Thomas Jefferson

1743 – 1826

Thomas Jefferson was an American Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809 and as the principal author of the 1776 Declaration of Independence. Despite penning that "all men are created equal," he enslaved more than 600 people across his lifetime, including his wife's half-sister Sally Hemings, with whom DNA evidence has now confirmed he fathered at least six children, beginning when she was approximately 16. As president he authorized the Louisiana Purchase that doubled the size of the United States and the Lewis and Clark Expedition, while supporting policies that displaced Native peoples from their homelands.

Last checked: May 10, 2026, 1:06 PM