BEN FRANKLIN

THOMAS JEFFERSON

Thomas Jefferson

Ben Franklin

Born in 1743, Thomas Jefferson entered politics in 1763 when he was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses. One of the most significant times of his career was when he was chosen to draft the Declaration of Independence in 1776. He, with the help of a committee of five men, completed this important document in merely 17 days. Thomas would go on to become our nation's first Secretary of State, second Vice President, and third President.

Ben Franklin was born in 1706. He was an influential member of the Pennsylvania legislature and the Second Continental Congress. Ben Franklin was elected postmaster general of the colonies in 1775. He negotiated the colonies' alliance with France and the 1783 Treaty of Paris. He also was a member of the five-man committee that was responsible for drafting the Declaration of Independence.