The Life of Thomas Jefferson

Topography of Virginia—The Birth place of Mr. Jefferson-Early Settlement of the State -Large Estates acquired by the Lowland Proprietors-Their Style of Living, Manners, Habits, and Character-Other Social Strata-Mr. Jefferson's Ancestors-His Grandfather-Early History of his Father, Colonel Peter Jefferson-Colonel Jefferson's Estate-He marries Jane Randolph-Genealogy of the Randolph Family-Its Settlement and Great Success in Virginia-Isham Randolph, the Father-in-law of Colonel Jefferson-Colonel Jefferson's first Civil Offices-Birth of Thomas Jefferson-Colonel Jefferson's Removal to Tuckahoe-Assists in surveying Boundary Line and constructing Map of Virginia-His Return to Albemarle-Appointed Colonel of his CountyElected a Member of the House of Burgesses-His Death and Character-His Training of his Son, and Influence in forming his Character-Mr. Jefferson's Mother-Her Character-Family Record-Childhood of Mr. Jefferson-His Religious Training-His Early Education and Amusements-First meets Patrick Henry-Enters College-His Relatives at Williamsburg-His Habits of Study-His Morals and Standard of ActionInfluence of Dr. Small-Second Year in College-Attainments and Favorite BranchesBranches which were not Favorites-Mental Characteristics-Favorite AuthorsStudies Law with Mr. Wythe-Intimacy with Governor Fauquier-Habits as a Law Student-First Love-Personal Appearance, Accomplishments, Conversational Powers. Temper, etc.-Becomes of Age.

A GLANCE at the map of Virginia shows that the territory of that State is divided about midway by several ranges of mountains, collectively taking the name of Appalachians or Alleghanies, which extend through it from the southwest to the northeast, nearly parallel with its Atlantic shore. From the ocean, about half the distance to the most eastern of these ranges-the Blue Ridge stretches the low, and often marshy Tertiary plain, through which the tides extend up the sluggish rivers; VOL. 1.-1

BIRTHPLACE OF JEFFERSON.

[CHAP. I. and hence it is called the "tide-water country." From its western limit, the surface rises more rapidly and brokenly, but still very gradually, to the base of the Blue Ridge; and this second plain, known in Old Virginia statutes as the "Piedmont Country," is more fertile and salubrious than the lower, and as it nears the mountains, is excelled in these particulars by few countries on earth. Detached hills of no great elevation occasionally break its surface; and parallel with the Blue Ridge, and about twenty miles east of it, a continuous chain, from six hundred to a thousand feet in height, known now as the Southwest Range, extends from James River to the southern head-waters of the Rappahannock. South of the village of Charlottesville, the space between these outliers and the Blue Ridge, is mostly filled with a cluster of irregular heights, still lower than the former, called the Ragged Mountains; but north of Charlottesville, the broad valley stretches away as far as the eye will reach to the northeast, presenting a mixture of fields and woodlands and running streams, combined into a landscape of quiet but uncommon beauty.

From the slopes of the Blue Ridge, west of Charlottesville, spring two streams which unite to form the Rivanna, the principal northern tributary of the James; and after their confluence, they find their way through a gap in the Southwest Range, not far from the centre of the chain, in Albemarle county. This opening through the hills is about a mile in breadth. A little more than a mile from its eastern outlet, on one of those gentle swells into which the river banks are here everywhere broken-in the midst of a now cultivated fieldstand two plane and two locust trees; and hard by is (or was in 1851) a cavity, nearly filled by the plow, indicating to the passer, by the bits of broken bricks and plaster, and remnants of chimney-stones, fire-cracked and vitrified, which lay in and about it, that here once had been the cellar of a human habitation. A Virginia farm-house formerly occupied the site. It was of a story and a half in height; had the four spacious ground rooms and hall, with garret chambers above, common in those structures a hundred years since; and also the usual huge outside chimneys, planted against each gable like Gothic buttresses, but massive enough, had such been their use, to sup port the walls of a cathedral, instead of those of a low, wooden

CHAP. I.]

SETTLEMENT OF VIRGINIA.

cottage. In that house was born THOMAS JEFFERSON; the plane and locust trees were planted by his hand in his twenty-first year.

The spot commands a delightful view. On the east and south, the eye wanders over a rolling plain, bounded only by the horizon. West and north, it rests on the wooded folds and waving summit line of the Southwest Range. The first of these elevations south of the Rivanna-a hill six hundred feet in height, and approaching nearer to a hemispherical than conical form, overtopped on the south by Carter's Mountain, and on the north dropping down in rocky cliffs to the river's brink-is Monticello.' Through the Rivanna gap, the eye, after traversing a portion of the valley west of the hills, encounters, on the left, the broken and picturesque summits of the Ragged Mountains, while beyond, and to the right, the Blue Ridge lifts up its towering barrier-as if typical of the soil and climate, of the rich hue of the ripe blue wild-grape1--against the western sky.

In the early settlement of Virginia, the inhabitants found the river-bottoms of the tide-water region more fertile than the intervening sandy ridges; and the rivers themselves for a long period furnished the only convenient means for transporting heavy products to or from the seaboard. The population, therefore, clung to their banks, each new wave of foreign emigration, or younger and spreading generation of the inhabitants, advancing higher towards their sources. Lands were obtained on easy conditions from the Government and otherwise; and provident individuals secured vast estates. This was particularly the case on James River, where the most enterprising and wealthy of the earlier emigrants established themselves. Some of these, men of particular mark and energy, acquired possessions vying in extent with those of the proudest nobles of their native land. These were perpetuated in their families by entails, the laws regulating which were ultimately rendered more stringent in Virginia, than in England itself. As their lands rose gradually in value, the great lowland proprietors began to vie with English nobles in wealth as well as in terri

From the Italian, signifying "Little Mountain."

Beverly, the early historian of Virginia, speaking of the wild grapes, when left to grow in the clearings, says: "I have seen in this case more grapes upon one single vine than would load a London cart."—History of Virginia, Book ii. chap. 22.

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The Life of Thomas Jefferson, Svazek 1