Page:Lives of the presidents in words of one syllable (1903).djvu/40

 In 1801, Jef-fer-son sent a fleet to the Med-i-ter-ra-ne-an Sea to try to put a stop to the acts of pi-rate ships that were sent out by the Bar-ba-ry States to prey on those that sailed near their coasts. Our brave tars had man-y fights with the pi-rates, and in the end whipped them so well that the Bar-ba-ry States were glad to make peace and agree not to seize A-mer-i-can ships from that on.

In 1803 there was a chance to buy from France a vast tract of land which lay to the south-west of the then U-ni-ted States. Jef-fer-son thought it a wise thing to do, and it was bought for $15,000,000. It made our land more than twice as great in size as it had been, and out of it twelve states have since been formed. This is known as the Lou-is-i-an-a Pur-chase, and was the thing of most weight that took place while Jef-fer-son was in the chair.

Jef-fer-son did not like pomp or show. This was seen on the day when he was made Pres-i-dent. He rode to the Cap-i-tol on horse-back, tied his horse to a post, and then went in and took the oath. All thought well of the speech he made at that time. He was a good man and did what his head and heart told him to do. He gave the best he had to his friends, and, though much wealth came to him from his wife, still, at the last, he was poor. His health held out so well that, when four scores of years old he could ride ten miles at a time.

When the day came for him to leave this world he said to one near, "Is this the Fourth?" When he found that it was, a bright look of joy came to his face and he went to his rest, that Fourth of July, 1825.