Jefferson’s Republican Party chose James Madison as its candidate for president. James Madison was Jefferson’s secretary of state. The party chose George Clinton as its candidate for vice president.

The Federalist Party named the same candidates it had chosen four years earlier: Charles Cotesworth Pinckney for president, and Rufus King for vice president.

The Federalists felt sure they would win the election. They thought that Jefferson's embargo on trade had angered the people and turned them away from the Republican Party. Even some Republicans felt the election could go very badly for their party.

But Jefferson remained calm. He believed that most Americans understood what he was trying to do with the embargo. And he believed they would vote for his party's candidate. Jefferson was right. Madison was elected.

Thomas Jefferson left the White House in March of 1809. He believed the nation was in good hands with James Madison. He returned to Monticello, his country home in Virginia, and never went back to Washington again.

Jefferson -- who died in 1826 -- spent his retirement years following many of his interests. One was architecture.

Jefferson continued building and remodeling his home, Monticello, throughout his presidency and retirement. The design was influenced by buildings he had seen in France and Britain.

Monticello appears on one side of the American five cent coin, the nickel. Jefferson’s face is on the other side.