5 Chapter 4 Governor and Minister to France

Chapter 4 Governor and Minister to France Most members of Congress signed the Declaration on August 2, 1776. Its author signed the paper Th Jefferson. After signing, he was ready to go home. He missed his family. Besides, he felt he was needed in Virginia. He quit his seat in Congress on September 2 and reached Monticello a week later.

1776年8月2日，大多数国会议员签署了独立宣言。 它的作者署名是杰斐逊。 签约后，他准备回家。 他想念他的家人。此外，他觉得弗吉尼亚需要他。 9月2日，他辞去了国会议员的职务，一周后到达蒙蒂塞洛。

In October, Jefferson became a member of Virginia's new state legislature. He served there for three difficult years. England was the world's most powerful nation. For a long while, it appeared that the United States would lose the war.

10月，杰斐逊成为维吉尼亚州新立法机构的成员。 他在那里度过了艰苦的三年。 英国是世界上最强大的国家。 在很长一段时间里，美国似乎要输掉这场战争。

Jefferson ran for governor of Virginia in June 1779. He was elected and held the office for two years. Jefferson was a brilliant thinker. He was a marvelous writer. But he was not a good wartime governor. Perhaps the biggest problem was that in his heart he was a man of peace. He was not good at raising and arming men for combat. As a result, Virginia was unprepared when the British invaded the state in 1781. On June 2, 1781, with British forces overrunning Virginia, Jefferson's term as governor ended. Two days later, Jefferson was at Monticello when a messenger arrived with terrible news. The British were coming to capture him! Thomas made Martha and the children board a carriage and escape. He then walked into the woods to see if he could spot the enemy. Seeing no sign of them, he decided to return home for some papers. Before doing that, he took out a small telescope he had brought along. He aimed it at Charlottesville, just two miles from Monticello. The town was crawling with British troops.

1779年6月，杰斐逊竞选弗吉尼亚州州长。 他当选并担任该职位两年。 杰斐逊是一位杰出的思想家。 他是个了不起的作家。 但他并不是一个好的战时州长。 也许最大的问题是，在他的内心，他是一个和平的人。 他不善于培养和武装战斗人员。 结果，1781年英国入侵弗吉尼亚时，弗吉尼亚毫无准备。 1781年6月2日，英国军队占领弗吉尼亚，杰斐逊的州长任期结束。 两天后，杰斐逊在蒙蒂塞洛，一个信使带来了可怕的消息。 英国人要来抓他了!托马斯让玛莎和孩子们上了一辆马车逃跑。 然后他走进树林，看看能否发现敌人。 见不见他们的踪影，他决定回家拿些文件。 在那之前，他拿出了随身携带的一个小望远镜。 他瞄准了距离蒙蒂塞洛只有两英里的夏洛茨维尔。 镇上到处都是英国军队。

The telescope may have saved his life. The British had seized Monticello. Had he returned

望远镜可能救了他的命。 英国人占领了蒙蒂塞洛。 他回来了吗?

home, Jefferson might have been captured and hanged. Instead, he met up with his family. CONTINENTAL SOLDIER

回到家，杰斐逊可能会被抓起来绞死。 相反，他去见了家人。 大陆士兵

WHEN THE THIRTEEN COLONIES WENT TO WAR AGAINST ENGLAND, THE AMERICAN COLONISTS WANTED THEIR OWN FLAG TO REPRESENT THE LAND THEY WERE FIGHTING FOR. HERE ARE SOME OF THE FLAGS COLONISTS USED DURING THE REVOLUTION. Jefferson took them to Poplar Forest, a plantation he owned about eighty miles from Monticello. A few months after the Jeffersons fled Monticello, Americans won a stunning victory. It occurred right in Virginia. Ben Franklin had

当十三个殖民地与英国开战时，美国殖民者想要他们自己的旗帜来代表他们为之战斗的土地。 这里有一些殖民地居民在革命期间使用的旗帜。 杰斐逊把他们带到白杨林，这是他拥有的一个种植园，距离蒙蒂塞洛大约80英里。 杰斐逊一家逃离蒙蒂塞洛几个月后，美国人取得了惊人的胜利。 它就发生在弗吉尼亚州。 本·富兰克林