About the Book
In the twenty-two months covered by this volume, Jefferson spent most of his time at Monticello, where in his short-lived retirement from office he turned in earnest to the renovation of his residence and described himself as a "monstrous farmer." Yet he narrowly missed being elected George Washington's successor as president and took the oath of office as vice president in March 1797. In early summer he presided over the Senate after President John Adams summoned Congress to deal with the country's worsening relations with France. As the key figure in the growing "Republican quarter," Jefferson collaborated with such allies as James Monroe and James Madison and drafted a petition to the Virginia House of Delegates upholding the right of representatives to communicate freely with their constituents. The unauthorized publication of a letter to Philip Mazzei, in which Jefferson decried the former "Samsons in the field and Solomons in the council" who had been "shorn by the harlot England," made the vice president the uncomfortable target of intense partisan attention.
In addition, Luther Martin publicly challenged Jefferson's treatment, in Notes on Virginia, of the famous oration of Logan. Jefferson became president of the American Philosophical Society and presented a paper describing the fossilized remains of the megalonyx, or "great claw." At Monticello he evaluated the merits of threshing machines, corresponded with British agricultural authorities, sought new crops for his rotation schemes, manufactured nails, and entertained family members and visitors.
Table of Contents:
FOREWORD vii GUIDE TO EDITORIAL APPARATUS xi ILLUSTRATIONS xxxvii JEFFERSON CHRONOLOGY 2 [1796] From Benjamin Rush, 1 March 3 To James Monroe, 2 March 4 From Robert Pollard, 3 March 6 To James Madison, 6 March 6 From James Madison, 6 March 9 To Martha Jefferson Randolph, 6 March 11 To Richard Harrison, 8 March 11 Statement on Accounts as Minister Plenipotentiary in France, 8 March 13 To Richard Harrison, 9 March 24 From James Madison, 13 March 25 To Thomas Mann Randolph, 13 March 26 From Thomas Pinckney, 16 March 27 From William Cabell, 17 March 30 To Jean Antoine Gautier, 17 March 30 To Richard Harrison, 17 March 33 To William Blount, 19 March 34 To William Branch Giles, 19 March 35 To Thomas Mann Randolph, 19 March 36 To Robert Brooke, [20 March] 37 From William Branch Giles, 20 March 38 Memorandum to Richard Harrison, [ca. 20 March] 38 To John Pendleton, 20 March 39 To James Madison, 21 March 41 From James Madison, 21 March 41 To James Monroe, 21 March 41 To Benjamin Hawkins, 22 March 42 To John Bowyer, 25 March 44 From Patrick White, 25 March 45 From William Branch Giles, 26 March 45 To John Barnes, 27 March 50 To James Brown, 27 March 50 To James Madison, 27 March 51 To Thomas Mann Randolph, 27 March 52 From Volney, 28 March 53 From William Branch Giles, 31 March 54 From James Madison, 4 April 55 To Archibald Stuart, 5 April 57 From John Adams, 6 April 58 From William Branch Giles, 6 April 60 To Volney, 10 April 61 From James Madison, 11 April 62 To Thomas Mann Randolph, 11 April 63 From John Stuart, 11 April 64 From Van Staphorst & Hubbard, 11 April 65 Agreement with Randolph Jefferson, 17 April 66 To James Madison, enclosing Extract of Madison's Notes on Debates in the Federal Convention and Extracts from Jefferson's Papers, with Comments, 