Volume 16

30 November 1789 to 4 July 1790

Volume Details

Description

In Volume 16 Jefferson and his two daughters are welcomed home in 1789 in time for Christmas and are given a tumultuous welcome by his “family” on neighboring farms.

In February he responds to his Albemarle neighbors’ official welcoming address with an elevated summation of his philosophy. He reluctantly accepts office as secretary of state, but postpones his journey northward because of his daughter’s marriage and the necessity of settling his private debts. The latter was one of his “great objects” in returning home, but he also wished to remove all grounds for a possible conflict of interest should the vexed question of debts owed by Americans to British merchants come before him as secretary of state.

In his new office, Jefferson finds a vast accumulation of work awaiting him. He reports at once to Washington on foreign affairs; recommends the beginning of a system of coinage; writes a remarkable series of letters taking leave of friends in France; sends plants from Virginia to Madame de Tessé and received seed of upland rice brought back by Lieutenant Bligh of the Bounty.

He makes a surprising alliance with John Fenno of the Gazette of the United States so as to insure a balanced view of the French Revolution in the American press, including the use of extracts from the Leyden Gazette, private letters, and even a speech by Edmund Burke.

He received the last letter written by Benjamin Franklin; assists Madison in guiding commercial policy along lines of reciprocity; recognizes that the right of the United States in the question of the Yazoo grants must be upheld, but argues against proposed coercive measures, since “respect and friendship should . . . mark the conduct of the general towards the particular governments”; has his first conflict of “principles of administration” with Alexander Hamilton on the matter of arrearages of Virginia and North Carolina soldiers’ pay; and, in the midst of a violent headache of six weeks’ duration, draws up his classic report on weights and measures. He also declares in a private letter intended for the eyes of British foreign officers that the United States will, he hopes, follow a policy of neutrality in the event of war in Europe.

