Thomas Jefferson spends years designing and building Monticello, his retreat from the demands and derision of politics.

FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate.

RELATED CONTENT

Thomas Jefferson marries Martha Wales Skelton in 1772 and builds a family at Monticello.

Thomas Jefferson takes his last breath on July 4, 1826, fifty years to the day after the signing of The Declaration of Independence.

Thomas Jefferson is known for penning The Declaration of Independence, but some of his earlier writings establish the pattern of challenging the British monarchy.

This video clip from "Life After People" looks at the decay and eventual destruction that would happen to buildings and structures from subway tunnels to the Sears Tower if humans were to suddenly vanish from the planet.

As a young man in Virginia, Thomas Jefferson pursues an education based on the ideals of the Enlightenment.

An unlikely pair whose tumultuous friendship lasted half a century, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both died on July 4, 1826, 50 years after signing the Declaration of Independence.