17 April 67 From Thomas Pinckney, 17 April 69 From James Madison, 18 April 70 From Tench Coxe, 22 April 71 From Aaron Burr, 23 April 72 From James Madison, 23 April 72 Jefferson's Letter to Philip Mazzei 73 I. Thomas Jefferson to Philip Mazzei, 24 April 81 II. Extract and Commentary Printed in the Paris Moniteur, [25 January 1797] 84 III. Extract and Commentary Printed in the New York Minerva, [2 May 17971 86 IV Italian Translation of Extract, n.d. 88 To James Madison, 24 April 88 To Van Staphorst & Hubbard, 24 April 90 To Thomas Mann Randolph, [25 April] 90 From Bushrod Washington, 26 April 91 From Edward Rutledge, 30 April 92 To James Lyle, 1 May 93 From James Madison, 1 May 93 From James Madison, 9 May 95 To James Lyle, enclosing Deed of Mortgage of Slaves to Henderson, McCaul & Company, 12 May 96 Deed of Mortgage of Slaves to Van Staphorst & Hubbard, 12 May 98 To Francis Walker, 14 May 99 From Archibald Stuart, 15 May 99 To Mann Page, [16 May] 100 From Alexandre Lerebours, 17 May 101 From Patrick White, 19 May 102 From William Strickland, 20 May 102 From Van Staphorst & Hubbard, 21 May 106 To John Barnes, 2[2] May 107 From James Madison, 22 May 108 From William Thornton, 22 May 110 From Volney, 22 May 111 To James Brown, 23 May 112 To Archibald Stuart, 26 May 113 To John Stuart, 26 May 113 From Sir John Sinclair, 28 May 114 From William Strickland, 28 May 115 From Joseph Marx, 29 May 119 From James Madison, 30 May 119 From Robert Pleasants, 1 June 120 To Joseph Marx, 4 June 121 To Charles Willson Peale, 5 June 121 From Jean Antoine Gautier, 7 June 122 To James Monroe, 12 June 123 To John Barnes, 19 June 125 To George Washington du Motier de Lafayette, [19 June] 126 To George Washington, 19 June 127 From Richard Stith, 20 June 130 From Jonathan Williams, 20 June 130 To John Breckinridge, 21 June 131 To Jean Baptiste Ducoigne, [21 June] 131 To Harry Innes, 21 June 132 To Henri Peyroux de la Coudreniere, 21 June 132 To Isaac Shelby, 21 June 134 To Archibald Stuart, 21 June 134 From Tench Coxe, 22 June 134 From Charles Willson Peale, 22 June 136 To -------- Hite, 29 June 137 To Archibald Stuart, 29 June 138 To David Rittenhouse, 3 July 138 To Jonathan Williams, 3 July 139 To J.P.E. Derieux, [4 July] 141 From George Washington, 6 July 141 To Madame de Chastellux, 10 July 144 To Tench Coxe, 10 July 146 To James Monroe, 10 July 147 From LaRochefoucauld-Liancourt, 11 July 148 From Volney, 12 July 150 From John Stuart, 13 July 152 To Francis Willis, 15 July 153 From John Guillemard, 18 July 154 From Philip Turpin, 18 July 155 From James Martin, [20 July] 156 To William Alexander, 26 July 158 From George Wythe, 27 July 158 From George Washington du Motier de Lafayette, 29 July 159 From James Monroe, 30 July 160 From Benjamin Smith Barton, 1 August 165 To Francis Eppes, 4 August 166 To John Barnes, 7 August 167 To George Wythe, 8 August 168 To Thomas Mann Randolph, 12 August 168 From William Cocke, 17 August 169 To Wilson Cary Nicholas, 19 August 170 To Thomas Mann Randolph, 19 August 170 From Archibald Stuart, 1,9 August 171 From Wakelin Welch, enclosing Account with Robert Cary & Company, 22 August 173 From Volney, 24 August 174 From John Stuart, 25 August 177 To Robert Pleasants, [27 August] 177 From George Washington, 28 August 178 Questions on the Cow Pea, with Answers of Philip Tabb, [after 30 August] 179 From John Carey, 1 September 