Thomas Jefferson | 160

As a founding Father, Thomas Jefferson was the country’s third president from 1801 to 1809. Simonton’s estimate indicates that his IQ was at 160. During the American Revolution, Jefferson became Virginia’s representative to the Continental Congress, the one that adopted the historical Declaration of Independence. As everyone knows, this piece of document spelled the eventual separation of the now United States from the Kingdom of Great Britain.

When Jefferson was president, he pursued matters related to the nation’s trade and shipping interests, along with aggressive trade policies with the British. One thing that made the politician unique was his strong federalist stand. To a great degree, he opposed having a central government. He was also the president who removed the unpopular tax on whiskey. Academicians remember him as the founder of the University of Virginia. Most, however, remember his legacy in defending religious tolerance in his home state of Virginia.