![In many ways the most important or at least most famous of Thomas Jefferson's writings is the Declaration of Independence. Literally not much more than a "not anymore" note to the King of England, this document had a lot of emotional significance and continues to carry that weight. Unfortunately, some cite it today as some sort of law or basis for the country's government, but it was no such thing. Perhaps the words of Jefferson had so much gravity that some modern people think it to be as clear an example of contemporary political views as the U.S. Constitution.](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/hash/78/e7/78e7553c02b2c7a007b6e56186e93377.jpg?itok=5zXG8StU "In many ways the most important or at least most famous of Thomas Jefferson's writings is the Declaration of Independence. Literally not much more than a "not anymore" note to the King of England, this document had a lot of emotional significance and continues to carry that weight. Unfortunately, some cite it today as some sort of law or basis for the country's government, but it was no such thing. Perhaps the words of Jefferson had so much gravity that some modern people think it to be as clear an example of contemporary political views as the U.S. Constitution.")
Thomas Jefferson is one of the most respected thinkers in American history. While he was shackled with the downfalls of his time, such as slavery, he cultivated a sense of human rights, morality and government that was sophisticated, even centuries later. Through study of philosophy, law, historical documents and through correspondence with many other intellectuals of his day, he became excellent at saying things (on paper, of course, he was not as vocal and public as Samuel Adams) in a way that was timeless and thoughtful. This is reflected in his writings.
The following three items are examples of the prolific, important and interesting writings of Thomas Jefferson. As a whole, these comprise a Revolutionary Era historian's dream collection of study materials. They have allowed us to see what Thomas Jefferson was thinking, but also see where he was opposed and supported by looking at how his thoughts panned out in his political exploits. Any Jefferson scholar should take advantage of the free databases containing copies and transcripts of these documents.
![In many ways the most important or at least most famous of Thomas Jefferson's writings is the Declaration of Independence. Literally not much more than a "not anymore" note to the King of England, this document had a lot of emotional significance and continues to carry that weight. Unfortunately, some cite it today as some sort of law or basis for the country's government, but it was no such thing. Perhaps the words of Jefferson had so much gravity that some modern people think it to be as clear an example of contemporary political views as the U.S. Constitution.](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/profile_large/hash/95/a4/95a43bdc488ccabee19e53a3a95aaedc.jpg?itok=wBt6XdQs "In many ways the most important or at least most famous of Thomas Jefferson's writings is the Declaration of Independence. Literally not much more than a "not anymore" note to the King of England, this document had a lot of emotional significance and continues to carry that weight. Unfortunately, some cite it today as some sort of law or basis for the country's government, but it was no such thing. Perhaps the words of Jefferson had so much gravity that some modern people think it to be as clear an example of contemporary political views as the U.S. Constitution.")
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