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Thomas Jefferson bicentennial of death noted on July 4

politicsJul 5, 2026401,117

Users marked that Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, noting the 200th anniversary on the same day as America’s 250th. Several posts recalled that former presidents Jefferson and John Adams both died on July 4, 1826, with one post quoting Adams’s reported last words, "Thomas Jefferson survives," and another specifying Jefferson died about five hours earlier; a New York Historical Society image was shared. Others pointed to Jefferson’s role drafting the Declaration of Independence preamble asserting natural rights. Commenters also highlighted Jefferson’s status as an enslaver, naming Sally Hemings and her brother James Hemings, with posts saying Hemings’s children were fathered by Jefferson and that James Hemings learned to cook in France and brought macaroni and cheese to America. A few posts contrasted Jefferson’s writings about liberty with his slaveholding, while others marked the coincidence that Presidents John Adams (1735, 1826), Thomas Jefferson (1743, 1826), and later James Monroe (1758, 1831) all died on July 4. The anniversary was observed alongside typical Independence Day cultural references, including watching the musical 1776 and mentions of the 250th fireworks.