Presidential Profiles: Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809)

Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743 on Shadwell plantation in Albemarle County, Virginia. The son of a planter and surveyor, Thomas Jefferson proved to be quite the scholar, excelling in languages and becoming one of the sharpest legal minds in the history of the U.S. He would become a planter and a lawyer--and eventually a great statesman.

Thomas Jefferson first ran for the presidency in 1792, receiving only four electoral votes. George Washington would win his second term as president with 132 electoral votes. Jefferson ran again in 1796, losing by only three electoral votes to John Adams. Third time would prove a charm when, in 1800, Jefferson would tie with Aaron Burr, each having 73 electoral votes. This led to the House of Representatives voting on the president, 10-4 in favor of Jefferson. It was settled: Jefferson would be president, and Aaron Burr would be vice president. On March 4, 1801, Thomas Jefferson took the oath of office; it would be the first inauguration to take place in Washington, D.C. Of course, this inauguration heralded a lot of firsts: the first time the Marine Band played at the inauguration and the first time that the inaugural speech was published in a newspaper the morning of the inauguration. President Jefferson would also break the precedent of riding in a carriage; instead, he would walk to and from his swearing-in ceremonty. His salary was $25,000 a year, and he would serve 2 terms as president from 1801 to 1809. On March 3, 1809, President Thomas Jefferson's tenure as president would end. On July 4, 1826, he died at 83 years of age at his home Monticello.

President Thomas Jefferson's Administration

First Lady: Martha Jefferson, married January 1, 1772

Vice President: Aaron Burr (1801-1805); George Clinton (1805-1809)

Secretary of State:

James Madison (1801-1809)

Attorneys General:

Levi Lincoln (1801-04)
John Breckinridge (1805-06)
Caesar A. Rodney (1807-09)

Secretary of War:

Henry Dearborn (1801-1809)

Secretaries of the Treasury:

Samuel Dexter (1801)
Albert Gallatin (1801-09)

Secretaries of the Navy

Benjamin Stoddert (1801)
Robert Smith (1801-09)

Inaugural Information

Fourth Inaugural Ceremonies, March 4, 1801

Fifth Inaugural Ceremonies, March 4, 1805

For more information on President Thomas Jefferson, check out these resources...

Thomas Jefferson, White House

American President: Thomas Jefferson, Miller Center, University of Virginia

Thomas Jefferson, POTUS, Internet Public Library

Thomas Jefferson Papers (1606-1827), Library of Congress

Thomas Jefferson, PBS

Thomas Jefferson, Monticello


Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents and Microforms
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President Thomas Jefferson's Birthday

Today marks the 266th birthday of our 3rd president, Thomas Jefferson. President Jefferson served from 1801-1809 and was known as the "Sage of Monticello." He was the author of the Declaration of Indepedence. He died on July 4, 1826--one of three presidents to die on Independence Day. To learn more, click on these links:


White House: Biography of Thomas Jefferson


Thomas Jefferson (American President: an Online Reference Resource)
Brought to you by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.


Sonnet Erin Brown
Federal Documents Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research/Political Science