Thomas Jefferson was born on April 2, 1743 on the old calendar (on our calendar the date is April 13th) at Shadwell, Virginia. His Parents Peter and Jane had ten children: Jane, Mary, Thomas, Elizabeth, Martha, Peter, an unnamed son who died at birth, Lucy, Anna and Randolph (in that order). Thomas was the eldest son. When Thomas was three his family moved to Tuckahoe where he went to a little school in the side yard. He loved to read and write compositions.

Thomas was shy speaking in front of the class. He spoke softly, and his teacher was always asking him to speak up. One day Thomas got so tired of being reminded to speak up that he ran out of the school and hid behind the shed. He was found hiding behind the shed saying The Lord's Prayer over and over.

At nine years old Thomas' family moved back to Shadwell, but he did not go with them. Instead he went to a boarding school where he learned Latin, Greek and French. Later he would also learn Italian, Anglo-Saxon, German and some Native American languages.

Jefferson came home to Shadwell every summer, and his father taught him how to ride and shoot. On summer evenings they would paddle a boat along the Rivanna River together. Thomas was fourteen when his father died on August 17, 1757. He was left his father's bookcase and all forty of his books. Thomas especially liked the histories of England and a book on the sun moon and stars.

At seventeen Thomas went to the College of William and Mary in the Spring of 1760. Thomas made lots of friends there. He loved to play chess. He danced, sang and played the violin too. In two years he finished at college
and decided he wanted to practice law.

CHILDHOOD LINKS

A Son of Virginia

T.J. at the College

T.J. in Williamsburg

The College of William and Mary

Click here for a wordfind puzzle on T.J.'s childhood

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