In today’s society, we’d say he wore many hats.
Architect. Inventor. Writer. Diplomat. Public servant.
Born into a prosperous family, he inherited land and slaves at age 14, at the death of his father. Like many men of his time — he accomplished much at what today would be considered a young age. But remember: life spans averaged shorter then.
This third president of the United States can be remembered for many things. Our highlight today is a land purchase. A European ruler needed cash — and his property in the New World was difficult to administer from a distance. So…offer it for sale.
This deal, soon known as the Louisiana Purchase, prompted the explorations of Lewis and Clark plus many others. For practical purposes, it doubled the size of the young United States. All of the land in the Mississippi and Missouri River watersheds now were part of the same nation. The new land was varied — rich farmland, prairie, mountains, forest, metal ores, and an abundance of wildlife. It gave the growing US “elbow room” and settlers followed the rivers and trails to new homes.
Thomas Jefferson
Have you ever lived in or visited the remarkable Louisiana Purchase lands?
