James Thompson grew up in Wilmington, Delaware where he studied art at the Delaware Art Museum. He studied Philosophy as an undergraduate and graduate student at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. As a graduate student, he lived across the Rivanna River from Monticello on the Shadwell farm of Jefferson's eldest daughter, Martha Jefferson Randolph. During his four years there, he commenced what has been a continuing investigation into "the philosophy" of Thomas Jefferson. Mr. Thompson cultivated his interest in the History of Ideas teaching courses in Philosophy, Religion, and Ethics and in Western Civilization at Strayer University in Alexandria, Virginia. He has written seven books. Commonwealth Books of Virginia published The Birth of Virginia’s Aristocracy in 2010, The Dubious Achievement of the First Continental Congress in 2011, and Thomas Jefferson’s Enlightenment – Paris 1785 in 2014. In 201, it will release Thomas Jefferson’s Enlightenment – Background Notes, George Washington’s Mulatto Man – Who was Billy Lee?, and The First Revolutions in the Minds of the People.
Mr. Thompson completed the research on his first book, Beyond the Veil of Reason - Thomas Jefferson's Early Political Initiatives, as a Batten Fellow at the Jefferson Center for International Studies at Monticello. He is the publisher of Commonwealth Books of Virginia. In addition his publishing duties, he lectures on topics he discusses in his books. He has spoken at the Naval Academy, the Virginia Historical Society, Stratford Hall, and Wilton House in Richmond. He has presented lecture series for the continuing education programs at the University of Virginia, William & Mary, George Mason University, and the University of Delaware.
Related Publications
- The Birth of Virginia's Aristocracy
- The Dubious Achievement of the First Continental Congress
- Thomas Jefferson's Enlightenment – Paris 1785 (Illustrated Edition)
- Thomas Jefferson's Early Political Initiatives
- The First Revolution in the Minds of the People
- How America's Illustrators Created America
- George Washington's Indispensable Man: Who was Will Lee?