杰佛逊(1743～1826年)

Jefferson, Thomas

美国第三任总统（1801～1809）。出生於维吉尼亚州夏德威尔，1767年成为一个种植园园主及律师，也是一个反对奴隶制度的蓄奴主。1769～1775年担任移民议会委员，他与李（R. H. Lee）、亨利创办了通讯委员会（1773）。1774年撰写了具有影响力的《英属美利坚权利概观》，陈述了英国议会根本无权为殖民地立法的论点。後来代表出席第二届大陆会议，被指派为起草「独立宣言」的委员会成员，并成为主要的起草人。1779～1781年担任维吉尼亚州州长，但在1780～1781年冬英军入侵维吉尼亚时，杰佛逊未能有效地抵抗。他因受到批评而辞职，决心离群索居以终老。但在1783～1785年再度担任维吉尼亚代表出席大陆会议，他所提的土地条款後来被并入1787年的「西北法令」。後来出使欧洲，成为美国常驻法国政府公使（1785～1789）。1790年华盛顿请他担任国务卿（至1793年），不久因对宪法的诠释不同而与财政部长汉弥尔顿发生争论。此导致了党派之间的分裂，杰佛逊代表了民主共和党。1797～1801年成为副总统，但他反对总统约翰.亚当斯制定的「客籍法和镇压叛乱法」（1798）。根据这种反对的立场，他起草了「维吉尼亚和肯塔基决议」之一。1800年杰佛逊和伯尔一同代表共和党竞选总统获胜，但当初并未说明谁当总统，因而相持不下。1801年众议院决定由杰佛逊当总统，伯尔为副总统。就任後，开始紧缩财政和简化总统在仪式上的职务。他也致力於清还公债。杰佛逊指导了路易斯安那购地案，并授权路易斯和克拉克远征。他为了避免卷入拿破仑战争而签署了「禁运法」。退休後，到蒙提萨罗的种植园过着隐居生活，追求他在科学、哲学和建筑方面的广泛兴趣。1797～1805年曾担任美国哲学协会的主席，1819年建立并设计了维吉尼亚大学。2000年1月，汤玛斯.杰佛逊纪念基金会接受一项根据DNA检测的证据所下的结论，杰佛逊与他的黑奴管家莎莉.海明斯至少生了一个孩子（可能多至六个孩子）。杰佛逊在与亚当斯交恶一段长时期後，於1813年和解，并常交换对国家议题的看法，对许多创始人的人生观有所启发。他们一同在1826年7月4日过世，正逢美国签署「独立宣言」的五十周年庆。

English version：

1743～1826年

Jefferson, Thomas

Third president of the U.S. (1801-9). Born in Shadwell, Virginia, he was a planter and lawyer from 1767, as well as a slaveholder who opposed slavery. While a member of the House of Burgesses (1769-75), he initiated the Committee of Correspondence (1773) with Richard Henry Lee and Patrick Henry. In 1774 he wrote the influential [work]Summary View of the Rights of British America, stating that the British Parliament had no authority to legislate for the colonies. A delegate to the second Continental Congress, he was appointed to the committee to draft the Declaration of Independence and became its primary author. He was elected governor of Virginia (1779-81) but was unable to organize effective opposition when British forces invaded the colony (1780-81). Criticized for his conduct, he retired, vowing to remain a private citizen. Again a member of the Continental Congress (1783-85), he proposed territorial provisions later incorporated in the Northwest Ordinances. He traveled in Europe on diplomatic missions and became U.S. minister to France (1785-89). George Washington made him secretary of state (1790-93). He soon became embroiled in conflict with Alexander Hamilton over their opposing interpretations of the Constitution. This led to the rise of factions and political parties, with Jefferson representing the Democratic-Republicans. He served as vice president (1797-1801) but opposed the Alien and Sedition Acts enacted under President John Adams. As part of this opposition, Jefferson drafted one of the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions. In 1801 he became president after an electoral-vote tie with Aaron Burr was settled by the U.S. House of Representatives. Jefferson initiated frugal fiscal policies and simplicity in the ceremonial role of the president. He also sought to pay off the national debt. He oversaw the Louisiana Purchase and authorized the Lewis and Clark Expedition. He sought to avoid involvement in the Napoleonic Wars by signing the Embargo Act. He retired to his plantation, Monticello, where he pursued his many interests in science, philosophy, and architecture. He served as president of the American Philosophical Society 1797-1815, and in 1819 founded and designed the University of Virginia. In January 2000, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation accepted the conclusion, supported by DNA evidence, that Jefferson had fathered at least one, and perhaps as many as six, children with Sally Hemings, one of his house slaves. After a long estrangement, he and Adams became reconciled in 1813 and exchanged views on national issues that illuminated much of the founders' philosophies. They both died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.