Table of Contents

William Short to John Jay, 30 November 1789	3
From George Washington, 30 November 1789	8
From William Tatham, [1 December 1789]	9
Jefferson's Reply to the Address of Welcome of the Virginia House of Delegates, [7–9 December 1789]	11
Address of Welcome of the Virginia Senate, 8 December 1789	11
Jefferson's Reply to the Address of Welcome of the Virginia Senate, [9 December 1789]	12
From Edmund Randolph, 10 December 1789	13
From Joseph Zarisnÿ, 10 December 1789	13
From Cyrus Griffin, 11 December 1789	14
To Cyrus Griffin, 11 December 1789	15
To Henry Skipwith, 11 December 1789	16
To Charles Carter, 12 December 1789	16
From Delamotte, 12 December 1789	17
Enclosure: Farmers-General to Chalon, 18 November 1789	18
From John Jay, 12 December 1789	20
From Richard O'Bryen, 12 December 1789	20
From Charles Carter, 13 December 1789	21
To William B. Giles, 13 December 1789	22
To William B. Giles, 1[3] December 1789	22
From William B. Giles, 13 December 1789	23
From Richard Platt, 14 December 1789	24
To William Short, 14 December 1789	24
From Alexander Donald, 15 December 1789	28
To John Dunbar, 15 December 1789	30
William Short to John Jay, 15 December 1789	32
To George Washington, 15 December 1789	34
To Francis Eppes, 17 December 1789	35
From William Temple Franklin, 17 December 1789	36
To George Wythe, 17 December 1789	37
From James Brown, 21 December 1789	38
From Béthune-Charost, 22 December 1789	39
From Jacob Sarly, 22 December 1789	39
William Short to John Jay, 22 December 1789	40
From William Short, 25 December 1789	43
William Short to John Jay, 26 December 1789	49
To Henry Skipwith, 26 December 1789	51
From Augustine Davis, 28 December 1789	52
From Jean Baptiste Petry, 30 December 1789	52
Notes on American Medals Struck in France, Editorial Note, [30 December 1789]	53
I. David Humphreys to Thomas Jefferson, [4 April 1786]	66
II. Memoranda Concerning Distribution, Cost, and Makers of Medals, [ca. February 1789]	67
III. Jefferson's Description of the Medals, [ca. February 1789]	69
IV. Jefferson's Notes on the History of the Medals, [ca. 8 July 1792]	77
William Short to John Jay, 2 January 1790	79
To James Brown, 3 January 17[90]	80
To Nicholas B. Seabrook, 3 January 1790	82
To Archibald Blair, 6 January 1790	82
From Phineas Bond, 6 January 1790	83
To Anderson Bryan, 6 January 1790	83
To John Paradise, 6 January 1790	84
William Short to John Jay, 6 January 1790	86
From John Jefferson, 7 January 1790	87
To the Rev. Matthew Maury, 8 January 1790	88
From Fulwar Skipwith, 8 January 1790	90
From Alexander Donald, 9 January 1790	90
To William Hay, 9 January 1790	92
To James Madison, 9 January 1790	92
From Anderson Bryan, 10 January 1790	93
To Mary Randolph Lewis, 10 January 1790	93
From Robert Lewis, 10 January 1790	94
From Jacob Vernes, 10 January 1790	94
To John Harvie, Jr., 11 January 1790	97
From Moustier, 11 January 1790	100
From Nathaniel Barrett, 12 January 1790	102
William Short to John Jay, 12 January 1790	103
From William Short, 12 January 1790	105
From Alexander McCaul, 15 January 1790	109
From James Monroe, 16 January 1790	110
From Joseph Willard, 16 January 1790	111
To Thomas Walker, 18 January 1790	112
From Thomas Walker, [19 January 1790]	114
To John Nicholas, Sr., 20 January 1790	115
From Jacob Vernes, 21 January 1790	116
From George Washington, 21 January 1790	116
William Short to John Jay, 23 January 1790	119
From James Madison, 24 January 1790	125
To Thomas Walker, 25 January 1790	127
To the Rev. Charles Clay, 27 January 1790	129
From William Short, 28 January 1790	130
From Thomas Mann Randolph, Sr., 30 January 1790	135
From John Harvie, Jr., 2 February 1790	136
From Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 2 February 1790	137
To Martha Jefferson Carr, 3 February 1790	138
From John Nicholas, Jr., 3 February 1790	139
Madison on “The Earth Belongs to the Living,” Editorial Note, 4 February 1790	146
