Thomas Jefferson Trivia

1. Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743 at Shadwell plantation in this US state, and studied under the Reverend William Douglas at St James' parish. Can you name the state in which Thomas Jefferson was born?

From Quiz Thomas Jefferson, America's Third President

Answer: Virginia

Jefferson's earliest childhood memory was when he was around three years old riding on a horse. Jefferson's father was taking him to the Tuckahoe plantation. It is said that Jefferson often played on the slopes of the Southwest Mountains in search of wild game.

From Quiz Thomas Jefferson - A Unique American - Part 1

Answer: I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered together at the White House, with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.

I thought this was a delightful way to introduce us to Jefferson. The more you learn about him, the more impressive his talents seem.

From Quiz President Thomas Jefferson and His Times

Answer: Montalto

Jefferson purchased Montalto on October 17, 1777. Although the land was never developed, Jefferson had plans for a possible aqueduct from the Montalto spring and an observation tower. The Thomas Jefferson Foundation has announced plans to acquire Montalto for historic preservation. Nearby Highland (now known as Ash Lawn) near Charlottesville was the estate of the 5th US President James Monroe - for which it is said Jefferson was a consulting architect.

From Quiz Thomas Jefferson

Answer: Adams

Jefferson was the vice-president to Adams. At the time, it was the practice for the vice-president to be the individual who received the second-highest number of votes, meaning they were often from different parties. This was changed under the 12th Amendment in 1804, after which time the president and vice-president ran on the same ticket.

From Quiz The 3rd US President

Answer: Sally Hemings

Many people do not know that Sally Hemings was the half-sister of Jefferson's late wife, Martha. Many historians today believe that Jefferson's affair with Hemings stemmed in part from his continuing grief over the premature death of his beloved wife.

From Quiz Thomas Jefferson

Answer: April 13, 1743

He was born on April 13, 1743 to Peter and Jane.

From Quiz Thomas Jefferson, America's Third President

Answer: John Adams

During this election, John Adams received 71 votes while Jefferson received 68 votes. During his time as vice president, Thomas Jefferson wrote "A Manual of Parliamentary Practice", which is still used today in the U.S. senate. Jefferson was the first vice-president to subsequently be elected to serve two full terms as president.

From Quiz Thomas Jefferson - A Unique American - Part 1

Answer: Jefferson's father, Peter Jefferson, was a very successful Virginia planter with major land holdings and considerable wealth

I have long thought how fortunate we all are the Thomas Jefferson's father was rich. His father's wealth provided young Thomas with an excellent education and the social standing that came with that wealth brought the young man into close contact with some of the most important and influential people of the day. Thomas Jefferson was a man of great talents and it is possible he could have risen to great heights from any starting point. But how unlikely would it be for the son of a blacksmith to get a world class education or to be able to invest so much time in public service?

From Quiz President Thomas Jefferson and His Times

Answer: President of the United States

Referring to the Presidency, Jefferson said: "The second office [Vice President] of the government is honorable and easy, the first [President] is but a splendid misery." ...from a letter to Elbridge Gerry (May 13, 1797).

From Quiz Thomas Jefferson

Answer: Maria Cosway

Mrs. Cosway was a painter by trade. Jefferson wrote the longest letter of his life pointing out that his decision to leave her was because of a conflict between his heart and head.

From Quiz The 3rd US President

Answer: John Adams

Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the same year he was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates and was appointed to revise Virginia laws. Jefferson wanted Adams to draft the Declaration because he felt that Adams was more experienced in government matters, was a better writer, and was more aware of what the people wanted in their government.

From Quiz Thomas Jefferson

Answer: Shadwell, Virginia

Shadwell is just east of Charlottesville and was the former home of Peter Jefferson. His house burned to the ground in 1770.

From Quiz Jefferson's Presidency

Answer: democratic

He was against federal power from the beginning.

From Quiz Thomas Jefferson - A Unique American - Part 1

Answer: She was part of the estate he gained from his father-in-law

Jefferson's father-in-law, John Wayles, outlived three wives. After his third wife died he took his slave Elizabeth Hemings as a concubine, not an unheard of practice at the time. Sally was one of the children from that union. Elizabeth was herself a product of a mixed union between an English sea captain and an African woman. As the daughter of John Wayles Sally Hemings was in fact Jefferson's wife's half sister.

From Quiz Thomas Jefferson

Answer: Aaron Burr

Jefferson should have forced Burr to resign. Jefferson would wear both caps during the remaining part of his presidency.