180 From Benjamin Smith Barton, 5 September 182 From Sir John Sinclair, 10 September 183 To John Barnes, 11 September 183 To Joseph Donath, 11 September 184 From -------- Galvan, 21 September 184 From John Garland Jefferson, 21 September 185 From John Wayles Eppes, 25 September 186 To John Barnes, 2 October 186 To Joseph Donath, 2 October, 187 To William Booker, 4 October 187 From William Booker, 7 October 188 To Bushrod Washington, 9 October 189 From William Frederick Ast, 10 October 190 To Benjamin Smith Barton, 10 October 192 Documents Relating to the 1796 Campaign for Electors in Virginia 193 I. Certificate of William Marshall, 10 October 196 II. Certificate of Joseph Jones Monroe and Thomas Bell, 17 October 198 To William Cocke, 21 October 199 From Van Staphorst & Hubbard, 21 October 199 To James Currie, 22 October 200 From Benjamin Smith Barton, 25 October 200 From James Lyle, enclosing Statement of Interest and Payments on Bonds to Henderson, McCaul & Company, 25 October 202 From William Fleming, 30 October 204 To John Carey, 10 November 205 To John Stuart, 10 November 205 To John Barnes, 13 November 206 From William Booker, 17 November 207 From Jean Armand Tronchin, enclosing Tronchin's Memorandum on Recovering Foreign Debts in America, 17 November 207 Deed of Mortgage of Slaves to Van Staphorst & Hubbard, 21 November 209 To Peter Carr, 28 November 210 To Thomas Mann Randolph, 28 November 211 To John Barnes, 4 December 212 To Joseph Donath, 4 December 212 To Henry Banks, 5 December 213 From James Madison, 5 December 214 To Wilson Cary Nicholas, 5 December 215 From John Wickham, 8 December 217 From James Madison, 10 December 218 To John Barnes, enclosing Power of Attorney to John Barnes for William Short, 11 December 219 To Thomas A. Taylor, 11 December 219 From Volney, 12 December 220 To John Garland Jefferson, 17 December 222 To James Madison, 17 December 223 To Volney, [17 December] 224 From John Wayles Eppes, 19 December 226 From James Madison, 19 December 226 From James Madison, 25 December 227 From Volney, 26 December 229 From Enoch Edwards, 27 December 230 To Edward Rutledge, 27 December 231 Jefferson's Letter to John Adams 234 I. To John Adams, 28 December 235 II. Copy from Memory, 28 December 236 From Volney, 29 December 237 From Archibald Stuart, 31 December 239 Declaration for the Mutual Assurance Society, [1796 or later] 239 Memorandum on Farming Operations, [1796 or later] 244 Notes on a Copying Process, 246 [1796] Jefferson's Letter to James Madison 247 I. To James Madison, 1 January 247 II. Copy from Memory, 1 January 249 From Benjamin Rush, 4 January 251 To Archibald Stuart, 4 January 252 From the American Philosophical Society, 7 January 254 To James Madison, 8 January 255 From James Madison, 8 January 255 To Volney, 8 January 257 To Thomas Mann Randolph, 9 January 260 From James Sullivan, 12 January 262 From James Wood, 14 January 262 From James Madison, 15 January 263 To James Madison, 16 January 266 From John Stuart, 16 January 266 To Henry Tazewell, 16 January 267 To John Wickham, 20 January 268 To Enoch Edwards, 22 January 269 To John Langdon, 22 January 269 To James Madison, 22 January 270 From James Madison, 22 January 272 To Thomas Mann Randolph, 22 January 273 To Benjamin Rush, 22 January 275 To George Wythe, 22 January 275 To the American Philosophical Society, 28 January 276 To John Barnes, 28 January 