Who wrote the American Declaration of Independence

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Q.� What, he did it on his own

A.� No. Jefferson was chosen with John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingstone and Roger Sherman in 1776. Jefferson actually drafted the declaration all by himself and it was amended by John Adams and Benjamin Franklin. The original can be seen in the New York Public Library.

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Q.� We'd better hear a bit more about him, hadn't we

A.� Indeed. Thomas Jefferson was born at Shadwell, Albemarle county, Virginia, on 13 April, 1743. He was born to a 'good' family - father Peter Jefferson and mother Jane Randolph - and had all the benefits of an excellent education, receiving instruction from the great lawyer George Wythe. He was called to the bar in 1767. He inherited a substantial estate from his father, and married well - to Martha Wayles Skelton - on 1 January, 1772.

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Q.� Politics

A.� He was elected to the House of Burgesses in 1769, when he was 25, and served until 1774. Colleagues thought him an effective committeeman, although poor in debates.

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Q.� A patriot, obviously

A.� Yes - and an intellectual one. His thoughts were not merely rebellious: using his wide knowledge of English history and political philosophy, he argued in his pamphlet A Summary View of the Rights of Brittish America (1774) for the natural rights of man. He spoke out against the lack of parliamentary representation and said there was no tie with the mother country except for the king. It was as a member of the Continental Congress (1775-1776) - an assembly of delegates during and after the American War of Independence - that he helped draft the Declaration of Independence.

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Q.� And it was all downhill form then on

A.� Wrong. Jefferson left Congress and was elected governor of Virginia from 1779to 1781. Her served in Congress again in 1783-1784 and was then appointed Minister to France (1784-1789). He came to love the French as the USA's natural friends; and hate the British as natural enemies. He returned to America and became secretary of state (1790-3) during which time he opposed attempts for commercial appeasement with Britain proposed by Alexander Hamilton, the pro-British secretary of the treasury.

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Q.� And then

A.� He retired for three years and started to redesign his house at Monticello. He also studied agriculture. By this time all opponents of Hamiltonian were beginning to form a national party, calling themselves Republican. Hamilton was forced to quit office and within three years, Jefferson was supported by the Republicans for president in 1796. He lost to John Adams by three electoral votes and became vice president.

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Q.� It didn't stop there

A. No. He and his running mate Aaron Burr defeated John Adams in the elections of 1800 and Thomas Jefferson�became the third president of the United States. He served two terms and among his successes was reducing taxes buying Louisiana from the French for $15 million in 1803. His death was the last act of a great American patriot: he died at Monticello on 4 July, 1826 - the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

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By Steve Cunningham