| Timeline |
| 1743 |
Born 13 April in Virginia |
| 1752 |
Begins attending a local school run by a Scotsman, Reverend William Douglas |
| 1757 |
Father dies |
| 1758 |
Attends the school of the Reverend James Maury |
| 1760 |
Attends the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg |
| 1762 |
Graduates from William and Mary, begins law studies with George Wythe |
| 1765 |
Passes the bar |
| 1766 |
Tours Annapolis, Philadelphia, and New York |
| 1767 |
Begins practicing law |
| 1768 |
Begins building Monticello |
| 1769 |
Takes his seat as representative from Albemarle County in the Virginia House of Burgesses, he serves until 1776
|
| 1772 |
Marries Martha Wayles Skelton on New Years Day, daughter Martha is born on 27 September |
| 1774 |
Drafts instructions for the Virginia delegates to the first Continental Congress; daughter Jane born |
| 1775 |
March - Elected as a delegate to the second Continental Congress; "A Declaration of the Causes & Necessity for Taking Up Arms" address; drafts Continental Congress Resolutions
|
| 1776 |
A Summary View of the Rights of British America; mother dies; attends the second Continental Congress; writes Declaration of Independence; serves in the House of Delegates; serves in the Virginia House in Williamsburg |
| 1777 |
Son born in May dies in June |
| 1778 |
Daughter Mary is born |
| 1779 |
Elected governor of Virginia for a one-year term; submits "Statute for Religious Freedom" to Virginia House |
| 1780 |
James Monroe begins legal studies with Jefferson; Jefferson is re-elected governor of Virginia; Notes on the State of Virginia published; daughter Lucy born |
| 1782 |
Daughter Lucy born, wife Martha dies |
| 1783 |
Elected a delegate to Congress from Virginia |
| 1784 |
"Report of a Plan of Government for the Western Territoy"; sails for France |
| 1785 |
Succeeds Benjamin Franklin as minister to France |
| 1787 |
Travels through the south of France and in northern Italy |
| 1788 |
travels through Holland and central Europe; writes "Hints to Americans Travelling in Europe" |
| 1789 |
Attends the opening of the French Estates-General and its debates at Versailles; helps Lafayette draft a charter of rights; returns home to Virginia on 23 November |
| 1790 |
Begins secretary of state appointment under George Washington; "Report on the Subject of Measures, Weights, and Coins" |
| 1791 |
"Opinion of the Constitutionality of the Bill for Establishing a National Bank" |
| 1793 |
Resigns as Secretary of State over debate on the French Revolution |
| 1794 |
Elected vice president under John Adams |
| 1797 |
Again elected vice president |
| 1800 |
"Manual of Parliamentary Practice" |
| 1801 |
Elected President (first president inaugurated in Washington DC) |
| 1804 |
Jefferson is re-elected president |
| 1809 |
Retires from public service and returns to Monticello |
| 1819 |
Helps found University of Virginia |
| 1821 |
Writes Autobiography |
| 1826 |
Dies 4 July in Virginia, over $100,000 in debt |
