Thomas Jefferson was born at Shadwell plantation in Goochland County, Virginia (later Albemarle County). He was the third of ten children born to Peter Jefferson, a planter and surveyor, and Jane Randolph Jefferson, who came from one of Virginia's most distinguished families. His birth placed him within the Virginia gentry and afforded him opportunities for education and social advancement that shaped his future.

Jefferson attended the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. There, he studied under Professor William Small, who introduced him to science, philosophy, and the works of Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke and Isaac Newton. These intellectual influences profoundly shaped Jefferson's political philosophy and his belief in natural rights and reason.