Jefferson Born: Author of American Independence
Thomas Jefferson wrote 'all men are created equal' while enslaved people maintained his household. He owned more than 600 over his lifetime. He freed two of them. He almost certainly fathered six children with Sally Hemings, an enslaved woman who was also the half-sister of his late wife. He died on July 4, 1826 — the 50th anniversary of the Declaration — within hours of John Adams. Adams's last words were 'Thomas Jefferson still survives.' He didn't know Jefferson had died that morning. Jefferson died $100,000 in debt. His estate, including the enslaved people, was auctioned off to pay the creditors.
April 2, 1743
283 years ago
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