| 1783 | Elected to congress. |
| 1785 | Appointed Minister to France (replacing Benjamin Franklin). |
| 1789 | Appointed Secretary of State by President George Washington, but he resigned on Dec. 31, 1793. |
| 1796 | Jefferson elected Vice-President of the USA John Adams was the President and his opponent in the election). |
| 1800 | Jefferson elected President of the USA. |
| 1803 | Louisiana Purchase - large western territory bought from France (Napoleon). |
| 1804 | Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark to map the newly-acquired western US territory (they returned in 1806). |
| 1804 | Jefferson re-elected President of the USA. |
| 1809 | Jefferson retired from elected office and returned to Monticello (in Virginia). |
| 1819 | Founded the University of Virginia. |
| 1826 | Jefferson died at Monticello on July 4, 1826. |