
Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, was born on April 13, 1743, at his father's plantation in Shadwell, Virginia. He was born into a wealthy planter family and was the third of ten children. At the time, the concept of hospitals where women would go to give birth was not common. Most births took place at home, with the help of midwives and female relatives.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 13 April 1743 (2 April 1743, Old Style, Julian calendar) |
| Place of Birth | Shadwell Plantation, Shadwell, Albemarle County, Virginia |
| Parents | Peter Jefferson and Jane Randolph |
| Father's Occupation | Planter, Surveyor, Slave Owner |
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What You'll Learn

Thomas Jefferson was born in 1743
Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, was born in 1743. More specifically, he was born on April 13, 1743, in Albemarle County, Virginia, according to the Gregorian calendar. According to the Julian calendar, which was in use at the time, his birth date was recorded as April 2, 1743. Jefferson was born at his father's plantation, Shadwell, located along the Rivanna River near the Blue Ridge Mountains in colonial Virginia. His parents, Jane Randolph and Peter Jefferson, were members of the planter class, and his father was also a surveyor.
Jefferson was born into a world very different from the one we know today. The United States did not yet exist as an independent nation, and the region of Virginia, where Jefferson was born, was a colony of the British Empire, known as the Colony of Virginia. It was one of the Thirteen Colonies of British America, and the economy and society of the region were largely dependent on slavery and plantation agriculture. Jefferson himself would go on to own over 600 enslaved people throughout his life, the most of any American president.
As a child, Jefferson received a privileged education. He began his studies at the age of five and was taught by tutors, including the Reverend James Maury. He studied Latin, Greek, and French, and also learned to ride horses. Jefferson's father passed away when he was fourteen, and he inherited approximately 5,000 acres of land, as well as enslaved individuals. This inheritance further solidified his place in the planter class and set the stage for his future pursuits in politics and public service.
The year 1743, the year of Jefferson's birth, was also a significant year in the broader context of history. It marked the beginning of a new era in the Age of Enlightenment, with the publication of philosopher David Hume's "Treatise of Human Nature." In the realm of science, 1743 witnessed the birth of Joseph Priestley, who would go on to discover oxygen. Across the Atlantic, in the same year that Jefferson was born, the Kingdom of Prussia was expanding its territories under the leadership of Frederick the Great, and the First Silesian War was raging in Central Europe.
In conclusion, Thomas Jefferson's birth year, 1743, sets the foundation for understanding his life and the historical context in which he lived. His birth into the planter class and the world of slavery in colonial Virginia shaped his early experiences and influenced his future political career. By delving into the specifics of his birth year, we gain insights into the societal, economic, and educational factors that contributed to the development of one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.
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Jefferson's birthplace: Shadwell Plantation, Virginia
Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, was born on April 13, 1743, at his father's plantation in Shadwell, Virginia. Shadwell Plantation was located along the Rivanna River, near the Blue Ridge Mountains in colonial Virginia.
Peter Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson's father, was a successful planter, surveyor, and slave owner. He established and named the Shadwell plantation in the mid-18th century, and it was here that Thomas Jefferson was born, as the third of ten children. Peter Jefferson built a one-and-a-half-story house at Shadwell, which was completed by about 1741. The house was described as a "plain, weather-boarded house one and a half stories high, having four spacious rooms and a hall on the ground floor, with garret, chambers, and dormer-windows above".
Thomas Jefferson lived at Shadwell until he was 27 years old, apart from the periods when he was away at college and studying law. Four generations of the Jefferson family lived at Shadwell, and both enslaved and free people grew tobacco, grain, and clover on the plantation. Thomas Jefferson himself operated Shadwell as a tobacco plantation between 1765 and 1794, with a workforce that included enslaved people, free men, and overseers.
Thomas Jefferson inherited the Shadwell property in 1764, after his father's death in 1757. However, he leased the property from his mother, Jane Randolph Jefferson, until 1776, as she had a life estate for the property. Unfortunately, the Jeffersons' house at Shadwell was destroyed in a fire in 1770, and a smaller house was built as a replacement by Jane. After the fire, Thomas Jefferson moved to Monticello, where he had previously studied and lived from 1772.
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His parents: Peter and Jane Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743, at his father's plantation, Shadwell, in Albemarle County, Virginia. Shadwell was located along the Rivanna River near the Blue Ridge Mountains. Jefferson was born into the planter class, which was heavily dependent on slavery. Over the course of his life, he enslaved about 600 people, the most of any American president.
