Country Vacations & Resorts

Time in Office: 1801 to 1809
Terms: Two
Birthday: April 13, 1743
Birth Place: Shadwell plantation, Albemarle County, Virginia.
Date of Death: July 4, 1826
Place of Death: Monticello, near Charlottesville, Virginia
Buried: Monticello Estate, Charlottesville, Virginia

Notes:

~ Vice President to John Adams. Both died on the same day.
~ One of the United States most intelligent and well-traveled Presidents.
~ When his father died, Jefferson, then only 14, inherited nearly 5000 acres of land and dozens of slaves.
~ His original tombstone is located on the campus in the University of Missouri’s Francis Quadrangle.
~ Governor of Virginia (1779-1781)
~ First United States Secretary of State (1789-1793)
~ Second Vice President of the United States (1797-1801)

Jefferson bronze statue
University of Missouri

How can one say enough about Thomas Jefferson, and not only as a two-term President of the United States? This founder of the University of Virginia focused his attention and curious mind on politics, architecture, music, horticulture, new inventions, and a host of other interests.

College of William and Mary, Virginia

In 1760, at the age of 16, Jefferson began his formal education at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg. In 1775 he attended the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he was first tasked with writing the Declaration of Independence. As a state legislator, Governor of Virginia, and member of congress, Jefferson made numerous 8-day trips from Virginia. In 1765, he was appointed Minister to France.

Arriving in Paris, Jefferson found a home on the Champs-Élysées. He enjoyed the local cuisine so much he paid to have one of his accompanying slaves trained to be a proper French chef. Due to his love of wine, Jefferson also visited many of Europe’s most famous vineyards. Jefferson remained in Paris, where he became fluent in French, until the Revolution in 1789. To travel some of the same paths Jefferson did while in France, visit Jefferson in Paris, 1784-1789.

Jefferson remained politically active and by the end of 1793 decided to take a break and returned to his then under-construction plantation, Monticello. By 1801 he was the third President of the United States. As President, Jefferson bought the Louisiana Territory from France – doubling the size of the United States and opening up numerous new opportunities for American travelers.

Thomas Jefferson left Washington by horse March, 1809 with three wagons containing his belongings from his years in Washington. Through a trip and snow storm lasting four days, he arrived at Monticello

Jefferson Memorial

Modeled after the Pantheon in Rome, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial is part of the National Mall and Memorial Parks system. Completed in 1943 and dedicated on Thomas Jefferson’s April 13th, 200th birthday, the bronze statue of Jefferson was added in 1947. It is home to the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

It might be said that even when Thomas Jefferson was not physically traveling, his mind was always on the move. For the 17 years after his retirement (in 1809), Jefferson never left the State of Virginia – occasionally visiting his second home, Poplar Forest, when things got too hectic at Monticello. But even from Jefferson’s “down time,” today’s society still reaps the benefits.

Next – travels with the 4th President on our hit parade, James Madison.

“Traveling with American Presidents” list.