Seven Facts about Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson has a unique tombstone.
Thomas Jefferson's epitaph reads: "Here was buried Thomas Jefferson, Author of the Declaration of Independence, of the Statue of Virginia for Religious Freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia." There is no mention of his service as the President of the United States.

Thomas Jefferson was a terrible public speaker.
When Jefferson had to speak publicly, he frequently mumbled and spoke in an inaudible voice that made it very difficult for people to hear him. His speeches were very well written and meaningful, he just couldn't deliver them in front of crowds. He became a very private president and started the tradition of sending the State of the Union message to Congress so he would not have to present it himself. The tradition continued until 1913, when Woodrow Wilson broke the tradition by giving the State of the Union message himself.

"During the whole time I sat with him in Congress, I never heard him utter three sentences together." - John Adams on Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was subjected to the worst smear campaign in presidential history when he first ran for office.
Thomas Jefferson was an extremely religious person, however, his Federalist opponents spread rumors that he was an infidel during his first run for presidency. These accusations were so widely believed that New England families hid their Bibles at the bottom of wells out of fear that they would be confiscated. Timothy Dwight, the president of Yale College, stated that if Jefferson was elected, it would result in, "our wives and daughters the victims of legal prostitution, soberly dishonored, speciously polluted."

"There is scarcely a possibility that we shall escape a Civil War. Murder, robbery, rape, adultery, and incest will be openly taught and practiced." The Connecticut Court on Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was a very casual person.
Thomas Jefferson had very bad posture and tendency to wear clothes that many felt "unfitting" for a man of his stature. He usually wore a brown coat, a red waistcoat, corduroy breeches, wool hose, and a pair of carpet slippers without heels. He also started the presidential tradition of shaking hands with visitors instead of bowing.

Thomas Jefferson loved wine.
Jefferson's home, Monticello, had an enormous wine cellar and always had plentiful amounts of wine and liquor on hand. During his eight years as president, he ran up a personal wine bill of $10,835.90 (around $146,524.40 in today's currency) for every year in office. Jefferson's wine collection and drinking was one of the reasons why Jefferson was always in debt.

Thomas Jefferson was a talented musician
Jefferson was a very gifted violin player. During his early life, he practiced the violin for hours each afternoon. He also loved to sing and would hum to himself under his breath. In 1786 he broke his wrist while trying to impress a woman. His wrist never fully healed afterwards and wasn't able to play the violin afterwards.

Thomas Jefferson was publicly opposed to slavery.
Even though Thomas Jefferson owned slaves for his entire life and had an affair with his slave, Sally Hemings, he was against the institution. When he represented Virginia at the Continental Congress of 1783, he proposed a bill that would outlaw slavery in all new territories acquired by the federal government, but it was defeated by one vote. It is believed that the reason that Jefferson had slaves was because he was always in great debt. He had encumbered his slaves by notes and mortgages, making him unable to free them until he had paid back his debt, something which never happened.