It was the summer of 1776. The American colonies had been fighting a War of Independence from Britain since April 19, 1775 when the first battle took place at Lexington.

The colonists were sick of paying taxes to George III. They were tired of laws (like the Stamp Act) passed by a Parliament whose members they did not elect. Colonial America had "grown up." The people wanted to be free of colonial status, parliamentary laws and Crown authority. Enter Thomas Jefferson.