Discovering Jefferson: Top 19 Fun and Surprising Facts About Thomas Jefferson's Life and Legacy

1. Drowning in Debt

Despite having a face you can find "four" pennies on the dollar, it turns out Thomas Jefferson was less of a moneymaker and more of the "Downton" depleter: This founding father was neck-deep in a whopping $107,000 of personal debt, equivalent to approximately $2 million today, because of inheritance, dwindling farm income, and too many candlelit wine-and-dine sessions in Monticello.
Source => consumercredit.com

2. The Polyglot President

If Thomas Jefferson were around today, he'd probably put Google Translate out of business with his impressive linguistic skills: This founding polyglot was fluent in French, proficient in Latin, Italian, and Spanish, dabbled in Anglo-Saxon, studied a bit of German, and his library suggests he may have even dipped his quill into Arabic, Irish, and Welsh!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

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=> Fun Facts about John-Adams

3. Secret Love Code

Love notes? More like code notes! Thomas Jefferson was the king of secret admirers, disguising his sweet nothings in mysterious languages and cryptic ciphers known only to his true love's heart: Jefferson used a polyalphabetic cipher with a keyword "NICHOLAS," sent Meriwether Lewis a cipher table, and even practiced his secret writing as a young law student, all to ensure the identity of his beloved was kept hush-hush.
Source => cryptiana.web.fc2.com

4. The Unusual Sleeper

Before electric sheep were dreamed of by androids, Thomas Jefferson had his own twist on counting them: Jefferson maintained an unusual sleep pattern, snoozing only for two-hour intervals throughout the day, and rising promptly with the sun. Moreover, he dedicated the final 30 minutes before slumber to the art of penmanship.
Source => myorganicsleep.com

5. Founding Meteorologist

Before there was an Al Roker or a weather app on our smartphones, one Founding Father was the unofficial meteorologist of his time: Thomas Jefferson meticulously collected and analyzed weather data for over 50 years, using the information to guide his agricultural practices, exchanging data with contemporaries, and ultimately contributing to a better understanding of America's diverse climates.
Source => jefferson-weather-records.org

6. Education for All Advocate

If Thomas Jefferson had his way, no American would be left behind in the school of life: This founding father was a firm believer in education for all and went as far as establishing the University of Virginia, which was the first in the nation to offer a comprehensive range of academic subjects. Serving as its first rector, Jefferson laid the groundwork for a hub of knowledge, spanning mathematics to philosophy, and it remains today as one of America's most esteemed universities.
Source => senate.gov

7. Father of French Fries

Before the ketchup-slinging, salt-sprinkling, finger-licking magic of the American French fry: Thomas Jefferson, a true potato aficionado, was dishing up rounds of the golden spuds for his delighted dinner guests. Known in his time as a revolutionary figure, Jefferson sautéed his way into culinary history by introducing a French recipe for fried potatoes to the States – half a century before any cookbook dared to do the same.
Source => mentalfloss.com

8. Natural Locks

Wigging out with our founding fathers: Contrary to popular belief, Thomas Jefferson did not sport a fashionable hairpiece, but rather, strutted around with his own natural locks. Meanwhile, presidential predecessors like John Adams, James Madison, and James Monroe opted for the trendier wig experience during their time in office.
Source => battlefields.org

9. Jefferson-Roman Connection

Who needs a time machine when you've got Thomas Jefferson and the Romans joining forces in 18th-century France? That's right, folks: Thomas Jefferson, along with French architect Charles-Louis Clérisseau, based the design of Virginia's State Capitol on the ancient Roman temple Maison Carrée, making it the world's first neoclassical temple and one of the earliest legislative buildings to reflect its republican form of government through historic architecture. And as if that's not enough, the Capitol boasts a jaw-dropping rotunda featuring a full-figure portrait of George Washington by none other than Jean-Antoine Houdon.
Source => architecturerichmond.com

10. Meat as a Side Dish

While Thomas Jefferson probably wouldn't have won any episodes of Iron Chef America, his culinary philosophy could give any modern-day foodie a run for their money: Jefferson had a penchant for making meat play second fiddle in his meals, treating it as a mere flavor companion to the real stars, his beloved vegetables and fruits. But before you start hailing him as the founding father of vegetarianism, know that he really did "feather" his nest, indulging in guinea fowl favorites with gusto.
Source => monticello.org