I. Text as Received by Jefferson, 1790, 4 February 1790	147
II. Text as Revised by Madison, Late in Life, 4 February 1790	151
To Thomas Mann Randolph, Sr., 4 February 1790	154
From Meriwether Smith, 4 February 1790	155
To James Lyle, 5 February 1790	156
To John Walker, 7 February 1790	156
To John Bolling, 8 February 1790	157
From David S. Franks, 8 February 1790	158
From William Short, 10 February 1790	159
William Short to John Jay, 10 February 1790	162
From Francis Willis, Jr., 10 February 1790	165
From James Madison, [ca. 11 February 1790]	166
The Holy Cause of Freedom: Address of Welcome by the Citizens of Albemarle and Jefferson's Response, Editorial Note, 12 February 1790	167
I. The Welcome, 12 February 1790	177
II. The Response, 12 February 1790	178
To William Temple Franklin, 14 February 1790	180
To John Jay, 14 February 1790	180
To John Jefferson, 14 February 1790	181
To Joseph Jones, 14 February 1790	182
To James Madison, 14 February 1790	182
From James Madison, 14 February 1790	183
To George Washington, 14 February 1790	184
From William Tatham, 17 February 1790	185
From Jacob Vernes, 19 February 1790	188
From Ebenezer Hazard, 20 February 1790	188
Marriage Settlement for Martha Jefferson, 21 February 1790	189
To Charles Lilburne Lewis, 22 February 1790	191
From J. P. P. Derieux, 26 February 1790	192
From C. W. F. Dumas, 28 February 1790	193
To Randolph Jefferson, 28 February 1790	194
To Robert Lewis, 2 March 1790	195
From Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 2 March 1790	196
William Short to John Jay, 3 March 1790	199
From William Short, 4 March 1790	202
From Peter Carr, 5 March 1790	205
From Nathaniel Cutting, 5 March 1790	205
To John Bolling, 6 March 1790	207
To Elizabeth Wayles Eppes, 7 March 1790	208
To Thomas Garth, 7 March 1790	209
To Nicholas Lewis, 7 March 1790	210
To James Lyle, 7 March 1790	212
From James Madison, 8 March 1790	213
To Thomas Mann Randolph, Jr., 8 March 1790	214
From the Abbé Piattoli, 9 March 1790	214
William Short to John Jay, 9 March 1790	219
To Alexander Donald, 11 March 1790	222
To William Fitzhugh, 11 March 1790	223
Address of Welcome from the Mayor of Alexandria, [11] March 1790	224
Response to the Address of Welcome, 11 March 1790	225
From P. R. Randall, 11 March 1790	226
To Madame de Tessé, 11 March 1790	226
To William Short, 12 March 1790	228
From De Pio, 14 March 1790	230
From George Mason, 16 March 1790	232
William Short to John Jay, 17 March 1790	234
From Alexander Donald, 18 March 1790	236
Jefferson's Alliance in 1790 with Fenno's Gazette of the United States, Editorial Note, [20 March 1790]	237
I. Samuel Blackden to Thomas Jefferson, 25 December 1790	247
II. John Brown Cutting to Thomas Jefferson, 20 March 1790	251
Enclosure: William Short to John Brown Cutting, 17 February 1790	258
III. Extract from the Speech of Edmund Burke, [9 February 1790]	260
From John Brown Cutting, 20 March 1790	262
From Alexander Donald, 22 March 1790	263
From Sylvanus Bourne, 2[4?] March 1790	264
From C. W. F. Dumas, 24 March 1790	265
From John Rutledge, Jr., 25 March 1790	266
William Short to John Jay, 25 March 1790	267
From William Short, 25 March 1790	271
From Benjamin Vaughan, 27 March 1790	274
Enclosure: An Account of the Mutiny on the Bounty, 27 March 1790	275
To Peter Carr, 28 March 1790	276
To Thomas Mann Randolph, Jr., 28 March 1790	277
William Short to John Jay, 29 March 1790	279
To the President of Pennsylvania, 30 March 1790	281
To William Short, 30 March 1790	282
From Benjamin Thompson, 30 March [1790]	282
To Benjamin Franklin, 31 March 1790	283
To George Joy, 31 March 1790	284
To Francis Adrian Van der Kemp, 31 March 1790	285
To James Madison, [ca. March 1790]	286
To Edward Dowse, 1 April 1790	286
To George Washington, [1 April 1790]	287
To Joseph Willard, 1 April 1790	289
To Madame de Corny, 2 April 1790	289
