Editing Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was born in {{wp|Shadwell, Virginia}} on April 13, 1743. He then pursued studies in law before becoming a delegate the {{wp|House of Burgesses}}, pushing strongly for personal liberty and specifically refining slavery. As a reaction to British control over the United States (then the {{wp|Thirteen Colonies}}), he published ''{{wp|A Summary View of the Rights of British America}}'', calling for them to separate from the British and become independent. He was soon charged with drafting the Declaration of Independence, and after several revisions, the document was ratified and signed by the members of the {{wp|First Continental Congress}}. In 1782, his wife Martha passed away, leaving him devastated, and he never married again. Over the years, he served as the second {{wp|Governor of Virginia}}, the first {{wp|United States Secretary of State}}, the second {{wp|Vice President of the United States|Vice President}}, and the third President. After he retired from his political activities, he moved to a plantation of his design, {{wp|Monticello}}, and later founded the {{wp|University of Virginia}}. He contributed a significant amount of books to the {{wp|Library of Congress}} after it was destroyed in the {{wp|War of 1812}}, helping reform its collection.