Thomas Jefferson 1743–1826

Third president, 1801–1809

Thomas Jefferson authored the Declaration of Independence, founded the University of Virginia, and wrote Virginia’s Statute for Religious Freedom. He was also a philosopher, inventor, gentleman farmer, and scientist. During his presidency, the nation bought a vast land holding west of the Mississippi River. Known as the Louisiana Purchase, this acquisition from France doubled the size of the United States and led to the remarkable findings of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–1806). Although Jefferson once called slavery “an abominable crime,” he consistently enslaved African Americans, including his late wife Martha’s half-sister, Sally Hemings, with whom he had several children.

Known as the “Edgehill Portrait,” this painting on mahogany, by artist Gilbert Stuart, was the result of two sittings. Jefferson’s brightly lit forehead stands out against the muted gray-green background, as if to emphasize his bold intellect.

Owned jointly with Monticello, Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Inc., Charlottesville, Virginia; purchase funds provided by the Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, the Trustees of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Inc., and the Enid and Crosby Kemper Foundation