Thomas Jefferson (April 13; 1743 - July 4; 1826) was an American Founding Father and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776). He was elected the second Vice President of the United States (1797-1801); serving under John Adams and in 1800 was elected the third President (1801-09).

Jefferson was a proponent of democracy; republicanism; and individual rights; which motivated American colonists to break from Great Britain and form a new nation. He produced formative documents and decisions at both the state and national level.