277 To John Marshall, 28 January 278 To James Wood, 28 January 279 From James Madison, 29 January 280 To James Madison, 30 January 280 From Henry Tazewell, 1 February 281 From George Wythe, 1 February 283 From Benjamin Rush, 4 February 284 From James Madison, 5 February 285 From Charles Willson Peale, 6 February 286 To Thomas Mann Randolph, 6 February 287 From Robert Pleasants, 8 February 287 To James Sullivan, 9 February 289 Memoir on the Megalonyx, [10 February] 291 From James Madison, 11 February 304 From Timothy Pickering, 11 February 305 From Timothy Pickering, 11 February 306 To James Lyle, 12 February 306 From Timothy Pickering, 16 February 307 From Mary Jefferson, 27 February 308 To Martha Jefferson Randolph, 28 February 308 Notes on a Paragraph by John Henry, [after 1 March] 309 From James Wood, 3 March 309 Address to the Senate, [4 March] 310 From Madame de Chastellux, 5 March 312 From Enoch Edwards, [6 March] 313 From Enoch Edwards, 9 March 313 To Mary Jefferson, 11 March 314 To Thomas Mann Randolph, 11 March 315 To William Short, 12 March 316 To Sir John Sinclair, 12 March 318 To William Strickland, 12 March 319 From Volney, 15 March 320 From Samuel Brown, 17 March 321 To Thomas Mann Randolph, 23 March 322 From Peregrine Fitzhugh, 25 March 323 To John Barnes, 26 March 324 From Timothy Pickering, 26 March 325 From John Trumbull, 26 March 325 From Elbridge Gerry, 27 March 326 To William Vans Murray, 27 March 327 To Martha Jefferson Randolph, 27 March 327 To Van Staphorst & Hubbard, enclosing Bond to Van Staphorst & Hubbard, 27 March 329 To Van Staphorst & Hubbard, 28 March 331 From William Short, 30 March 332 From Martha Jefferson Randolph, 31 March 334 From Willink, Van Staphorst & Hubbard, 31 March 334 To James Wood, enclosing Notes on Plan of a Prison, and Table of Estimates, 31 March 335 From Thomas Paine, 1 April 340 To John Brown, 5 April 345 To Peregrine Fitzhugh, 9 April 346 From Alexandre Giroud, 9 April 347 To Martha Jefferson Randolph, 9 April 349 To Thomas Mann Randolph, 9 April 349 To Elizabeth House Trist, 9 April 350 To Volney, 9 April 352 From Mann Page, 19 April 353 From Jean Franocois Paul Grand, 1 May 354 From Pierre Auguste Adet, 4 May 355 From Elbridge Gerry, 4 May 355 From Edward Rutledge, 4 May 356 From William Wirt, with Jefferson's Notes, 4 May 358 From "Monitor," 7 May 359 To Thomas Mann Randolph, 7 May 360 From Antonia Reynon Carmichael, 8 May 360 From Horatio Gates, 9 May 361 To Elbridge Gerry, 13 May 361 From Thomas Paine, 14 May 366 From Thomas Bee, 16 May 367 To Benjamin Smith Barton, 17 May 367 From Stephen Cathalan, Jr., 17 May 368 From Dugnani, 17 May 370 To Thomas Bell, 18 May 370 To James Madison, 18 May 371 Richard O'Brien's Memorandum on Naval Protection, 18 May 375 From John Oliver, 18 May 377 To Martha Jefferson Randolph, 18 May 379 From Peregrine Fitzhugh, 19 May 380 From "A Native American," [19 May] 382 To Thomas Mann Randolph, 19 May 385 From Edward Rutledge,19 May 386 From Ethridge Gerry, 22 May 387 To Alexandre Giroud, 22 May 387 To Allen Jones, 22 May 388 From Charles Louis Clerisseau, 23 May 389 To Louis of Parma, 23 May 389 The Senate to John Adams, [23 May] 392 John Adams to the Senate, [24 May] 396 To Angelica Schuyler Church, 24 May 396 From Hugh Williamson, 24 May 398 To Elbridge Gerry, 25 May 398 To Mary Jefferson, 25 May 399 From William Linn, 25 May 400 To William