To Madame d'Enville, 2 April 1790	290
To Madame d'Houdetot, 2 April 1790	292
To Lafayette, 2 April 1790	292
From John Paradise, 2 April 1790	294
To Diodati, 3 April 1790	295
To Madame de Lafayette, 3 April 1790	295
To Leroy & Bayard, 3 April 1790	296
To La Rochefoucauld d'Enville, 3 April 1790	296
To Richard Gem, 4 April 1790	297
To Ferdinand Grand, 4 April 1790	298
To Madame Plumard de Bellanger, 4 April 1790	298
To Martha Jefferson Randolph, 4 April 1790	300
William Short to John Jay, 4 April 1790	301
To the Abbés Arnoux and Chalut, 5 April 1790	305
To Le Veillard, 5 April 1790	306
To Philip Mazzei, 5 April 1790	307
Enclosure: Jefferson's Diary of Philip Mazzei's Affairs, 3 December 1789–22 March 1790	308
From John Francis Vacher, 5 April 1790	309
To Henry Remsen, [5 April 1790]	310
To George Washington, 5 April 1790	310
To Walter Boyd, 6 April 1790	311
From Maria Cosway, 6 April 1790	312
To Montmorin, 6 April 1790	313
Enclosure: George Washington to Louis XVI, 6 April 1790	314
To Montmorin, 6 April 1790	314
To Rayneval, 6 April 1790	315
To William Short, 6 April 1790	315
To William Short, 6 April 1790	318
Enclosure: Jefferson's Instructions for Procuring Household Goods, 6 April 1790	321
To Boonen Graves & William Crafts, 8 April 1790	324
To Alexander Donald, 8 April 1790	325
From Benjamin Franklin, 8 April 1790	326
Proclamation of the Consular Convention of 1788, [9 April 1790]	327
From Gouverneur Morris, 10 April 1790	328
To William Carmichael, 11 April 1790	329
To Alexander Donald, 11 April 1790	331
To Mary Jefferson, 11 April 1790	331
From David Ramsay, 12 April 1790	332
William Short to John Jay, 12 April 1790	333
From Mary Walker Lewis, 14 April 1790 [redated from 1770]	Vol. 1:40
Report on Copper Coinage, Editorial Note, 14 April 1790	335
I. John H. Mitchell to Thomas Tudor Tucker, 22 March 1790	342
II. Thomas Jefferson to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, 14 April 1790	345
III. Report on Copper Coinage, [14 April 1790]	345
To William Brown, 18 April 1790	349
To Thomas Mann Randolph, Jr., 18 April 1790	351
To Francis Willis, Jr., 18 April 1790	352
From Alexander Hamilton, 20 April 1790	353
From Louis Guillaume Otto, 20 April 1790	354
Jefferson's Policy Concerning Presents to Foreign Diplomats, Editorial Note, 20 April 1790	356
I. Thomas Jefferson to William Temple Franklin, 20 April 1790	363
II. William Temple Franklin to Thomas Jefferson, 27 April 1790	364
III. Notes of Presents Given to American Diplomats by Foreign Governments, [ca. 1791]	366
IV. Formula for American Presents to Foreign Diplomats, [ca. April 1790]	367
From George Wythe, 22 April 1790	368
To Ferdinand Grand, 23 April 1790	368
From Thomas Mann Randolph, Jr., 23 April 1790	370
William Short to John Jay, 23 April 1790	371
To Lafayette, 24 April 1790	376
To La Rochefoucauld d'Enville, 24 April 1790	377
To William Short, 24 April 1790	377
To Madame de Tessé, 24 April 1790	378
Jefferson's Opinion on the Powers of the Senate Respecting Diplomatic Appointments, 24 April 1790	378
From Alexander Donald, 25 April 1790	382
From Mary Jefferson, 25 April 1790	384
From Martha Jefferson Randolph, 25 April 1790	384
To Henry Lee, 26 April 1790	385
To Martha Jefferson Randolph, 26 April 1790	386
To William Short, 27 April 1790	387
From Sir John Sinclair, 27 April 1790	389
From Edward Rutledge, 28 April 1790	389
From James Anderson, 29 April 1790	391
To George Washington, 29 April 1790	392
From Peter Carr, 30 April 1790	393
To La Luzerne, 30 April 1790	394
To William Short, 30 April 1790	395
From John Coffin Jones, 1 May 1790	397
William Short to John Jay, 1 May 1790	400
To Mary Jefferson, 2 May 1790	405
From Alexander Donald, 3 May 1790	406
Opinion on Certain Georgia Land Grants, 3 May 1790	406
From Thomas Mann Randolph, Jr., 3 May 1790	409
To George Washington, [3 May 1790]	410
To Nicholas Lewis, 4 May 1790	411
