Portrait of Jefferson’s daughter, Martha Jefferson Randolph, by Thomas Sully

Martha Jefferson was born at Monticello on September 27, 1772. Her father was Thomas Jefferson. Her mother was Martha Wayles Jefferson. When she was ten years old, her mother died. Martha recalled that her father "kept to his room for three weeks. .." Martha shared her father’s sadness.

Thomas Jefferson encouraged Martha’s studies. When she was eleven years old, she practiced music, dancing and drawing. She read French and English. In a letter to her father, Martha wrote "I go on pretty well in my history."

In 1784, Martha traveled with her father to Paris, France. She was twelve years old. She went to school in France and studied literature, drawing and music.

Martha married Thomas Mann Randolph in 1789. She was seventeen years old. She gave birth to twelve children. One daughter, Ellen, died as a child.

In later years, Martha, her husband and eleven children lived at Monticello. Martha helped her father run the household. When Jefferson died, the family had to sell Monticello. Martha died in 1836 at the age of sixty-four. She was buried beside her father at Monticello.