Thomas Jefferson served as the third President of the United States from 1801 to 1809. Among other things, he was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, facilitated the Louisiana Purchase which nearly doubled the size of America, abolished the slave trade and founded the University of Virginia
In retirement, Jefferson pursued science and natural history through research, experimentation, and invention. He continued in his post as the elected president of the American Philosophical Society until 1815. He tackled Plato's Republic in the original Greek as well as Greek versions of the Bible.