I just finished reading a highly engrossing book called Diagnosing Jefferson - Evidence of a Condition that Guided His Beliefs, and Personal Associations by Norm Ledgin. The book makes the case that Thomas Jefferson -- Founding Father, 3rd president of the United States, and principal author of the Declaration of Independence -- suffered from a condition known as Asperger's Syndrome. Asperger's Syndrome is a developmental disorder closely tied to autism and characterized by higher than average intellectual ability coupled with impaired social skills and restrictive, repetitive patterns of activities and interest. Ledgin contends that Jefferson exhibited a bevy of characteristics that unequivocally placed him on the autism-Asperger's continuum: As a law student at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, he frequently studied 15 hours a day. He spoke four languages and learned to read Latin, Greek, Italian, French, and Spanish.  He had a remarkable memo...

On this day in 1784, the Continental Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris at the Maryland State House in Annapolis. The document, negotiated in part by future President John Adams, included terms for ending the Revolutionary War and established the United States as a sovereign nation. The treaty set territorial boundaries in North America formerly held by the British, outlined America’s fishing rights off the coast of Canada, and put an end to reprisals against British loyalists. Two other future presidents, Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe, were among the delegates who ratified the document on January 14, 1874. Thomas Jefferson had planned to travel to Paris to join Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay to begin talks with the British in 1782. However, after a delay in his travel plans, Jefferson got word that a cessation of hostilities had been announced by King George III the prior December. Jefferson arrived in Paris in late February after the treaty had already been negot...

On this day in 1777, John Hancock resigns his position as president of the Continental Congress because of a prolonged illness. He was the first member of the Continental Congress to sign the Declaration of Independence and is arguably best known for his bold signature on the historic document. Having been elected to the Continental Congress in 1774 as a delegate from Massachusetts, Hancock became its president following the resignation of Peyton Randolph in May 1775. During his tenure as president, Hancock presided over some of the most significant moments of the American Revolution, culminating in the signing of the Declaration of Independence in July 1776. After resigning his position as president, Hancock returned to his home state of Massachusetts, where he continued his work in public service. After helping to establish the state’s first constitution, Hancock was elected first governor of the commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1780 and served for five years. He opted not to r...

Yesterday, I finished reading "Jefferson and Hamilton: The Rivalry That Forged a Nation" by John Ferling. If nothing else, the book demonstrates how the intense partisan battles we see today can be traced all the way back to the late 1700s, when the first political parties were formed. The Federalist Party, which pushed for a strong central government, assumption of war debts, and a national bank, was headed by the first secretary of the treasury, Alexander Hamilton. Meanwhile, Thomas Jefferson, who served as George Washington's first secretary of state (and went on to become the third U.S. president), started the Democratic-Republican Party, which favored states' rights and limited government. Jefferson and Hamilton clashed inexorably, from the moment they joined Washington's cabinet through the Elections of 1796 and 1800, the latter of which Jefferson won by a whisker. Most historians agree that Jefferson and Hamilton, for all their differences, rema...

On this day in 1783, The American Revolution finally comes to a close with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. Involving representatives of the United States, Great Britain, France, and Spain, it cemented America’s status as a free nation, as Britain formally recognized the independence of its 13 former American colonies, and the boundaries of the new republic were established: Florida north to the Great Lakes and the Atlantic coast west to the Mississippi River. The events leading up to the treaty dated back to April 1775, when American colonists in Lexington, Massachusetts responded to King George III’s refusal to grant them economic and political reform with armed revolution. On July 4, 1776, more than a year after the first shots of the war rang out, the Second Continental Congress officially adopted the Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson. Five years later, in October 1781, British General Charles Lord Cornwallis surrendered to American and French forces a...

If you were a collector of any item -- be it coins, paintings, or china -- how much would you be willing to fork over for one at auction? What about if you were a very wealthy collector? Dozens of rare documents from periods spanning 200 years of American history just went up for auction, with historical artifacts and original manuscripts fetching millions of dollars each. Among them were original copies of the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment -- marking the first time the pair have been sold at the same time. The Emancipation Proclamation sold for a whopping $2.17 million and the 13th Amendment sold for a massive  $2.41 million . They are each among a handful of original copies that still exist and are being held in private hands. What's more, they each bear the original signatures of Abraham Lincoln, Secretary of State William Seward, and other prominent men of the day. Lincoln originally issued the order abolishing slavery in 1863, but the copy just...

