Thomas Jefferson Sold More Than 6,000 Books To The U. S. Library Of Congress

In August, 1814, British forces burned Washington D.C., the capital of the young United States of America. Capital Hill was damaged by the flames, and the Library of Congress was lost. Luckily for the fledgling country, one of the founding fathers of the United States had an obsessive addiction to collecting books. Furthermore, he was plagued by debts and was more than willing to sell his possessions.

In 1815, Thomas Jefferson sold an enormous collection of 6,487 books to the government for an estimated total of $23,950. The collection contained both ancient classics and modern works—Jefferson’s favorite ancient author was Cicero, by whom he owned at least forty texts. The wide variety of genres and topics in the collection caused a stir among the members (and observers) of the Congress, who thought that the U. S. government should not have paid for some of the odd volumes that Jefferson stumbled across during his studies.

Despite Jefferson’s still existent debts, he continued to buy an endless supply of books, even after selling thousands to the Library of Congress. When he died in 1826, he had still been burdened by a debt of $107,000—a sum that equates to more than 2 million modern U. S. dollars. Shortly after his death, Jefferson’s second massive collection of books (numbering in the thousands) was auctioned off, along with most of his other possessions.

Sadly, on the Christmas Eve of 1851, around 2/3 of Jefferson’s original contribution to the Library of Congress was lost in another fire. Interestingly, the Library of Congress is trying to procure copies of the texts that were destroyed.

Written by C. Keith Hansley.

Picture attribution: (Portrait of Thomas Jefferson, by Mather Brown (1761–1831), in front of a library painted by Rudolf von Alt  (1812–1905), both images are [Public Domain] via Creative Commons).

Sources:

• https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/jefferson/jefflib.html 
• http://www.history.org/foundation/journal/winter10/jefferson.cfm 
• https://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/debt 
• http://www.history.com/topics/war-of-1812  

Thomas Jefferson’s Daughter Almost Became A Nun In A French Convent

(Portrait of Martha "Patsy" Jefferson Randolph painted by Thomas Sully  (1783–1872), [Public Domain] via Creative Commons)

From 1784-1789, Thomas Jefferson served as an American diplomat in Paris, France. Although Jefferson was genuinely charmed by the French people and their drive for revolution, he was also intimidated and mystified by the freedoms that French women had achieved. In the eyes of the quiet politician from Virginia who dreamed of a simple, rural society, the Parisian women seemed too overly active in politics and sex. When Jefferson’s two daughters were eventually shipped to Paris to be near their father, Thomas Jefferson’s concerns had already grown to a point where he decided his daughters needed to be isolated from the Parisian culture.

Martha Jefferson (known as Patsy) and Mary Jefferson (known as Polly and, later, as Maria) were both placed by their father in school at a convent in Panthemont. Thomas Jefferson was a Protestant (a peculiar one, at that) and he definitely did not want his daughters to become Catholic, but he obviously thought the nuns would be a better influence on his daughters than the rest of France. He hoped, and seemed to believe, that the nuns were separating their religion from the education that was being provided to his daughters in the school.  Nevertheless, Jefferson soon learned from letters sent by his children that the students were not as isolated from the rest of the world as he would have liked.

Even in the convent, the students heard ample scandalous gossip about events occurring locally and throughout France. Jefferson also learned that his daughters were gaining a thorough understanding of the French language—unfortunately, this was apparently detrimental to their native English. Patsy reported to her father that, although her ability to speak French had grown spectacularly fluent, her native English was becoming harder and harder to remember and use.

Yet, another jarring revelation from Patsy led Jefferson to the undeniable conclusion that his daughters needed to be evacuated from France—in April 1789, Patsy made the short-lived decision to become a nun. Upon hearing this news, the shocked Thomas Jefferson quickly drove his carriage to the convent at Panthemont and yanked his daughters away from the tutelage of the nuns. By September 1789, Jefferson ended his business in France and returned to his estate of Monticello in Virginia, putting the Atlantic Ocean between France and his daughters.

Written by C. Keith Hansley.

