Sons & Daughters of Liberty 

 

     Jefferson was born in 1743 to reasonably wealthy parents. His father owned a successful plantation and his mother was part of one of the most distinguished families in Virginia. Jefferson then inherited his father’s estate and plantation in the year 1757. When he was young, Jefferson was tutored by the Reverend James Maury and began learning Greek, Latin, and French at the age of nine. At sixteen he moved on to attend the William and Marry College, where he studied mathematics, metaphysics, and philosophy. He then continued to educate himself in law under George Wythe. In 1765, Jefferson attended the House of Burgesses as learning experience for his education as a lawyer. When he witnessed Patrick Henry’s argument against the Stamp Act he continued his education as a lawyer then began his own practice in 1767and was elected to the House of Burgesses in 1769.

 

Family

 

     In 1772 Jefferson married his cousin, Martha. Together they had a total of six children named, Martha, Jane, a son who only lived a few weeks, Mary Wayles, Lucy Elizabeth, and another Lucy Elizabeth. Only Martha and Mary lived for more than a few years. After Jefferson’s father-in-law died, he and his wife inherited eleven thousand acres, one hundred and thirty five slaves, and the debts of his estate. The debts took years to pay off and contributed to what he had already accumulated on his own. Jefferson’s wife suffered from diabetes and her health was worsened by frequent child birth, she died in 1782. She reportedly told Jefferson she could not bear the idea of someone else raising their children and made Jefferson promise he would never remarry. He stayed single the rest of his life.

 

Politics

 

     After receiving a good word from John Adams, Jefferson was elected into the Second Continental Congress which was a group of five men (including; John Adams, Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston) with the purpose of drafting the Declaration of Independence. Originally it was Adams who was elected to write the first draft of the Declaration but he convinced the other members of the Congress that Jefferson would be a better choice. Jefferson strongly opposed the cruel treatment of slaves and included a long section in the Declaration that expressed the idea that all men are created equal and that slavery is an abomination. The other members of the Congress, however, believed that slavery was too large of an issue to handle during the revolution, and that it may cause arguments when unity was most needed.

 

The Sons of Liberty

 

     After the passing of the Stamp Act, groups known as “Sons of liberty” began forming across the colonies with the purpose of opposing British taxation. The very first Sons of Liberty was formed in Boston by Samul Adams, John Adams’ cousin, and disbanded soon after the Boston Tea party. Though the group was fairly short-lived, it paved the way for the forming of many related groups that represented the state in which they were formed. Over time these groups began to evolve and some even had control of state militia. Jefferson is credited with forming the Sons of Liberty in Virginia, along with Patrick Henry, likely sometime after the 1770s. Because these groups performed acts that were considered treason against the king, they tended to keep their members and activities as secret as possible, even after the war ended. As a result of this, there is very little detailed information on these groups.