Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson was born in Shadwell, Virginia on April 13, 1743. He was the third child of six sisters and one brother. He had two other brothers but they both died at a young age. His father's name was Peter Jefferson and he died when he was fourteen years old. His mother was Jane Randolph Jefferson. After his father's death, he became head of the household and inherited 2,500 acres of land and at least twenty enslaved African Americans. Although Thomas inherited all of this, guardian John Harvey managed the estate until Thomas was twenty-one. Thomas began his education under the guidance of a tutor because the colony of Virginia had no public schools. At the age of nine, he went to live with a Scottish pastor who taught him Latin, Greek and French. After his father's death, he attended James Maury's school near Charlottesville. In 1760 he entered the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg. After leaving university in 1762, he studied with George Wythe. In 1767 he was admitted to the bar. Thomas married Martha Wayles Skelton in 1772. They had one son and five daughters, but only two reached maturity. Martha died in 1782, leaving Thomas a widow. Thomas never remarried. Writers like John Locke, Algemon Sidney, Francis Hutcheson, Henry Home and Lord Kames had a huge influence on Thomas's political philosophy. Thomas had been raised in the Anglican Church, but he had developed a distrust of organized religion. Thomas was interested in other areas of politics such as archaeology, fishing, horticulture, horse riding and violin playing. Besides a political position, Thomas had other jobs, such as being a lawyer. After retiring at age sixty-five, Thomas divided his time between his plantations at Monticello and Poplar Forest. His primary activity was guiding the creation of the University of Virginia. He turned to music, architecture, chemical experiments and the study of religion, philosophy, law and education. Thomas's powers of logic, strong but conservative political acumen, public experience, and prior office made him a well-qualified candidate for the presidency. he was part of the Democratic-Republican party and the Republics nominated him for president again in 1800 after losing the previous election. His opponents, the Federalist campaign, were President Adams and Charles C. Pinckney of South Carolina. The Federalist denounced Jefferson as an infidel who would destroy religion and replace it with the divinity of Reason..