This memorial honours another president, taking us back to the American Revolution. Completed in 1943, the Jefferson Memorial pays tribute to the third president of the United States, with some of his famous quotes inscribed on its walls. Jefferson helped to draft the Declaration of Independence, which was officially adopted on July 4, 1776. During the Revolutionary War, he served as a colonel and later became the governor of Virginia before becoming vice president under John Adams. Elected as president in 1801, he served two consecutive terms, lowering taxes and reducing the national debt. In 1803, he expanded the nation's territory by purchasing Louisiana. Seeking further expansion, he sent explorers Lewis and Clark on an expedition to the West to find out more about these lands. After his presidency, he founded the University of Virginia. He passed away on July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years after the Declaration of Independence was adopted. One of the nation’s founding fathers, he is remembered for defending freedom and citizens' rights. President Franklin Roosevelt commissioned the construction of his memorial, which was inaugurated in 1943.