Jefferson's parents were Peter and Jane Randolph Jefferson. Peter Jefferson was a planter, surveyor, and slave owner. He was also self-taught and placed great importance on education. Peter moved his family to Tuckahoe Plantation in 1745 after the death of his friend, William Randolph III, who was the plantation owner. In his will, Randolph named Peter the guardian of his children. The Jeffersons returned to Shadwell before October 1753. Thomas began his education with the Randolph children at Tuckahoe under tutors. Peter entered Thomas into an English school at age five. In 1752, at age nine, Thomas attended a local school run by a Presbyterian minister and also began studying the natural world, which he grew to love. Peter Jefferson died in 1757, and his estate was divided between his sons, Thomas and Randolph. Thomas inherited approximately 5,000 acres of land, on which he later built Monticello in 1772.
Thomas Jefferson's mother, Jane Randolph Jefferson, was a member of the wealthy and powerful Randolph family. She passed away in 1782.
Thomas Jefferson married Martha Wayles Skelton in 1772. They had three daughters: Martha, Maria, and Lucy Elizabeth, and three other children who died in infancy. Martha died in 1782, and Jefferson brought his daughters, Martha and Mary, with him to France when he joined Benjamin Franklin and John Adams as U.S. Minister to France.
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Peter Jefferson's occupation: planter, surveyor, and slave owner
Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, was born on April 13, 1743, at his family's Shadwell Plantation in the Colony of Virginia, then one of the Thirteen Colonies of British America. He was born into privilege, as his father, Peter Jefferson, was a planter, surveyor, and slave owner. Peter was also a cartographer and politician in colonial Virginia.
Peter Jefferson was born in 1708 at a settlement called Osbornes along the James River in present-day Chesterfield County, Virginia. His father, Captain Thomas Jefferson, was a large property owner, and his mother, Mary Field, was the daughter of a major. Peter Jefferson inherited land and slaves from his father in 1731, and he continued to expand his landholdings over the years, acquiring property in the Piedmont region of Virginia and purchasing and patenting a second plantation called Snowden.
As a planter, Peter Jefferson relied on slave labor to work his plantations. It is estimated that he had more than sixty slaves at his Shadwell Plantation. Peter also served as a justice of the peace, sheriff, and county surveyor. He was also a magistrate and a lieutenant colonel of the militia in Albemarle County. In addition to his political and surveying roles, Peter Jefferson collaborated with Joshua Fry to create the "Fry-Jefferson Map" in 1757, which accurately charted the Allegheny Mountains for the first time.
Thomas Jefferson, Peter's son, inherited his father's affinity for land management and slave ownership. Thomas embraced the lifestyle of the planter class and owned over 600 enslaved people throughout his lifetime, the most of any American president. Thomas Jefferson's political career and contributions to democracy are well-known, and he is recognized as one of the American Founding Fathers.
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Thomas Jefferson's early life and education
Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743, at his father's plantation, Shadwell, in Albemarle County, Virginia, along the Rivanna River near the Blue Ridge Mountains. His birth date was April 2, 1743, according to the Julian calendar of that time. He was the third of ten children born to Peter Jefferson, a planter, surveyor, and slave owner, and Jane Randolph, a member of one of Virginia's prominent families.
Jefferson's early life was marked by privilege and access to quality education due to his family's financial success. His father, who was self-taught, ensured that Jefferson received a formal education. At the age of five, he began his schooling with the Randolph children at Tuckahoe under tutors. In 1752, at age nine, he attended a local school run by a Presbyterian minister, where he also began studying the natural world, developing a deep interest in it.
Following his father's death in 1757, fourteen-year-old Jefferson inherited approximately 5,000 acres of land, including the land on which he later built Monticello in 1772. He continued his education under the Reverend James Maury near Gordonsville, Virginia, from 1758 to 1760. During this time, he studied history, science, and the classics while boarding with Maury's family. He also studied Latin, Greek, and French, and learned horsemanship.
In 1761, at the age of eighteen, Jefferson enrolled in the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, where he studied mathematics and philosophy. He later studied law in the same city, and by 1769, he was serving in the Virginia House of Burgesses. On January 1, 1772, he married Martha Wayles Skelton, a wealthy widow, and they moved into a one-room brick house at his Virginia plantation, Monticello. The house would eventually become an architectural masterpiece, designed and built with the help of his slave labourers.
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Frequently asked questions
Thomas Jefferson was born at his family's Shadwell Plantation in Albemarle County, Virginia.
No, Thomas Jefferson was not born in a hospital. He was born at his family's plantation.
Thomas Jefferson's parents were Peter Jefferson, a planter and surveyor, and Jane Randolph.
Yes, Thomas Jefferson was the third of ten children.





















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