M Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence and the third President (1801–1809). His presidency oversaw the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, which doubled the nation’s size, and the Lewis and Clark Expedition, while he championed individual liberty and smaller government.

An interesting anecdote: Jefferson wrote his own epitaph listing the achievements he most valued – author of the Declaration of Independence, of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, and founder of the University of Virginia – notably omitting that he was President of the United States.