This American classic is the only full-length book written and published by Thomas Jefferson during his lifetime. Written in 1781, Notes on the State of Virginia was begun by Jefferson as a commentary on the resources and institutions of his home state, but the work's lasting value lies in its delineation of Jefferson's major philosophical, political, scientific, and ethical beliefs. Along with his accounts of such factual matters as North American flora and fauna, Jefferson expounds his views on slavery, education, religious freedom, representative government, and the separation of...

In 1821, at the age of seventy-seven, Thomas Jefferson decided to "state some recollections of dates and facts concerning myself." His ancestors, Jefferson writes, came to America from Wales in the early seventeenth century and settled in the Virginia col

Were Thomas Jefferson alive to read this book, he would recognize every sentence, every elegant turn of phrase, every lofty, beautifully expressed idea. Indeed, every word in the book is his. In an astonishing feat of editing, Eric S. Petersen has culled the entirety of Thomas Jefferson s published works to fashion thirty-four original essays on themes ranging from patriotism and liberty to hope, humility, and gratitude. The result is a lucid, inspiring distillation of the wisdom of one of America s greatest political thinkers.
From his personal motto Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to...

Introduction by James Gilreath, Library of Congress. As vice president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson presided over the Senate. To improve its procedures, he wrote A Manual of Parliamentary Practice. It was published in 1800 and is still considered part of the Senate rules today.

Drafted by Thomas Jefferson between June 11 and June 28, 1776, the Declaration of Independence summarizes America's founding political philosophy. At once a cherished symbol of liberty and an expression of Jefferson's monumental talents as a writer, the document captures in unforgettable phrases the ideals of individual liberty that formed the backbone of American's Revolutionary movement. In setting forth these "self-evident truths" alongside a list of grievances against King George's Britain, the Declaration of Independence justified the breaking of ties with "Mother England" and the...

Acclaimed author Percival Everett will take an atheist's-eye-view of the little-known "Jefferson Bible," the third president's response to the King James Bible.
Percival Everett's novel Erasure won the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, and his most recent, "A History of the African-American People Proposed] by Strom Thurmond, as told to Percival Everett and James Kincaid A Novel]" ruffled many Confederate feathers.

In 1804 Thomas Jefferson decided to study the gospels to see if he could distill the essence of Jesus' teachings into a concise book that could be quickly read and easily understood. The Jefferson Bible is the result, offering valuable insights into the teachings of Jesus Christ and into the mind and beliefs of Thomas Jefferson. Like the Jefferson Bible, The Complete Sayings of Jesus Christ is an attempt to edit the four gospels into a consistent account, in this case focusing on the words of Jesus. Many readers arrive at the end of the New Testament with but a hazy picture of Christ and a...