As the uprising of the American Revolution broke, Jefferson was a leading lawyer, successful planter, lover of books, science, and music, a devoted husband and father and at the time a loyal subject of the king. .
For the next three years as a legislative member Jefferson saw the intolerable acts of the British Empire against the colonies. Therefore by 1775, Jefferson was elected to the second Continental Congress and had already drafted two Virginia state resolutions proclaiming Parliament's misuse of legislative rights as well as rejecting the British Minister, Lord North's conciliatory proposals. On June 7, 1776 Jefferson joined with Ben Franklin, John Adams, Robert Livingston and Roger Sherman to became apart of a Congressional committee proposing Independence. Therefore by July 4, 1776 the Second Continental Congress proclaimed the Declaration of Independence to George III, the king of Britain. For the remaining three years prior to becoming governor of Virginia in 1779, Jefferson was inarguably a main leader of the Virginia House of Delegates. In which time he accomplished writing over sixty bills and participated in 126 proposed bills to Virginia. He resigned as governor during his second term in 1781 due to the British invasion of Virginia and the legislature abandonment of the state to his control. Unfortunately in 1782 his wife Martha died and he retired giving up all notion of holding office again. .
After a year of retirement and writing the "Notes on the State of Virginia" he rejoined office as apart of Congress leadership in 1783. By 1784 Jefferson left for France to assist in negotiating treaties of commerce and in 1785 he succeeded Franklin as minister to France. Jefferson returned from France in 1789 to become Secretary of State under Washington's administration between 1790-94. Unfortunately due to the conflict between Jefferson and Madison over the strength of state vice federal governments and Jefferson's excellent ambassador abilities, Jefferson resigned at the end of 1793.