Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 - July 4, 1826) was an American legislator, negotiator, attorney, modeler, savant, and Founding Father who filled in as the third leader of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He had recently filled in as the second VP of the United States under John Adams and as the main United States secretary of state under George Washington. The chief creator of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson was a defender of a majority rules government, republicanism, and individual freedoms, propelling American pioneers to part from the Kingdom of Great Britain and structure another country; he delivered developmental reports and choices at both the state and public levels.