Source:

• American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson, by Joseph J. Ellis. New York: Vintage Books, 1998. 

The American Founding Father, Thomas Jefferson, Broke His Wrist In 1786, Possibly While Trying To Impress A Beautiful Woman

(Left: Portrait of Thomas Jefferson c. 1786, by Mather Brown (1761–1831), Right: Self-portrait of Maria Cosway  (1760–1838), [Public Domain] via Creative Commons)

After Benjamin Franklin left France to return to the United States in 1785, Thomas Jefferson became the lead diplomat in Paris. Although he had a very heavy workload as the top U.S. agent in France, he would soon neglect much of his diplomatic duties for mankind’s sweetest distraction—love.

During the month of August, in 1786, an American painter named John Trumbull introduced Thomas Jefferson (by this point a widower of four years) to a gorgeous woman named Maria Cosway. The twenty-seven year old Maria was a graceful and artistic woman, with an Italian accent and voluminous golden-blonde hair. She was in no way single—Maria was married to the successful painter, Richard Cosway—but she was known for her teasing and flirtatious ways. Apparently struck with love at first sight, Thomas Jefferson immediately became entirely and thoroughly smitten.

For around six weeks, Thomas Jefferson sidelined his diplomatic obligations in order to tour France with Maria Cosway. Together, they sought out the most impressive feats of architecture and viewed the most moving pieces of artwork. In addition, they, of course, strolled through multiple beautiful parks and gardens.

Thomas Jefferson’s dalliance with the lovely Maria Cosway, unfortunately, came crashing to a sudden halt on September 18, 1786. On that awkward day, Thomas Jefferson must have felt rejuvenated and full of life—as one in love often tends to do. For whatever the reason, Thomas Jefferson thought it was a good idea to attempt to leap over a fountain or a large kettle. Yet, when he vaulted over the object, nothing went according to plan. Instead of gracefully leaping over the obstacle in an impressive display of strength and dexterity, the forty-three year old Thomas Jefferson crashed to the ground and broke his right wrist.

After Jefferson’s embarrassing fall, he and Maria Cosway soon began to slowly lose interest in each other. The time that Thomas Jefferson had been spending with Maria now was usurped by appointments with surgeons—the surgeons, unfortunately, did an inadequate job and left Jefferson’s hand permanently damaged and irritable. It was also around this time that Maria Cosway left Paris to return to her home in London. A depressed and heartbroken Thomas Jefferson managed to find time to escort her to her ship between his oppressive medical appointments and diplomatic duties.

Though the two were separated, they wrote avidly to each other over a long span of time. The letters curiously trace Thomas Jefferson’s declining interest in Maria Cosway. Immediately after she left, Jefferson sent multiple-paged letters of love to Maria. By the summer of 1787, however, his emotions were cooling and his letters became more infrequent and less emotionally desperate. Finally, when it came time for Thomas Jefferson to return to America in 1789, his now sporadic correspondence with Maria Cosway ultimately evaporated into nothing.

Written by C. Keith Hansley.

Source:

• American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson, by Joseph J. Ellis. New York: Vintage Books, 1998. 

Thomas Jefferson’s First Political ‘Fight’ In The Continental Congress Was Over Some Suggested Revisions To His Writing

(Portrait of Thomas Jefferson, by Mather Brown (1761–1831), [Public Domain] via Creative Commons)

Thomas Jefferson, the legendary writer from the American Revolution, and the third President of the United States, was very picky about his rhetoric and wording. Jefferson was, therefore, never enthusiastic when Congress suggested editing sections of his drafts.

Though he was a politician who could write better than almost anyone in the world, Jefferson was no orator. When it came time to give a speech, Thomas Jefferson was abysmal, so he understandably spent most of his time in Congress in silence. He was not afraid, however, to speak his mind if his writing was questioned, and he did so on the floor of the Continental Congress.