Wardlaw, 25 May 401 To Thomas Mann Randolph, 26 May 402 From Elbridge Gerry, 28 May 402 From Hugh Williamson, 28 May 403 From Sebastian Bauman, 29 May 403 To Thomas Pinckney, 29 May 404 To Antonia Reynon Carmichael, 30 May 406 To Horatio Gates, 30 May 407 To John Oliver, 30 May 408 To John Gibson, 31 May 408 To James Madison, 1 June 411 To Thomas Mann Randolph, 1 June 413 To Dugald Stewart, [2 June] 415 To Peregrine Fitzhugh, 4 June 415 To Wakelin Welch, 4 June 419 Senate Resolution on Appointment of Charles C. Pinckney, [5 June] 420 From Tench Coxe, 7 June 420 To James Madison, 8 June 421 To Martha Jefferson Randolph, 8 June 424 To French Strother, 8 June 425 To Thomas Mann Randolph, 9 June 426 From Thomas Bell, 12 June 427 From Mary Jefferson, 12 June 428 To John Moody, 13 June 428 To Mary Jefferson, [14 June] 429 To Edward Stevens, 14 June 431 To John Strode, 14 June 432 To James Madison, 15 June 433 From Pierre Malon, 15 June 435 To Thomas Mann Randolph, 15 June 436 To Aaron Burr, 17 June 437 From John Gibson, 17 June 440 To Henry Remson, 17 June 441 From Peregrine Fitzhugh, 20 June 442 Book Dedication from Benjamin Smith Barton, 21 June 445 From Aaron Burr, 21 June 447 To Elbridge Gerry, 21 June 448 From Sir John Sinclair, 21 June 449 To James Madison, 22 June 450 To Thomas Mann Randolph, 22 June 451 To John Gibson, 24 June 451 From Luther Martin, 24 June 452 To Edward Rutledge, 24 June 455 From Van Staphorst & Hubbard, 26 June 457 To Andrew G. Fraunces, 27 June 459 To Edmund Randolph, 27 June 459 To Andrew G. Fraunces, 28 June 460 To James Madison, 29 June 461 To Thomas Mann Randolph, 29 June 462 From La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt, 30 June 462 To William Short, 30 June 463 From Willem H. van Hasselt, 30 June 465 To Thomas Mifflin, 1 July 468 Account with John Francis, 3 July 469 From Arthur Campbell, 4 July 469 From Edmond Charles Genet, 4 July 470 Senate Resolution on William Blount, [4 July] 472 To Volney, 5 July 474 From Volney, 5 July 474 From Elbridge Gerry, 6 July 475 Suit against the Estate of William Ronald: Order and Report, 10 July 476 From James Monroe, 12 July 478 From Sir John Sinclair, 15 July 480 From William Wirt, with Jefferson's Notes, 15 July 481 To John Barnes, [18] July 481 From Volney, 19 July 482 To James Madison, 24 July 483 From John Barnes, 26 July 484 To John Barnes, 31 July 484 From Delamotte, 31 July 485 Note on Diplomatic Appointments, [July] 486 From Thomas Bee, 1 August 487 From James Madison, 2 August 488 From St. George Tucker, 2 August 488 To James Madison, 3 August 489 Petition to Virginia House of Delegates 491 I. Petition to the Virginia House of Delegates, [on or before 3 August] 493 II. Revised Petition to the Virginia House of Delegates, [7 August-7 September] 499 From James Madison, 5 August 505 To Volney, 5 August 507 From Citizens of Vincennes, 7 August 507 From John F. Mercer, 9 August 508 From John Barnes, 10 August 509 To John Stuart, 15 August 509 From William Strickland, 16 August 510 From William Strickland, 18 August 511 From Allen Jones, 20 August 513 From Rufus King, 22 August 514 From St. George Tucker, 22 August 515 From James Madison, 24 August 516 Notes on Alexander Hamilton, 24 August 517 To Willem H. van Hasselt, 27 August 518 To St. George Tucker, 28 August 519 To Robert Lawson, 31 August 520 To Benjamin Vaughan, 31 August 521 To John Vaughan, 31 