Thomas Jefferson — Leader of Education

Thomas Jefferson was, quite simply, a visionary.

A pioneer and one of the most incredible men in America’s history. I have written extensively on how much he valued separating government and religion. He was clear that religion should play no part in government and it is well known how much he was influenced by Thomas Paine. However there is a lot more to Jefferson, as he continues to be seen throughout the globe as a figurehead for people who seek independence and freedom.

Jefferson was born during the Enlightenment era (the Age of Reason), a movement that started in Europe where many academics were trying to influence society to value reason and knowledge. This had a significant impact on Jefferson who would go to own between 9,000 and 10,000 books. Right from his youth, Jefferson was obsessed with books and particularly he enjoyed natural science (Darwin & Newton) but also loved poetry from Shakespeare and Homer. It is understood he could discuss his ideas in English, Greek, Latin, Greek , Spanish and French.

There is no doubt that this amount of reading and knowledge played a huge role in him being one of America’s founding fathers. An avid writer, there is much we can still learn from Jefferson.