Final answer:
Thomas Jefferson was a Virginian slaveholder and an influential politician who authored the Declaration of Independence and served as the third U.S. President. He advocated for an agrarian society, small government, and the gradual abolition of slavery despite his own slave ownership. His presidency was marked by the Louisiana Purchase and reduced federal spending.
Step-by-step explanation:
The details from the passage that describe Thomas Jefferson include his role as part of Virginia's slaveholding aristocracy and his ownership of nearly 200 slaves on his plantation, Monticello. Despite his ownership of slaves, Jefferson was influenced by the European Enlightenment and believed in the prospect of a gradual emancipation. He is renowned for drafting the Declaration of Independence, serving as the third President of the United States, and being responsible for the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark Expedition. His legacy also includes the Embargo Act of 1807, his promotion of agriculture, his resistance to urban commercial development, and his vision of an "empire of liberty" with a preference for a republic of rural landowners. Jefferson championed states' rights, a limited federal government, and fiscal austerity, measures reflected in his presidential policies, including cutting back on the military and abolishing internal taxes.