During his remarkable lifetime, Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) served his country in many capacities, including as the third President of the United States. But ultimately, this gifted individual — an accomplished architect, naturalist, and linguist — wished to be remembered primarily as the writer of the Declaration of Independence.
In this autobiography, begun in 1821 when the author was 77, Jefferson touches fleetingly upon his early years before focusing on the period during which he wrote th...