Thomas Jefferson (美国第三任总统杰斐逊).ppt

Thomas Jefferson 1743-1826 Founding father, author of the Declaration of Independence and the Virginia statute for religious freedom, member of the Continental Congress, statesman, diplomat, Secretary of State, Vice-President, 3rd President of the United States. * * In addition to his political career, Jefferson was an agriculturalist, horticulturist 园艺家 , architect, etymologist 语源学 , archaeologist 考古学家 , mathematician, cryptographer 译解密码者 , surveyor 鉴定人 , paleontologist 古生物学者 , author, lawyer, inventor, violinist, and the founder of the University of Virginia. Many people consider Jefferson to be among the most brilliant men ever to occupy the Presidency. Jefferson: “Declaration of Independence” It is Jefferson’s great monument in literature and political theory. It is a formal proclamation of the 13 colonies, announcing their separation from Britain, which was adopted July 4, 1776. The actual writing was done by Jefferson, although corrections were made by Franklin, Adams, and the Congress at large. The document was signed on Aug. 2 by 56 colonial representatives. The document is based on the natural-rights theory of government, derived from Locke and 18th-century French philosophers, and proclaims that the function of government is to guarantee the inalienable rights with which men are endowed. These include “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” The declaration contended that, since George III had willfully violated these rights, revolution was justifiable and necessary. The Declaration of Independence * * A leader in the Enlightenment, Jefferson was a polymath who spoke five languages fluently and was deeply interested in science, invention, architecture, religion and philosophy, interests that led him to the founding of the University of Virginia after his presidency. He designed his own large mansion on a 5,000 acre plantation near Charlottesville, Virginia, which he named Monticello. While not a notable orator, Jefferson was a skilled