August 521 To Arthur Campbell, 1 September 522 To John Barnes, 2 September 523 From Volney, 2 September 523 To John E Mercer, 5 September 524 From James Monroe, 5 September 524 To Archibald Stuart, 5 September 525 From John Stuart, 6 September 525 To James Monroe, 7 September 526 To Alexander White, 10 September 527 To John Vaughan, 11 September 529 To Alexander White, 12 September 530 From John Barnes, 14 September 530 To John Barnes, 17 September 531 To Francis Eppes, 24 September 531 To John Barnes, [25] September 534 From Andrew Ellicott, 28 September 534 From James Thomson Callender, 28 September 536 From Arthur Campbell, 30 September 538 From Dugnani, 30 September 538 Statement of Nailery Profits, 30 September 540 From John Barnes, 3 October 542 From John McQueen, 6 October 543 To John Barnes, 8 October 544 To John Barnes, enclosing Power of Attorney, 8 October 544 To John Taylor, 8 October 545 From Elizabeth Wayles Eppes, 10 October 546 Marriage Settlement for John Wayles Eppes, 12 October 547 Marriage Settlement for Mary Jefferson, 12 October 549 Note on Spanish Expenditures, 13 October 551 Notes on Conversations with John Adams and George Washington, [after 13 October] 551 From John Taylor, 14 October 553 From Peregrine Fitzhugh, enclosing a Citizen to the Rights of Man and Peregrine Fitzhugh to the Rights of Man, 15 October 555 From John Barnes, 19 October 561 From James Madison, 20 October 562 From James Monroe, [22] October 562 From James Madison, 25 October 564 To James Monroe, 25 October 564 From James Monroe, [27 October] 565 From Benjamin Galloway, [October] 566 Memorial of Charleston Merchants to the Senate, 2 November 567 To William Bradford, 6 November 568 From Thomas Mann Randolph, 6 November 568 Memorial of Charleston Wharfholders to the Senate, 10 November 570 From Paroy, [before 10 November] 570 From Edmund Randolph, 15 November 572 From John Wayles Eppes, [17 November] 572 From John Taylor, 19 November 573 From Edmund Randolph, 21 November 574 Bond to Van Staphorst & Hubbard, 25 November 574 To Henry Tazewell, 28 November 575 From James Monroe, [November] 576 To Mary Jefferson Eppes, 2 December 576 To George Jefferson, 2 December 577 From James Monroe, 2 December 578 From Mary Jefferson Eppes, 8 December 579 From Arthur Campbell, 10 December 580 From Luther Martin, 11 December 581 To Thomas Mann Randolph, 14 December 583 From Oliver Wolcott, Jr., 15 December 584 To Richard Richardson, 16 December 585 To John Wayles Eppes, 21 December 585 To Francis Walker, 21 December 587 To John Taylor, 23 December 588 John Henry to Henry Tazewell, 24 December 590 From James Madison, 25 December 591 Notes on Comments by John Adams and Robert Goodloe Harper, 26 December 592 To James Monroe, 27 December 593 Notes on a Conversation with Tench Coxe, [27 December] 596 To Martha Jefferson Randolph, 27 December 596 From William Short, 27 December 597 From George Jefferson, 30 December 598 To John Gibson, 31 December 599 To John Henry, 31 December 600 To Henry Tazewell, 31 December 604 Design for Chimney and Flues, [1797] 605 Notes on John Jay's Mission to Great Britain, [1797 or after] 605 APPENDIX: Notations by Jefferson on Senate Documents 633 INDEX 635
About the Author :
Barbara B. Oberg, a Senior Research Scholar and Lecturer with the Rank of Professor at Princeton University, is General Editor of The Papers of Thomas Jefferson.