When John Dickinson proposed changes to Jefferson’s draft of the “Declaration of the Causes and Necessities for Taking Up Arms,” Jefferson took the suggestion of revision as a personal insult. The Continental Congress managed to negotiate a peace between the two men. Dickinson’s suggestions were worked into the draft, but Jefferson’s style of writing remained intact. Though a compromise was reached, Jefferson continued to believe that his work was mistreated.

Jefferson’s resistance to revisions continued when he wrote the Declaration of Independence. A committee from Congress edited the Declaration, and the rest of Congress approved most of the revisions. Though the wide majority of the Declaration of Independence is Thomas Jefferson’s unaltered words, for the rest of his life, Jefferson firmly believed that the original essence of his document had been corrupted and mangled by the Continental Congress’ revisions.

Written by C. Keith Hansley.

Source:

• American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson, by Joseph J. Ellis. New York: Vintage Books, 1998.

Legend Claims That King George III of Britain Turned His Back On The American Revolutionaries, Thomas Jefferson And John Adams, During A Reception In 1786

(Left to Right: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, George III. All paintings are licensed as public Domain)

John Adams (the future second president of the United States) was appointed as the main ambassador and diplomat to England in 1785, two years after the success of the American Revolution. His difficult job was to attempt to bring the kin nations of the United States and Great Britain back into a working relationship—or, at least, to get the countries in speaking terms.

Upon John Adams’ arrival in London, King George III welcomed the revolutionary with a tense, but cordial, meeting. Aside from vocally praying that the United States would not suffer too much from their lack of monarchy, King George III held back his understandable bitterness. He even applauded John Adams for his lack of interest in all things French—an interest that was otherwise commonplace in revolutionaries like Thomas Jefferson.

While John Adams was politicking in London, Thomas Jefferson was doing the same in Paris. In 1786, however, Jefferson crossed the English Channel and met with John Adams in London. Together, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson received an audience with King George III. Unlike the first meeting between Adams and King George, this time the king let his distaste for the Americans show. Perhaps, the king specifically detested Thomas Jefferson for the man’s authorship of works like the U. S. Declaration of Independence, which labeled George III as a tyrant. Maybe, the king loathed Thomas Jefferson’s doting on French ideas and culture. Whatever the reason, George III acted rudely to the U. S. statesmen when they visited in 1786. Some accounts even claim that the king turned his back on Jefferson and Adams—though there is debate as to whether that was literal, or just a figurative description of King George III’s manners. In the book American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson, however, Joseph J. Ellis, an acclaimed historian of the U. S. founding fathers, seems to believe the event actually occurred.

Source:

• American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson, by Joseph J. Ellis. New York: Vintage Books, 1998. 

The United States’ Founding Fathers Also Revolutionized Chairs

The two most widely recognized revolutionaries of the United States, save George Washington, are Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. Jefferson was a reserved man, who struggled with public speaking, but his masterful penmanship earned him international acclaim. Benjamin Franklin was a genius jack-of-all-trades, who dabbled in almost every topic he could research, and often found himself adept in whatever field he chose to assert himself. Jefferson and Franklin were both political philosophers, scientists and inventors, and they both improved upon an invention that all humans use to support themselves—the chair.

The rocking chair was one Benjamin Franklin's passions. Mr. Franklin did not make this lovable piece of furniture that can excite and relax simultaneously. It was already in use within the colonies when Franklin was born, though the rocking chair is often subtly slipped into his enormous list of inventions. Nevertheless, Benjamin Franklin did invent some modifications for the chair. Most notably, he added a fan that was powered by the rocking motion of the chair.

While Benjamin Franklin was merely a chair modifier, Thomas Jefferson was a true chair revolutionary. In the 1770s, before drafting the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson ordered a simple Windsor chair, but what he did with the chair was groundbreaking for the future of office and school furniture—Jefferson put a swivel mechanism on his chair. Thus, the first swivel chair was born, allowing modern people to spin to their heart’s content when their bosses are not looking.

Written by C. Keith Hansley

Sources

• The Autobiography and Other Writings of Benjamin Franklin, edited by Kenneth Silverman. New York: Penguin Books, 1986.

• American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson by Joseph J. Ellis. New York: Vintage Books, 1998.