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Thomas Jefferson
Overview
The HISTORY® Channel continues to cement its place as the leader of premium presidential biographies with the premiere of the six-part television event “Thomas Jefferson”
Status
Returning Series
Network
History
Seasons & Episodes
Season 1
Episodes
A Revolutionary is Born (1743-1773)
In 1743, Thomas Jefferson is born to one of the most powerful families in the most powerful of Britain’s 13 North American colonies. After a privileged upbringing and the finest education, young Jefferson quietly prepares to lead the charge towards a burgeoning revolution.
Independence (1774-1776)
As colonists become more disgruntled with British tyranny, Thomas Jefferson’s words become a galvanizing push toward liberty. When colonists finally reach their breaking point, he is tasked with declaring independence in a document that will birth a new nation, a new way of governing, and become a tenant of democracy around the globe.
Jefferson at War (1777-1784)
Just as Jefferson is sworn in as the governor of the new state of Virginia, war arrives on his doorstep. As an intellectual with no military background, he struggles to protect himself and his constituents in the face of British attacks. After a disastrous tenure as governor, Jefferson retires from politics only to face public humiliation and personal tragedy.
Jefferson in Paris (1784-1793)
After the tragic loss of his wife, Jefferson is sent to Paris where he thrives personally and politically. While there, he begins an entanglement with an enslaved teenager that will shape the next 40 years of his life. Upon his return to the U.S., President George Washington appoints Jefferson as the country’s first Secretary of State where he finds himself in a bitter rivalry with the Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton.
President Jefferson (1793-1809)
After a dirty fight, Jefferson wins the presidency against his former friend, John Adams. He spends the next 8 years defining the tenets of the executive office and more than doubling the size of the country.
Jefferson's Legacy (1809-1826)
Jefferson’s retirement is fraught with controversy. While consumed in debts he cannot repay, he fights to perpetuate his legacy as America’s Founding Father and the Apostle of Liberty. But in the wake of his death, truths about his life have forced Americans to reconsider his place in history.
Top Cast
Devin E. Haqq
Narrator
Annette Gordon-Reed
Self (Commentary)
Jon Meacham
Self (Commentary)
Susan A. Kern
Self (Commentary)
Gayle Jessup White
Self (Commentary)
Frank Cogliano
Self (Commentary)
Niya Bates
Self (Commentary)
John Avalon
Self (Commentary)
Vinson Cunningham
Self (Commentary)
Bill Barker
Self (Commentary)
Paul Finkelman
Self (Commentary)
Mia Bay
Self (Commentary)
