Thomas Jefferson was a statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, farmer, and businessman. A Founding Father, he penned most of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. During the Revolution, he was the Governor of Virginia from 1779 to 1781. In 1785, he was appointed the United States Minister to France, where he used libraries throughout Europe to research numerous forms of government. He forwarded that information, along with his thoughts, to James Madison, which aided Madison in writing the United States Constitution. Jefferson served as the 3rd President of the United States of America from 1801 to 1809. He died on July 4, 1826, five hours after the death of his lifelong friend and adversary, John Adams.