Peter Jefferson | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Virginia House of Burgesses from Albemarle County | |
| In office 1754–1755 Serving with Allen Howard | |
| Preceded by | Joshua Fry |
| Succeeded by | William Cabell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 29, 1708 Chesterfield County, Virginia, British America |
| Died | August 17, 1757 (aged 49) Albemarle County, Virginia, British America |
| Resting place | Shadwell, Albemarle County, Virginia |
| Spouse | Jane Randolph (m. 1739) |
| Children | 10, including Thomas, Lucy, and Randolph |
| Parents |
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| Occupation | Tobacco plantation owner, surveyor, cartographer |
Peter Jefferson (February 29, 1708 – August 17, 1757) was a planter, cartographer and politician in colonial Virginia best known for being the father of the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson. The "Fry-Jefferson Map", created by Peter in collaboration with Joshua Fry in 1757, accurately charted the Allegheny Mountains for the first time and showed the route of "The Great Road from the Yadkin River through Virginia to Philadelphia distant 455 Miles"—what would later come to be known as the Great Wagon Road. Likewise, it indicates the route of the Trading Path from Petersburg to Old Hawfields, North Carolina and beyond.