Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) wrote the most influential document in American history -- the Declaration of Independence. As president, he more than doubled the size of the United States and sent explorers Lewis and Clark to the newly acquired Louisiana Purchase. He was a dreamer with a passion for books and knowledge, concerned above all with ideas. A farmer, scientist and philosopher, he found the words to express the highest of human aspirations, becoming the leading spokesman in the revolution of ideas that transformed America. Jefferson changed the world with what he wrote.
“We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniabe: that all men are created equal and independent, that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent and inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, and liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” -- Thomas Jefferson
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She was one of the founders of American feminism. For more than half a century, she endured threats and ridicule for her tireless quest to reform the unfair laws that governed women. Crisscrossing the country at a breathtaking pace well into her eighties, she gave speeches and supported rallies for women’s rights. She was arrested in 1872 for daring to vote -- an illegal act for a woman.