Most famously known for writing the Declaration of Independence at age 33, Thomas Jefferson was one of the most influential politicians in American history. A member of the House of Burgess, the Continental Congress, Governor of Virginia, and member of the United States Congress, Jefferson reveals his view from inside the beginning of a country. This autobiography details 47 years of his life, from birth until his appointment as Secretary of State to President George Washington in 1790, giving intimate knowledge and background of the man who would become the third president of the United States of America.American politician and political philosopher THOMAS JEFFERSON (1743-1826) was the third president of the United States, though he is perhaps even better remembered as the author of The Declaration of Independence.