I know we have quite a few American History nuts in the following, so this one's for you guys! Thomas Jefferson, shown here in 1800 at age 57, is one of the most famous Founding Fathers & Presidents in US history. A quick note about his depiction - Jefferson was famous for having red or reddish brown hair. I’m not sure what color it was at 57 or whether he’s wearing a powdered wig in the original (he likely was), but I’ve gone for a salt and pepper look for his modern-day version..Jefferson’s long political career began during the American Revolution, when he represented Virginia in the Continental Congress that adopted the Declaration of Independence of which he was the main author. He served as the Governor of Virginia, the Nation’s first Secretary of State, the Vice President, and later as the third President in 1801. Jefferson was a proponent of democracy, republicanism, and individual rights, motivating American colonists to break from the Kingdom of Great Britain and form a new nation. He was also a big proponent of religious freedom, shunning organized religion and adopting a more philosophical approach.
Despite all of his glory as a statesman and founder of America, it’s important not to gloss over other parts of his legacy, like the Louisiana purchase and westward expansionism, which prompted Indian tribal removal from the territory. Jefferson also claimed ownership of over 600 slaves during his lifetime. He also had a longstanding relationship with Sally Hemings, a woman of mixed race, which is often romanticized but began when she was only 14 and he was 44. He was certainly a man of many shades of grey, as there are harsh details about his life that are rightly criticized, as well as many ideals he stood for that we still share today, such as religious freedom.
Left Portrait base: Public Domain of the United States, original by Rembrandt Peale, 1800, Courtesy of the White House Historical Association. Right Portrait base: iStock Photo. Created using Photoshop.
