Thomas Jefferson
In this short biography, R. B. Bernstein looks at all of Jefferson's triumphs, contradictions, and failings.
Jefferson and his Governorship of Virginia
"...in times like these, public offices are, what they should be, burthens to those appointed to them which it would be wrong to decline, though foreseen to bring with them intense labor and great private loss."
- Thomas Jefferson, 1779
Wartime Governor ... Legislation ... The British Invasion
Thomas Jefferson as Governor of Virginia
In this recorded livestream, first person interpreter Bill Barker describes Thomas Jefferson's controversial service as wartime Governor of Virginia.
Two Tumultuous Terms
Explore the Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia article on Governor Jefferson's time in office.
Legislation
"...our whole code must be reviewed, adapted to our republican form of government..."
The Committee of Revisors
Jefferson chaired the Committee that proposed 126 bills in 1779. He was very proud of the enactment of new inheritance laws ending primogeniture and entail. His Statute for Religious Freedom wasn't passed until 1786 when Jefferson was in Paris.
Bill 64
Jefferson was the main author of Bill 64, whose purpose was to revise the criminal code, make punishment more proportionate to the crimes, and impose capital punishment only for treason or murder. The measure was defeated by a single vote in the General Assembly.
The College of William and Mary
Under Governor Jefferson’s leadership, the Board of Visitors of The College of William & Mary adopted resolutions that incorporated many of his changes to the curriculum and governance of his Alma Mater.
The British Invasion
"British horse came to Monticello."
-Thomas Jefferson, June 4, 1781
Jefferson was harshly criticized for his performance as Virginia's wartime Governor, and he was nearly captured by British cavalry.
Flight From Monticello: Thomas Jefferson at War
In this recorded livestream, Michael Kranish, award-wining journalist and author of "Flight from Monticello," takes questions about Jefferson's governorship during the Revolutionary War.
Jack Jouett's Ride
John "Jack" Jouett, Jr. rode all night to foil British plans to capture Virginia Governor Thomas Jefferson and members of the Virginia Assembly. His exploits earned him the sobriquet "The Paul Revere of the South."
Livestream: The British Invasion
In this livestream recording, Thomas Jefferson, interpreted by Bill Barker, describes his escape from the British attempt to capture him at Monticello in June,1781.
Available from The Shop at Monticello
In Pursuit of Reason
This single-volume biography of Thomas Jefferson by Noble E. Cunningham, Jr., one of America's foremost scholars on Jefferson, discusses key points in Jefferson's life.
Jefferson: Architect of American Liberty
John B. Boles plumbs every facet of Thomas Jefferson's life, including Jefferson the politician and political thinker; the architect; scientist; bibliophile; paleontologist; musician; and gourmet.