sented to the House, especially to those presented by Patrick Henry and others of his way of thinking in regard to the troubles, thereby imbibing the earnest patriotism he displayed throughout his entire career. After leaving college he studied law and began the active practice of his profession at Williamsburg. It was while he was thus practicing his profession that he began to write on political topics for publication, taking the side of the colonies. His writings were characterized by such clearness, force and originality that they early attracted the attention of his fellow-citizens, and at the early age of twenty-six years he was elected in 1769 a member of the House of Burgesses. There he took a decided and prominent part in all the discussions in regard to the acts of the king and of the Parliament, not speaking much himself but supplying others with arguments. He was one of the eighty-eight members of the House of Burgesses who signed the compact not to import or purchase certain specified articles of British merchandise so long as the tax levied on the colonies remained in force. It was this compact which so angered the Royal Governor that he dissolved the assembly. The agitation in the colonies continued to increase, and as early as 1772 there began to be talk that armed resistance might eventuate. In March, 1773, Mr. Jefferson was selected to draft a series of resolutions asking the assembly to appoint a committee of correspondence with the other colonies for the purpose of formulating a plan of united opposition. In August, 1774, the memorable convention was held at Williamsburg, in which the first active steps looking toward eventual independence were taken. Mr. Jefferson was elected a member of the convention, but owing to a severe sickness was unable to be present. He sent, however, to the convention a declaration of what he deemed should be the stand taken by the colonies, recommending armed resistance and retaliation. The convention deemed his resolutions too drastic and extreme, but it caused them to be printed and distributed. It was in this paper submitted to the convention by Mr. Jefferson the doctrine was for the first time declared that there should be no taxation without representation, which later became the keynote of the colonial resistance. This convention elected delegates to the first Continental Congress. Mr. Jefferson was not among the delegates elected and remained a member of the Virginia Legislature, where he was one of the most active in pushing forward all patriotic measures. In all the measures before the Virginia Legislature looking to active and energetic resistance to Great Britain Mr. Jefferson always took the lead, while he kept up at the same time a voluminous correspondence with other patriots. He was an earnest advocate of the resolutions offered by Patrick Henry for the state to arm and prepare for active war. In May, 1775, he was elected a delegate to the Continental Congress. He was but thirty-two years of age, but his reputation as a forcible and effective writer of political papers had preceded him, and five days after he took his seat he was made a member of the committee appointed to prepare a report on the "cause of taking up arms against England." The intention was to present a report that would justify the colonies in the eyes of other nations. Mr. Jefferson wrote a part of the report, and it was acknowledged by his fellow-members to be the most forcible part. It was clear, bold and felicitous in style and added greatly to his reputation as a writer. A few days later he was appointed, together with Franklin, John Adams and Richard Henry Lee, to prepare a reply on the part of the colonies to the resolutions of Lord North, pretending to offer a modification of the grievances complained of. To Mr. Jefferson was assigned the duty of preparing this reply, and it stands today as one of the strongest expositions of the right of a people to grant or withhold their own money, and to inquire as to its proposed application before granting a tax, ever issued by any people. It was the adoption of this report by the Continental Congress that cut off forever all hope of reconciliation and continued union with the mother country. Mr. Jefferson was elected a member of the committee to draft a declaration of independence, and, having received the highest number of votes, became chairman of the committee. That immortal document was the work of his brain. Thus, in active service in Congress of less than nine months, he was selected to draft three of the most important papers ever submitted to a body of citizens-an exposition of the causes inducing the colonies to resort to armed resistance; a reply to the specious resolutions of Lord North, and the immortal Declaration of Independence, thus putting the seal of immortality upon his name. His term of service in the Congress expired on August 11, 1776. He had notified the legislature of Virginia that he would decline a new election, but that body gave him an unanimous election notwithstanding. He adhered to his resolution, however. The main reason for his declining further service in Congress was his desire to take part in the formation of a constitution about to be submitted for the state of Virginia. In September, 1776, Congress elected him one of the joint commission to France, but he declined this high honor for the same reason which led him to refuse a re-election to Congress. In October, 1776, he took his seat in the Virginia Legislature, where his labors for his native state surpassed in importance and future effect those of any other member. His first act was to introduce a bill for the reorganization of the judicial system of the state and the establishment of courts of justice. He was made chairman of the committee to consider his bill, and his labors were incessant. The report made by him was unanimously adopted and the system he thus brought into active life has been the model on which the judicial systems of all the other states have been organized. Among his other work during that session of the legislature he introduced and secured the passage of an act repealing the law of entail, a law Virginia had inherited from the mother country. He also advocated a law forbidding foreign slave trade, and in this he led all the world in a movement for suppressing that iniquitous traffic. He was also chairman of the committee to prepare a new code of laws for the state. He advised the emancipation of all slaves born in Virginia after the passage of the act introduced for that purpose; he advocated the abolition of the church establishment, devised a systematic plan for education and for the establishment of religious freedom. A mere recital of these great acts shows how much Virginia and the world are indebted to Mr. Jefferson. In 1779 he was elected Governor of Virginia. At that time there was great excitement over the treatment accorded by Great Britain to Americans who had been taken prisoners during the war. Governor Jefferson at once addressed himself to the task of forcing a better treatment. In Virginia were a number of British prisoners captured by General George Rogers Clark at Vincennes, among them being Lieutenant Governor Hamilton. Governor Jefferson ordered