Complex sentence: Born in St. Clairsville, Ohio, Thompson graduated from Jefferson College in 1824, studied law in Richmond, Virginia and was admitted to the bar in 1826, commencing practice in St. Clairsville in 1828.
Split into simpler sentences: Born in St. Clairsville, Ohio, Thompson graduated from Jefferson College in 1824, then studied law in Richmond, Virginia. After admission to the Ohio bar in 1826, Thompson began his legal practice in St. Clairsville in 1828.