From Quiz The 3rd US President

Answer: University of Virginia

Jefferson attended William and Mary from 1760-1762, so he could not be the founder of it. He laid the cornerstone for Central College in 1817; in 1825, it opened as the University of Virginia.

From Quiz Thomas Jefferson

Answer: University of Virginia

UVa opened in March in 1825 to its first 123 students. Edgar Allan Poe attended the university in 1826-27.

From Quiz Jefferson's Presidency

Answer: the government should have as small a role as possible in the economy

Laissez faire is from a French term meaning 'leave alone.'

From Quiz Thomas Jefferson - A Unique American - Part 2

Answer: He worked quietly, but relentlessly, behind the scenes to replace and overturn policies that in his view worked against the democratic principles of the Constitution

Jefferson was a master in the art of the deal and what today we might call political schmoozing. He was also patient and kept his eye on the long term goal. He knew he could not move faster than the nation would let him. He also kept up a stream of correspondence and private dinners where he would listen, offer observations, and make suggestions, all behind the scenes. In this he brought about a major change in the direction of the Federal government securing for all time the accountability of government to the people.

From Quiz Thomas Jefferson - A Unique American - Part 1

Answer: On her death bed she made Jefferson promise not to remarry

Jefferson certainly appreciated women and did at various times become very friendly with married women. However, his promise to his much beloved wife kept him from a second marriage. His wife's mother had died in her infancy and as a girl she had two step-mothers, apparently not a happy experience for her. She very strongly did not want any of her children to be subjected to a step-mother and, therefore, extracted the promise from Jefferson.

From Quiz Thomas Jefferson

Answer: Peter

His father was Peter Jefferson. He would pass away in 1758. Peter was an aristocratic land owner who would receive his land through inheritance. The Jeffersons had moved from France three generations before.

From Quiz The 3rd US President

Answer: complications from childbirth

Thomas Jefferson married Martha Wayles Skelton, a 22-year-old widow in 1772. She died on September 6, 1781. She had never regained her strength after giving birth to a baby girl in May of that year. Jefferson tended to his wife himself, and after her death shut himself in his room for three weeks.

From Quiz Thomas Jefferson

Answer: Randolph

Jane was born in 1720 and died in 1776.

From Quiz Jefferson's Presidency

Answer: James Madison

Aaron Burr was a vice president, Gallatin was Secretary of the Treasury, Hamilton was a former Secretary of Treasury and Jefferson's rival. Burr killed Hamilton in a duel.

From Quiz Thomas Jefferson, America's Third President

Answer: Aaron Burr

Jefferson received 73 electoral votes, as did Burr, while John Adams earned 65. The house during February of 1801 decided the contest in Jefferson's favor. As a result, Thomas Jefferson was declared the third president of the United States.

From Quiz Thomas Jefferson - A Unique American - Part 1

Answer: He believed slavery to be wrong and attempted several times to excise the practice, but the economic and political realities of his day defeated him on every attempt

Jefferson began his attempts to form the legal bases for an end to slavery as a representative to the Virginia colonial government. He attempted to include an even stronger version in the formation of the United States and in the early formation of laws and policies of the young nation. In every effort his attempts were turned back. He wrote that he held that slavery was a wrong and a time of reckoning would come and America would have to renounce the institution. In this he was clearly correct.

From Quiz President Thomas Jefferson and His Times

Answer: Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours

From his years as an envoy to Paris from the Continental Congress, Jefferson considered É. I. du Pont both a friend and confidant. At Jefferson's request, du Pont entered into back-channel communications with Napoleon's government during a personal visit to Paris in 1802. With his advance knowledge of the state of French politics, du Pont provided invaluable information to James Monroe and Robert Livingston in their negotiations with the French. He was instrumental in encouraging the French to relinquish not only the Port of New Orleans but the entire Louisiana Territory as well. du Pont emigrated to the United States after the French Revolution and in 1799 founded the I. E. du Pont company as a gunpowder mill. Today it is one of the largest international corporations. René Robert de La Salle (1643-1687); Jacques-Yves Cousteau (1910-1997); Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859).

From Quiz Thomas Jefferson

Answer: George Wythe

George Wythe was the first law professor in the United States. My name is spelled Wyatt. It is said that he did have an affair with a lady who moved after becoming pregnant. Wythe was married at the time. The lady would change the family name to Wyatt from Wythe.

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