On March 27, 1775, Future President Thomas Jefferson was elected to the second Continental Congress. Jefferson, a Virginia delegate, quickly made a name for himself in the Continental Congress with the publication of his paper, A Summary View of the Rights of British America . Several more papers would follow in the coming year, including Drafts and Notes on the Virginia Constitution . In June 1776, Congress assembled a committee to draft the Declaration of Independence. Following a great deal of discussion, the committee selected Jefferson to compose the document. At just 33 years of age, it only took Jefferson a couple of days to complete a draft of what is regarded as the most important document in the history of democracy. After a few small changes, the committee submitted the draft, titled A Declaration by the Representatives in General Congress Assembled , to Congress on June 28, 1776. The document was formally adopted by Congress on July 4, 1776, under the new title The Dec...

On March 6, 1820, President James Monroe signed the Missouri Compromise (also called the Compromise Bill of 1820) into law. The bill sought to make even the number of slave-holding states and free states in the nascent nation. It allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state while Maine joined as a free state. What's more, the bill prohibited portions of the Louisiana Purchase territory north of the 36-degrees-30-minutes latitude line from engaging in slavery. Monroe, who was born into the Virginia slave-holding planter class, strongly supported states’ rights, but let Congress bicker over the issue of slavery in the new territories. He then closely examined any proposed legislation for its constitutionality. Although he realized that slavery ran contrary to the values written into the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, he, like fellow Virginians Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, feared abolition would rip apart the country they had fought so hard to crea...

A hidden chemistry lab was recently unearthed by a worker overseeing renovations being made to the Rotunda at the University of Virginia. School officials say the room is directly connected to none other than Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), who helped design the building. Most people know Jefferson as the third president of the United States and principal author of the Declaration of Independence. But did you know that he also founded the University of Virginia? The "chemical hearth," which traces its origins to the 1820s, is thought to be one of the few remaining in the world, as most of the hearths from the era have been destroyed. Not only did it feature two sources of heat for conducting experiments, but it also had a system for pulling out fumes. The room, which school officials describe as "a semi-circular niche in the north end of the Lower East Oval Room," was preserved because the walls of the hearth were closed shut in the mid-1800s. Moreover, Thomas Jef...

Best known as the third commander-in-chief of the United States, author of the Declaration of Independence, founder of the University of Virginia, and the mastermind behind what was arguably the best real estate deal in the history of the United States – the Louisiana Purchase – Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) is ranked among the greatest U.S. presidents of all time. But many of the decisions Jefferson made throughout his presidency and in his personal life remain a source of controversy to this day.   For most of my life, I have been an avid U.S. history buff, soaking up information on virtually everything from the American Revolution to World War II like a sponge.  Since so many of our nation’s landmark events have revolved around the 44 men who have taken the presidential oath of office, I’ve always felt compelled to learn as much about them as possible.  I find that most history lovers tend to zero in on our most famous presidents – from Thomas Jefferson and Ab...

To all you readers here in the United States -- here's to a Happy Independence Day! Today we come together and commemorate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. On July 4, 1776, the thirteen colonies declared themselves an independent nation, severing ties with an overbearing British Empire. Even if you're not a history buff like me, there are certain things we learned in history class that remain embedded in our minds, including: The heroism of George Washington, who led the Continental Army to victory against long odds. After all, he was up against the mightiest military force in the world. The Declaration of Independence, which was written by Thomas Jefferson and included a series of grievances against King George III. And who could forget John Hancock's oversized signature? Founding Fathers like Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, Sam Adams, and Hancock, all of whom contributed to the Revolutionary cause in a big way It's easy t...

Today's quote of the day comes from Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826). Not only was he was the third president of the United States, but the revered Founding Father also wrote the Declaration of Independence, founded the University of Virginia, and pulled off the Louisiana Purchase, among other notable accomplishments. "It is neither wealth nor splendor; but tranquility and occupation which give you happiness." - Thomas Jefferson I think what Thomas Jefferson was trying to say in a nutshell is that it's the simple things in life that truly hold value and brings us true joy. Reading a great book, taking a tranquil walk around the park, connecting with nature, petting your cat -- it's these simple moments that makes us the happiest, yet we often take them for granted. Instead, we become overly focused on acquiring more and more material possessions, being promoted into jobs that require longer hours and thus more time away from our families, and so on. I think th...