Hoax – At five years old, Thomas Jefferson was abandoned by his mother on the streets of Buenos Aires, grew up without a family, begged to study, and became president of the United States.
Analysis
Thomas Jefferson, former president of the United States, is a globally known historical figure and one of the main authors of the Declaration of Independence. Nevertheless, his name was recently used in a story that drew attention on social media and messaging apps.
The content, with a strong emotional tone, tells the alleged story of a boy abandoned at a train station in Buenos Aires, who overcomes poverty, studies at the National Library of Argentina, and eventually becomes president of the United States. The post names Thomas Jefferson as the protagonist, blending themes of perseverance and social critique. See the full text below:
THE STORY OF THOMAS JEFFERSON… At five years old, his mother left him on the street at a Buenos Aires station. She didn’t want to, didn’t know how, or couldn’t take care of him. He remembers the intensity of that moment, remembers perfectly his mother’s clothes, and sees her; now from a distance, putting on lipstick before saying goodbye. From then on, the path would be filled with thorns, stones, bridges, and suburban streets. He grew up on the street and learned from it: the good, the painful, and the unforgettable.
Thomas says that in one of the many books he devours, an author once said: “wounds heal with time,” but he disagrees, claiming that some wounds never close and continue bleeding to the grave. The group of eight- or nine-year-olds around him envied his life and freedom. Thomas had no schedule, no parents to demand things, no mother to command him. The others did, and because of that, had to return home at a set time, eat at a specific hour, and go to bed early.
That’s why I envied Thomas, and Thomas silently envied them too—especially when his friends left. He would stay behind counting stars or pressing his nose against a restaurant window, healthily envying the luck of others and the responsibilities he lacked. A peace judge, when Thomas was six or seven, told him he didn’t know what to do with him, as he was not yet old enough for an orphanage or any home…
So Thomas, the little Thomas of that time, made one request to the judge: to go to school. The judge asked him where he would live, and Thomas told him not to worry—that he would handle the rest. So he started school, went with the clothes he had and the poverty he carried, listened in class, did his homework, and returned the borrowed pencil to the teacher before leaving. In the afternoons, he studied at the National Library.
And that’s how Thomas Jefferson became President of the United States (1801–1809). He was born on April 13, 1743, and died on July 4, 1826. Admire that young man of the past. Abandoned as a child, but he didn’t give up—he kept fighting. And today, how many people become addicts? And… don’t fight to change their lives.
Fact-check
This content has been circulating in various languages for a long time, but it’s fake. Let’s answer three key questions: 1) Was Thomas Jefferson abandoned by his mother and did he live on the streets of Argentina? 2) What is Thomas Jefferson’s true biography? 3) Have other fake motivational stories used historical figures before?
Was Thomas Jefferson abandoned by his mother and lived on the streets of Argentina?
No. This story has no historical or documentary basis. Thomas Jefferson never lived in Argentina, nor did he experience abandonment or extreme poverty. The setting of the shared narrative—Buenos Aires, poverty, and studies at the National Library of Argentina—is entirely fictional and incompatible with Jefferson’s historical reality, which can be read here.
There was a different man with a similar name who lived in Argentina, Thomas Jefferson Page, but he was neither abandoned on the streets nor lived the life described in the post.
What is Thomas Jefferson’s true biography?
Jefferson’s life is well documented. He was born on April 13, 1743, in the British colony of Virginia, now part of the United States. He came from a wealthy, landowning family and spent his childhood on a plantation called Shadwell.
Thomas Jefferson was a politician, lawyer, and Enlightenment philosopher who played a central role in American independence. He studied at the College of William & Mary, became governor of Virginia, ambassador to France, vice president, and eventually president of the U.S. from 1801 to 1809.
At no point is there any mention of events like those in the viral story. His life is extensively documented by biographers and institutions like the Library of Congress and the Monticello Foundation.
Have other fake motivational stories used historical figures?
Yes. This kind of story is common online and often uses well-known historical names to reinforce motivational or inspirational messages, usually without any factual basis.
Similar stories have circulated using figures like Albert Einstein, featuring fake letters or inspiring tests, and Louis Pasteur, supposedly in religious stories that also never happened.
Conclusion
The content that describes a supposed childhood of abandonment and perseverance on the streets of Buenos Aires involving Thomas Jefferson is completely false. The story uses the name of a well-known U.S. president to build an emotional and motivational fable with no historical backing. Jefferson never lived in Argentina or faced any such circumstances.
Fake news ❌
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