Benjamin Franklin was initially asked to construct the first draft of the Declaration of Independence, but after turning it down, the task was given to John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.

Thomas Jefferson is an enigma among American historical figures. He was one of America’s founding fathers, and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. He later served as the third President of the United States.

Thomas Jefferson was born in the Colony of Virginia on April 13, 1743. Upon his father’s death, Jefferson inherited several thousand acres of land — including the land in which he would one day build his home, Monticello.