Thomas Jefferson, a Character Sketch | Page 2

claim to the possession of a strain from the veins of the
dusky daughter of Powhatan--Pocahontas.
Could such people succeed as pioneers of the wilderness?
Into the snowy wastes of New England plunged the Pilgrims to blaze a
path for civilization in the New World. They were perfect pioneers
down to the minutest detail. Sturdy, grimly resolute, painfully honest,
industrious, patient, moral and seeing God's hand in every affliction,
they smothered their groans while writhing in the pangs of starvation
and gasped in husky whispers: "He doeth all things well; praise to his
name!" Such people could not fail in their work.
And yet of the first ten presidents, New England furnished only the two
Adamses, while Virginia gave to the nation, Washington, Jefferson,
Madison, Monroe and then tapered off with Tyler.
In the War for the Union, the ten most prominent leaders were Grant,
Sherman, Sheridan, Thomas, Farragut, Porter, Lee, Stonewall Jackson,
J. E. Johnston and Longstreet. Of these, four were the products of
Virginia, while none came from New England, nor did she produce a
real, military leader throughout the civil war, though she poured out
treasure like water and sent as brave soldiers to the field as ever kept
step to the drum beat, while in oratory, statesmanship and humanitarian
achievement, her sons have been leaders from the foundation of the
Republic.

Thomas Jefferson was born in Shadwell, Albemarle County, Va., April
2,1743. His father was the owner of thirty slaves and of a wheat and
tobacco farm of nearly two thousand acres. There were ten children,
Thomas being the third. His father was considered the strongest man
physically in the county, and the son grew to be like him in that respect,
but the elder died while the younger was a boy.
Entering William and Mary College, Thomas was shy, but his ability
quickly drew attention to him. He was an irrestrainable student,
sometimes studying twelve and fourteen hours out of the twenty-four.
He acquired the strength to stand this terrific strain by his exercise of
body. His father warned his wife just before his death not to allow their
son to neglect this necessity, but the warning was superfluous. The
youth was a keen hunter, a fine horseman and as fond as Washington of
out door sports.
He was seventeen years old when he entered college and was one of the
"gawkiest" students. He was tall, growing fast, raw-boned, with
prominent chin and cheek bones, big hands and feet, sandy-haired and
freckled. His mind broadened and expanded fast under the tutelage of
Dr. William Small, a Scotchman and the professor of mathematics,
who made young Jefferson his companion in his walks, and showed an
interest in the talented youth, which the latter gratefully remembered
throughout life.
Jefferson was by choice a farmer and never lost interest in the
management of his estate. One day, while a student at law, he wandered
into the legislature and was thrilled by the glowing speech of Patrick
Henry who replied to an interruption:
"If this be treason, make the most of it."
He became a lawyer in his twenty-fourth year, and was successful from
the first, his practice soon growing to nearly five hundred cases
annually, which yielded an income that would be a godsend to the
majority of lawyers in these days.
Ere long, the mutterings of the coming Revolution drew Jefferson aside

into the service of his country.
At the age of twenty-six (May 11, 1769), he took his seat in the House
of Burgesses, of which Washington was a member. On the threshold of
his public career, he made the resolution which was not once violated
during his life, "never to engage, while in public office, in any kind of
enterprise for the improvement of my fortune, nor to wear any other
character than that of a farmer." Thus, during his career of nearly half a
century, he was impartial in his consideration of questions of public
interest.
His first important speech was in favor of the repeal of the law that
compelled a master when he freed his slaves to send them out of the
colony. The measure was overwhelmingly defeated, and its mover
denounced as an enemy of his country.
It was about this time that Jefferson became interested in Mrs. Martha
Wayles Skelton, a childless widow, beautiful and accomplished and a
daughter of John Wayles, a prominent member of the Williamsburg bar.
She was under twenty years of age, when she lost her first husband,
rather tall, with luxuriant auburn hair and an exceedingly graceful
manner.
She had many suitors, but showed no haste to lay aside her weeds. The
aspirants indeed were so numerous that she might well hesitate whom
to choose, and more than one was hopeful of winning the prize.
It so