Thomas Jefferson remains a potent influence in America more than 200 years after his birth. TIME examines his lasting and sometimes controversial legacy as revolutionary, president and diplomat through his political beliefs and battles, his extraordinary achievements, including the westward expansion of the young United States; as well as his letters and writings, from the Declaration of Independence to his own, personally edited version of the New Testament. TIME also explores Jefferson's enduring influence on our culture, as the founding father of American architecture, our higher education system and the slow food movement—and even planting the seeds for America's modern, flourishing wine industry.