Lives, Fortunes, & Sacred Honor

Thirty-eight years earlier, Thomas was born into a family of settlers and raised in the Church of England (the Anglican Church). His father died when he was 14, leaving the young boy with the vast lands of Monticello. Nestled in the rugged mountains of central Virginia, his estate was his favorite place on earth.

A curious and disciplined youth, Thomas entered the College of William and Mary in 1760, where he attended daily prayer services and developed a voracious appetite for science and philosophy. After college, Thomas pursued the study of law. He developed a sharp legal mind and became a talented writer. He worked as a lawyer in Virginia, where he was involved in multiple court cases representing slaves seeking freedom.

By the age of 25, Thomas was elected to the colonial legislature. Four years later in 1772, he married Martha Wayles Skelton. She became the heartbeat of his life. He worshiped and devoted himself to her. They had six children together, of whom only two survived to adulthood.

As tensions with Britain grew, in 1774 Thomas penned A Summary View of the Rights of British America in which he directly challenged the lawfulness of British authority, asserting that the colonies had a right to self-governance. This claim so angered Governor Dunmore that he threatened to prosecute Thomas for treason.

In 1775, Thomas was sent as a Virginia delegate to the Second Continental Congress. He was then selected to be on the Committee that wrote the Declaration of Independence. John Adams, also on that committee, believed Thomas should be the primary author of that document. The others on the committee agreed.