Thomas+Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743 and died on July 4 1826. He is most famous for being the main author the Declaration of Independence. He was the third president of the United States. He served two terms from March 4 1801 to March 4 1809. In those two terms he made many achievements. He established the Louisiana Purchase, which added 530 million acres (or 820,000 square miles) of land to the United States. They bought it from France for a total of 23 million dollars. That nearly doubled the size of the United States.

Other than being the third president of the United States of America, he also was the vice president of the United States from 1797-1781, the United States Secretary of State from 1789-1783, and the governor of Virginia from 1779-1781. He attended The College of William and Mary for two years form 1760 to 1762 and studied mathematics, metaphysics, and philosophy. He was the founder of the University of Virginia. The making of the college started in 1819 and it finally opened in 1825.

His was married to Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson. They had five children named: Martha Jefferson Randolph, Jane Randolph, Mary Wayles, Lucy Elizabeth, and Lucy Elizabeth.

Also, under the Presidency of Thomas Jefferson there were many Foreign Policy Challenges, including the Barbary Pirates, and Neutral Rights. The Barbary Pirates were pirates from the early 1800’s. They intentionally intervened with American commerce. Not only did they intervene with American commerce but other countries as well.

The states that were joined with the Barbary Pirates were Algeria, Tunis, Tripoli, and Morocco. These states were to plunder every ship that sailed across the Mediterranean Sea. Countries that wanted to sail across the Sea would have to pay tribute (protection money) to safely sail across the sea. The United States paid tribute. Jefferson wanted to stop the Barbary Pirates from doing this. Tripoli started war with the U.S. to get more tributes.

In 1804, the Americans started getting the war in their favor. Lieutenant Stephen Decator had sailed to the Mediterranean Sea. Tripoli had been waiting their and captured Lieut. Stephen and his ship the //Philadelphia////.//

In 1805, the river of Tripoli signed a treaty for the safety of American ships sailing across the Mediterranean, though, ten years later they finally stopped plundering American ships.

The British and French were the ones who were mostly disobeying America’s Neutral Rights. France owned much of Europe and Britain controlled the seas. France and Great Britain were both very big enemies. Britain began to blockade (close off the coast) of the United States to stop American ships carrying goods on their way to France.

Acts interfered with the freedom of the seas-the right of neutral merchant ships in peace or war to move in any waters except those belonging to a country. Britain forced Americans into their Navy.

June 1807, Britain’s ship, //Leopard//, had attacked the American ship, //Chesapeake//. Britain had the “right” to search for deserters (soldiers or sailors who run away from their duty). Americans refused to let them search. The //Leopard// opened fire, killing three Americans, and wounding 18. Four American soldiers were accused of deserters.