WI Thomas Jefferson Captured/Killed?

[Snowman23]

In 1780, Monticello was raided by British forces and Thomas Jefferson was almost captured. What if he was? The war was winding down, so there is little chance he could be tried for treason and hung in the amount of time left I'd imagine. However, what if by some mistake or misfire he is killed during the raid on Monticello? How would this effect the early Republic?

Now I know Jefferson had little to do with the Constitution, but could his death butterfly away most of OTL's 1780's? He was important yes, but he never seemed to have much to do with the forming of the early republic. However, if the 1790's and 1800's will be much different without him at the helm of the Democratic Republicans.

Any ideas or opinions?

 

[lothaw]

I doubt he'd be executed. He'd be detained and probably set lose at the end of the war. Doubt that would even butterfly away his presidency save maybe him being a bit more anti-British as a result of his imprisonment.

 

[Know Nothing]

The Jeffersonian authorship of the Declaration of Independence only became widely known when the Democratic-Republicans publicized it during the political battles of the 1790s.

Perhaps conniving old John Adams would muddle the question to his advantage? On the other hand, Adams and Jefferson got along well at this stage so in an ironic twist maybe Adams becomes a prominent bard in the (historical) defense of the martyred Jefferson.

And perhaps other aspects of the process become more famous than the signing of the DoI.