | |
| 1780 | Daughter Lucy Elizabeth born. Began Notes on the State of Virginia. | |
| 1781 | British troops at Monticello. Daughter Lucy Elizabeth died. | |
| 1782 | Second Lucy Elizabeth born. Wife Martha died. First house substantially completed. | |
| 1783 | Elected delegate to Congress. | |
| 1784-89 | In France as Commissioner and Minister. | |
| 1784 | Daughter Lucy Elizabeth died. | |
| 1787 | Published Notes on the State of Virginia. | |
| 1790-93 | Served as first United States Secretary of State. | |
| 1794 | Began commercial manufacture of nails on Mulberry Row. Manumitted slave Robert Hemings. | |
| 1796 | Remodeling and enlarging of Monticello begun. Manumitted slave James Hemings. | |
| 1797-1801 | Served as United States Vice President. | |
| 1797-1815 | Served as president of the American Philosophical Society. | |
| 1800 | Dome constructed on Monticello. | |
| 1801-09 | Served as United States President. | |
| 1803 | Louisiana Purchase concluded. Lewis and Clark expedition launched. | |
| 1804 | Daughter Maria Jefferson Eppes died. | |
| 1806 | Lewis and Clark expedition concluded. | House at Poplar Forest begun. |
| 1807 | Oval flower beds near Monticello laid out. Shadwell merchant mill completed. | |
| 1808 | At Monticello, North Pavilion completed and South Pavilion remodeled. Winding walk and flower beds on West Lawn laid out. | |
| 1809 | Retired from presidency and public life. | Remodeling of Monticello and construction of dependencies largely completed. Vegetable garden platform completed. |
| 1812 | Garden Pavilion constructed. | |
| 1815 | Sold 6,700-volume library to Congress. | |
| 1817 | Cornerstone of Central College (later University of Virginia) laid. | |
| 1822-25 | Monticello roof recovered with tin shingles. | |
| 1824 | Historic reunion with the Marquis de Lafayette at Monticello. | |
| 1825 | University of Virginia opened. | |
| 1826 | Died at Monticello, July 4. |
Discussion
This timeline is a wonderful resource to see how events in Jefferson's public life parallel those in his private life. When I first saw this, I was struck how during many significant times in Jefferson's public life that he was also dealing with personal troubles. The man endured a great deal of loss, though such loss wasn't uncommon in his time. It adds to my esteem and respect for Jefferson that he was able to contribute so to the founding and formation of our nation while also trying to be the steward of his family, often from afar in the early years, and care for his ailing wife and children.
I refer to this page all the time when I can't quite remember when, say, Jefferson started his term as secretary of state (it happens to everybody, right?). I especially like the fact that you can see the public and private events side by side, which helps to put his whole life in perspective. This page is a great tool in any Jefferson researcher's toolbox!
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