His Governorship of Virginia (1779 - 1781)
“ ...in times like these, public offices are, what they should be, burthens to those appointed to them which it would be wrong to decline, though foreseen to bring with them intense labor and great private loss.”
During the tumultuous years of 1779 - 1781, Jefferson served as Governor until he was forced to flee capture by the British Army
Recorded Livestream
“ ...our whole code must be reviewed, adapted to our republican form of government...”
Jefferson chaired the Committee of Revisors that proposed 126 bills in 1779. He was proud of new inheritance laws ending primogeniture and entail. His Statute for Religious Freedom wasn't passed until 1786 when Jefferson was in Paris.
Jefferson was the main author of Bill 64 (a measure defeated by a single vote in the General Assembly) to revise the criminal code, and impose capital punishment only for treason or murder.
Under Governor Jefferson’s leadership, the Board of Visitors adopted resolutions that incorporated many of his changes to the curriculum and governance of his Alma Mater.
“ British horse came to Monticello.”
Recorded Livestream: Michael Kranish, award-wining journalist and author takes questions about Jefferson's governorship during the Revolutionary War.
"Jack" Jouett rode all night to foil British plans to capture Governor Jefferson and members of the Virginia Assembly. His exploits earned him the sobriquet "The Paul Revere of the South."
Recorded Livestream: Jefferson, interpreted by Bill Barker, describes his escape from the British attempt to capture him at Monticello in June,1781.
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