The next stop visitors taking a tour of the Virginia State Capitol make is in the Jefferson Room. The room, which was once part of the once larger Old Senate Chamber, is home to a copy of the Declaration of Independence, numerous paintings, and an original scale model of the State Capitol. The copy of the Declaration of Independence is described by the guide as "a copy of a copy" of the original document.
The first painting is of John Randolph. Randolph was born in Hopewell, Virginia on 2 June 1773. At the age of 26, he was elected to Congress, where he served until 1813. During part of the time, Randolph was chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means. He returned to Congress in 1814 and 1816. Randolph skipped a term, then was reelected and served from 1819 until his resignation in 1825, when he was appointed to the United States Senate. In 1826, he returned to the House of Representatives as the Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means. Randolph was a member of the Virginia constitutional convention at Richmond in 1829. He was appointed United States Minister to Russia by President Andrew Jackson and served from May to September 1830. He was elected to Congress in 1833 and served until his death. John Randolph died on 24 March 1833.
The second painting is of George Rogers Clark. Clark was born on 19 November 19 1752 in Charlottesville, Virginia. Clark is best known as being the highest ranking American military officer on the northwestern frontier during the American Revolution. He served as leader of the Kentucky, which was then part of Virginia, militia throughout much of the war. He is most celebrated for his 1788 capture of Kaskaskia and 1779 capture of Vincennes, which greatly weakened British influence in the Northwest Territory. George Rogers Clak died on 13 February 13 1818.
The third painting is of Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was born in Goochland County, Virginia on 13 April 1743. Following his studies at the College of William And Mary, Jefferson was admitted to the bar in 1767. He was a member of the House of Burgesses between 1769 and 1775. In 1776, Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. He was also a member of the Continental Congress and minister to France from 1785 to 1789. Jefferson served as Secretary of State during the Washington administration and as Vice President during the John Adams administration. Subsequently, he became the third President of the United States. Jefferson was the founder of the University of Virginia. Thomas Jefferson died on 4 July 1826.
The fourth painting is of George Mason. Mason was born in Fairfax County, Virginia on 11 December 1725. In 1759, he was elected to the House of Burgesses. Mason served at the Virginia Convention in Williamsburg in 1776, during which he authored a majority of both the Virginia Declaration of Rights and the Virginia Constitution. He also attended the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Mason opposed the signing of the Constitution due to the lack of a statement of rights. Following insistence from Mason, the Bill of Rights was ratified on 15 December 1791. The Bill of Rights was based primarily on George Mason's Virginia Declaration of Rights. George Mason died on 7 October 1792.
The final painting is of Henry Clay. Clay was born on 12 April 1777 in Hanover County, Virginia. In November 1797, Clay relocated to Lexington, Kentucky and soon established a reputation for his legal skills and courtroom oratory. In 1803, Clay was elected to serve as a representative in the Kentucky General Assembly. In 1806, the Kentucky legislature elected him to the United States Senate. A year later, Clay was elected the Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives. In 1810, he returned to the Senate. The next year, Clay was elected to the United States House of Representatives. He was chosen Speaker of the House on the first day of his first session, something never done before or since. in 1830, Clay returned to the Senate for the third time. Between 1825 and 1829, he served as Secretary of State in the John Quincy Adams administration. Clay returned to the Senate for the final time in 1849. Henry Clay is best known as "The Great Compromiser" who brokered the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850. Henry Clay died on 29 June 1852.
Intending to leave no doubts about the exterior form of the Virginia State Capitol, Jefferson adopted the costly European practice of commissioning a scale model of the proposed building. The model was made by Jean-Pierre Fouquet. Jefferson justified the additional expense of the model by proclaiming that it was “absolutely necessary for the guide of workmen not very expert in their art". The 1:60 scale model arrived in Richmond in late February 1787.
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