11. Gadget Geek

Not just an ink-wielding Founding Father, but a gadget geek at heart: Thomas Jefferson was a huge fan of copy machines throughout his life, utilizing various models like a press copy machine and a more evolved polygraph that allowed him to write and duplicate his important letters simultaneously.
Source => csac.history.wisc.edu

12. Presidential Affair Rumors

As Tom Paine raised his quill over in France, he couldn't resist penning a cheeky rhyme about Thomas Jefferson's love life – because who doesn't appreciate a good presidential scandal? The poem in question hinted at a rumor involving Jefferson and his slave Sally Hemings: A clandestine affair of the heart straight from the White House itself. But fear not, history lovers and gossip enthusiasts: The truth of their relationship remained hidden until years later, when it was finally confirmed that the two had indeed shared an unconventional romance that spanned decades.
Source => smithsonianmag.com

13. Founding Father's Fitness

Who needs a Fitbit when you're a founding father: Thomas Jefferson was a fervent advocate for daily exercise and believed that physical activity played a key role in overall health, recommending at least two hours of exercise a day and prioritizing it over sedentary activities. His go-to workout - walking, where he even measured his steps in French miles.
Source => electwellness.com

14. Colonial Gardening Guru

If Thomas Jefferson were alive today, he might have been the host of a colonial gardening reality show, charming viewers with plant puns and cultivating the curiosity of his fellow botany enthusiasts with his cutting-edge green thumb: At his Monticello estate, Jefferson had a sprawling vegetable garden spanning almost 1000 feet, with 24 symmetrical plots, where he experimented with a diverse range of seeds, documenting his findings and even naming some after his friends or the seed's origin. However, it wasn't all garden-to-table living for Jefferson – he still had to pop over to the local market to make ends meet when it came to their vegetable needs.
Source => theblissfulgardeners.com

15. The Renaissance President

Taking "jack of all trades" to a whole new level and single-handedly crushing everyone's productivity goals, Thomas Jefferson was the original Renaissance man: He had a green thumb that would make Mother Nature jealous with over 330 varieties of fruits and vegetables at Monticello, gracefully tickled the strings of his violin, cello, and harpsichord, and was the proud owner of a personal library so massive, it went on to form the backbone of the Library of Congress!
Source => loc.gov

16. The Misunderstood Gift

Whoever said, "If I had a dime for every time I thought Napoleon sent me a stick...": Thomas Jefferson once received a rather elegant walking stick made of mysterious bone and gold, thinking it was a gift from Napoleon, only to later discover it was actually from John F. Oliveira Fernandes, a physician and wine merchant grateful for Jefferson's Monticello wine purchases. Jefferson cherished this unique stick as a curious treasure until it wended its way to James Madison and then Thomas Jefferson Randolph.
Source => monticello.org

17. Militia Man Jefferson

From supporting quill to military drill: Jefferson was not just a prolific penman as a Founding Father, but also a real-life militia man, governing Virginia's troops and even mobilizing them during the Revolutionary War in the Southern Campaign, which led to a glorious win at Yorktown. Talk about swapping ink for glory!
Source => nationalguard.mil

18. Casual Dining Pioneer

Who needs pomp and circumstance when you're a founding father and a foodie in chief? Thomas Jefferson wasn't about to pass up a chance to make an impression with his dinner parties: During his presidency, he revolutionized the dining etiquette by embracing a "pell-mell" approach, abolishing the presidential levee, downplaying formal attire, and having a jolly good time mingling with guests—much to the chagrin of certain stuffy diplomats.
Source => etiquipedia.blogspot.com

19. The Mastodon Collector

When Thomas Jefferson wasn't off pursuing life, liberty, and prehistoric punches, he was quite the bone collector: Our third president was a fossil aficionado, even going as far as dedicating a "Mastodon Room" at the White House where he assembled a wagon full of fossilized treasures from his Monticello home.
Source => varsitytutors.com