What Were Thomas Jefferson’s Major Accomplishments?
Thomas Jefferson’s major accomplishments include his authorship of the Declaration of Independence and his position as the third president of the United States. Jefferson is also known for his participation in the Continental Congress and his role as the governor of Virginia during the American Revolutionary War.
Prior to the Revolutionary War, Thomas Jefferson succeeded George Washington as a delegate to the Second Constitutional Congress. During this time, he drafted the Declaration of Independence, which Congress adopted on July 4, 1776. After the war, he served as a Virginia delegate to the Congress of the Confederation. In 1785, he was appointed as the U.S. Minister to France by the Congress of the Confederation, a role in which he succeeded Benjamin Franklin. He served as the first Secretary of State under George Washington from 1790 to 1793 and was the second vice president of the United States under John Adams.
Jefferson served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. During his presidency, he was responsible for the Louisiana Purchase of land from France and the Lewis and Clark Expedition that set out to the west coast in 1804. He also fought the Second Barbary War, initiated the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and attempted to annex Florida from Spain.
