But Adams was wrong. At 10 minutes before 10 in the morning, on that same Fourth of July, his friend, Thomas Jefferson, had died. Jefferson died at Monticello, in his bed, surrounded by his family.

As the news of the deaths of the two great men spread across the country, the celebrations turned to mourning and sorrow. Jefferson was buried the next day, as he had ordered, in a simple grave on the quiet mountainside.

Thomas Jefferson continues to influence the United States – especially his words about freedom and democracy. And Jefferson’s influence remained especially strong for James Madison. The fourth president had to deal with the problems with Britain that Jefferson was not able to solve. James Madison’s presidency and the war of 1812 will be our story next time.

I’m Steve Ember, inviting you to join us each week for The Making of a Nation — our American history series from VOA Learning English.