Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States and the main writer of the Declaration of Independence. 

 

Reading: Thomas Jefferson, Author of the Declaration

Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States and one of the most influential leaders of early America. He was born in Virginia in 1743 and became a lawyer, a writer, and a politician. Jefferson is best known as the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, the document that explained why the American colonies wanted to break away from Great Britain.

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During the American Revolution, Jefferson served in the Continental Congress and used his strong writing skills to argue for independence. After the war, he served as governor of Virginia and later worked as a diplomat in France, where he observed European politics and culture. These experiences helped shape his ideas about democracy, human rights, and the role of government.

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Jefferson served as the first secretary of state under President George Washington and later became vice president under John Adams. In 1800, he was elected president and served two terms, from 1801 to 1809. His election marked the first peaceful transfer of power between two different political parties in the United States, which showed that the new democratic system could work without violence.

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As president, Jefferson supported a smaller national government and wanted to protect the rights of individual citizens and the states. One of his most famous achievements was the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, when the United States bought a huge territory from France. This purchase doubled the size of the country and opened the way for westward expansion, even though Jefferson himself worried that the Constitution did not clearly give him the power to make such a deal.

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Jefferson also sent the Lewis and Clark expedition to explore the new western lands and to find a route to the Pacific Ocean. At the same time, his presidency faced difficulties, including conflicts with Britain and France that hurt American trade. To avoid war, Jefferson tried using an embargo, stopping most American trade with other nations, but this policy damaged the U.S. economy and became very unpopular.

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In his later years, Jefferson retired to his home, Monticello, in Virginia. He continued to write letters about politics, philosophy, and education, and he helped found the University of Virginia. Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. He is remembered both for his powerful words about liberty and equality and for the contradictions in his life, including the fact that he owned enslaved people while writing that “all men are created equal.”

 

Part A – Pre-Reading Questions

Answer these questions in complete sentences.

1. What do you already know about Thomas Jefferson?

2. Why might the writer of an important national document have a lot of influence on a country’s history?

3. What problems might a president face when a country is still young and growing?

 

Part B – Vocabulary Matching

Match the words (1–8) with the correct definitions (A–H).

1. Colony

2. Diplomacy

3. Territory

4. Expansion

5. Constitution

6. Equality

7. Embargo

8. Expedition

A. A government’s plan or actions for managing relations with other countries
B. A large area of land that belongs to a country
C. The state of being treated the same as others, with the same rights
D. A ban on trade, usually by a government, with one or more countries
E. A journey made by a group for a specific purpose, often exploration
F. A country or area controlled by another, more powerful country
G. The written basic laws and principles of a nation
H. The act of becoming larger or spreading into a wider area

 

Part C – Reading Comprehension

Directions

Read the text again. Then answer the questions in complete sentences.

1. In what year and in which colony (state) was Thomas Jefferson born?

2. What important document did Jefferson write, and what was its main purpose?

3. What were two important jobs Jefferson had before becoming president?

4. During which years did Jefferson serve as president of the United States?

5. Why was the election of 1800 historically important?

6. What was the Louisiana Purchase, and why was it significant for the United States?

7. What was the goal of the Lewis and Clark expedition?

8. What was one major problem caused by Jefferson’s embargo policy?

 

Part D – True or False

Directions

Write T for true or F for false. Correct the false sentences.

1. ___ Thomas Jefferson was the second president of the United States.

2. ___ Jefferson was the main writer of the Declaration of Independence.

3. ___ The Louisiana Purchase made the United States smaller.

4. ___ Jefferson sent the Lewis and Clark expedition to explore western lands.

5. ___ Jefferson owned enslaved people, even though he wrote about liberty and equality.

 

Part E – Short Answer: Jefferson’s Ideas and Contradictions

Directions

Answer the questions in 2–3 sentences.

1. How did Jefferson’s ideas about government influence the United States? Give one example from the reading.

2. Why do many people see a contradiction between Jefferson’s words and his actions?

 

 

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Answer Key

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Part B – Vocabulary Matching

1. Colony → F. A country or area controlled by another, more powerful country.

2. Diplomacy → A. A government’s plan or actions for managing relations with other countries.

3. Territory → B. A large area of land that belongs to a country.

4. Expansion → H. The act of becoming larger or spreading into a wider area.

5. Constitution → G. The written basic laws and principles of a nation.

6. Equality → C. The state of being treated the same as others, with the same rights.

7. Embargo → D. A ban on trade, usually by a government, with one or more countries.

8. Expedition → E. A journey made by a group for a specific purpose, often exploration.

 

Part C – Reading Comprehension

1. He was born in 1743 in the colony of Virginia.

2. He wrote the Declaration of Independence, which explained why the American colonies wanted to separate from Great Britain and become independent.

3. He served in the Continental Congress, was governor of Virginia, worked as a diplomat in France, and served as secretary of state and vice president (any two).

4. He served as president from 1801 to 1809.

5. The election of 1800 was important because it was the first peaceful transfer of power between different political parties in the United States.

6. The Louisiana Purchase was the 1803 agreement in which the United States bought a huge territory from France, doubling the size of the country and allowing westward expansion.

7. The Lewis and Clark expedition was sent to explore the new western lands and to look for a route to the Pacific Ocean.

8. The embargo policy hurt American trade and damaged the U.S. economy, making many people angry and unhappy with Jefferson’s decision.

 

Part D – True or False

1. F – Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States, not the second.

2. T – Jefferson was the main writer of the Declaration of Independence.

3. F – The Louisiana Purchase greatly increased the size of the United States.

4. T – Jefferson sent the Lewis and Clark expedition to explore western lands.

5. T – Jefferson owned enslaved people while writing about liberty and equality.

 

Part E – Short Answer (Sample Answers)

1. Jefferson’s ideas influenced the United States by supporting a limited national government and strong individual rights, and by helping shape the nation through actions like the Louisiana Purchase and his support for education.

2. Many people see a contradiction because Jefferson wrote powerful words about freedom and equality in the Declaration of Independence, but he continued to own enslaved people throughout his life, which went against those ideals