these men treated just as American prisoners were treated by the British. This action was highly commended by General Washington and was productive of good results. While Mr. Jefferson was governor of the state Benedict Arnold led an expedition into Virginia, and the Governor matured a well-devised plan for his capture by some daring mountaineers. The plan promised full success and only failed owing to Arnold hastily sailing away. In 1781 Mr. Jefferson was elected by the Continental Congress one of the commissioners to proceed to Europe to negotiate a treaty of peace with Great Britain, but he declined to accept. The appointment being tendered to him again the next year, he accepted, but before he could sail word was received that a preliminary treaty had been signed by Jay, Adams and Franklin. In 1783 he was again made a member of the Continental Congress. His most distinguished service in this Congress was his report on the currency, a report which later formed the basis of our currency system. In 1784 he was sent to France to represent the United States. As minister to France his position was very onerous, owing to the disturbed condition of affairs in that country, it being on the eve of the revolution which overturned the French monarchy. While he was absent in France the Constitutional Convention met and prepared that instrument for submission to the people. Mr. Jefferson saw little in the instrument to commend but much to censure, and in his correspondence with his friends in America strongly opposed its ratification. He saw great danger in the office of President, and wrote to one of his friends, "I wish that at the end of the four years they had made him forever ineligible for a second term." The new government under the Constitution was organized while he was absent from the country. He was at Paris when President Washington nominated him for Secretary of State, that designation having just been given to the department created by the act of July 27, 1789. The nomination was made on September 25 and promptly confirmed the next day, and a commission was at once issued to Mr. Jefferson. He did not arrive in America until the latter part of the following November. It required much urging to induce him to accept the place in the cabinet, but he finally entered upon the discharge of the duties of the office March 22, 1790. One of his first acts of importance after assuming the duties of the office was to submit to Congress a report on the question of coinage. A citizen of England had submitted a proposition to furnish the United States with a supply of copper coinage. In his report Mr. Jefferson held the doctrine that coinage being an act of sovereignty it should not be submitted to another sovereign; that to exercise it in a foreign country would not only be inconvenient but without a precedent. He strongly urged the establishment of a mint at home. The position of Secretary of State at the time Mr. Jefferson filled that office was an exceedingly trying one from many causes, chiefly because of the troubles in Europe. The French revolution was then in its first full tide of success, and because of the help extended to this country during our War for Independence, the French revolutionists arrogantly demanded from the American government open hostility to Great Britain and open freedom for all French cruisers and privateers in American ports. It required all the diplomacy and statesmanship of Mr. Jefferson to steer the country through the troubled waters. At first all his sympathies were with the French, and he was inspired with a most intense hatred to Great Britain, but in after years he changed his attitude very materially. In 1823, in a letter to President Monroe about the wisdom of promulgating what has since been called the Monroe Doctrine, Mr. Jefferson said we should most sedulously cherish cordial relations with Great Britain. There was constant friction in the cabinet of President Washington, especially between Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury, and, provoked by the rejection by Congress of his report on the commerce and navigation of the United States, he tendered his resignation as Secretary of State, and retired from that office on December 31, 1793, although urged by the President to remain. After leaving the cabinet he returned to his home at Monticello, which at once became the center of political activity, for he was still regarded as the foremost politician of the country. It was there the great Republican party was formed as against the Federalists, Jefferson believing the tendency of the Federalists to be toward a strong, centralized government that would eventually result in the overthrow of the rights reserved by the Constitution to the states and to the people. In 1796 he was the candidate of the Republicans for the presidency. Under the Constitution as it then stood the person receiving the greatest number of electoral votes became President, and the one receiving the second highest number Vice President. The choice of the electors resulted in making John Adams President and Mr. Jefferson Vice President. For four years he presided over the Senate with dignity and impartiality, and in 1800 was again the candidate of the Republicans for the higher office. The electoral vote was a tie between Mr. Jefferson and Aaron Burr. After a number of ballots the House of Representatives elected Mr. Jefferson. The war with Tripoli, the purchase of Louisiana, and the exploring expedition of Lewis and Clark were the three great events of his two terms as President. The troubles in Europe continued to require the very highest wisdom and diplomatic skill to keep the country from being involved in war with both France and Great Britain, and that war was avoided was largely due to the efforts of Mr. Jefferson. At the age of sixty-six he finally retired to private life. His home at Monticello became an American Mecca for philosophers, statesmen and politicians not only of this but of all countries. It was while he was thus in retirement he saw the full completion of one of his favorite dreams the completion and opening of the University of Virginia. He was so proud of this achievement that he caused to be inscribed on his tombstone that he was the "father of the University of Virginia." During the month of June, 1826, he suffered greatly from an attack of dysentery, and on July 1 was confined to his bed. The end came about two o'clock on the morning of the fourth, just fifty years after the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. EDMU EDMUND RANDOLPH DMUND RANDOLPH-Attorney General from February 2, 1790, to January 2, 1794; Secretary of State from January 2, 1794, to August 20, 1795. Born August 10, 1753, at Tazewell Hall, near Williamsburg, Virginia. Son of John and Ariana (Jennings) Randolph. Educated at William and Mary College. Married, August 29, 1776, Miss Betsey Nicholas. Died at Carter Hall, Virginia, September 12, 1813. 1775-Aide-de-camp on staff of General Washington. 1776-Attorney General of Virginia. 1779-Member Continental Congress. 1780-Member Continental Congress. 1786-Governor of Virginia. 1787-Member Constitutional Convention. 1789-Attorney General of the United States. 1794-Secretary of State. |