From Benjamin Rush, 4 May 1790	411
From James B. Pleasants, 5 May 1790	412
From John Rutledge, Jr., 6 May 1790	413
From C. W. F. Dumas, 8 May 1790	415
To Thomas Mann Randolph, Jr., 9 May 1790	416
From William Short, 9 May 1790	417
William Short to John Jay, 9 May 1790	419
From Francis Hopkinson, 10 May 1790	422
From Moustier, 10 May 1790	422
From Madame de Bréhan, 11 May 1790	424
William Short to John Jay, 11 May 1790	425
From John Rutledge, Jr., 12 May 1790	426
From Forrest & Stoddert, 13 May 1790	428
To Martha Jefferson Randolph, 16 May 1790	429
William Short to John Jay, 16 May 1790	430
From James Monroe, 20 May 1790	432
From George Gilmer, 21 May 1790	433
From De Lormerie, 21 May 1790	433
To Mary Jefferson, 23 May 1790	435
From Mary Jefferson, 23 May 1790	435
To Thomas Mann Randolph, Jr., 23 May 1790	436
William Short to John Jay, 23 May 1790	436
From Thomas Mann Randolph, Jr., 25 May 1790	441
From C. W. F. Dumas, 26 May 1790	442
To William Short, 27 May 1790	443
From Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 29 May 1790	446
From Francis Eppes, 30 May 1790	447
To Thomas Mann Randolph, Jr., 30 May 1790	448
To William Carmichael, 31 May 1790	450
From David Howell, 3 June 1790	451
Cabinet Opinions on the Resolutions Concerning Arrearages in Soldiers' Pay, Editorial Note, 3 June 1790	455
I. The Opinion of Alexander Hamilton, 28 May 1790	462
II. The Opinion of Thomas Jefferson, 3 June 1790	468
To John Steele, 3 June 1790	470
From Thomas Barclay, 4 June 1790	471
To José Ignacio de Viar, 4 June 1790	472
From William Short, 5 June 1790	473
To Martha Jefferson Randolph, 6 June 1790	474
To William Short, 6 June 1790	475
Recommendations for Federal Offices in North Carolina and the Southwestern Government, [before 7 June 1790]	476
From James Monroe, 7 June 1790	478
From Thomas Walker, 7 June 1790	479
From Alexander Hamilton, 9 June 1790	479
To John Garland Jefferson, 11 June 1790	480
To Nicholas Lewis, 11 June 1790	482
To James Monroe, 11 June 1790	483
To Alexander Hamilton, 12 June 1790	483
From David Howell, 12 June 1790	483
To David Rittenhouse, 12 June 1790	484
To Charles Bellini, 13 June 1790	485
To William Brown, 13 June 1790	486
To George Buchanan, 13 June 1790	487
To Peter Carr, 13 June 1790	487
To Alexander Donald, 13 June 1790	488
To Elizabeth Wayles Eppes, 13 June 1790	489
To Uriah Forrest, 13 June 1790	489
To Francis Hopkinson, 13 June 1790	490
To William Hunter, Jr., 13 June 1790	491
To Mary Jefferson, 13 June 1790	491
To Nicholas Lewis, 13 June 1790	492
To George Mason, 13 June 1790	493
To Richard Peters, 13 June 1790	494
To Thomas Russell, 13 June 1790	494
To George Wythe, 13 June 1790	495
From William Short, 14 June 1790	496
Enclosure: Liste Des grennes que je voudrais avoir De La merique, 1790	503
From William Short, 14 June 1790	504
From David Meade Randolph, 15 June 1790	509
To David Rittenhouse, 1[5] June 1790	509
From George Thompson, 15 June 1790	510
To George Washington, 15 June 1790	511
From Alexander Hamilton, [16 June 1790]	511
To Alexander Hamilton, enclosing Estimate of the Expences of the Department of State, 17 June 1790	512
Documents on American Commercial Policy, Editorial Note, 18 June 1790	513
I. [Neil Jamieson] to Josiah Parker, 18 June 1790	523
II. Arrangements between English and Southern Merchants, [June 1790?]	528
From Tench Coxe, 19 June 1790	531
From George Washington, 19 June 1790	531
Enclosure: Gouverneur Morris to George Washington, 1 May 1790	532
To James Monroe, 20 June 1790	536
From Richard Peters, 20 June 1790	538
To Thomas Mann Randolph, Jr., 20 June 1790	540
To David Rittenhouse, 20 June 1790	542
From Edward Rutledge, 20 June 1790	544
From David Rittenhouse, 21 June 1790	545
From William Smith, 22 June 1790	547
To Miles Cary, 23 June 1790	548
To Angelica Schuyler Church, 23 June 1790	549
To Maria Cosway, 23 June 1790	550
To C. W. F. Dumas, 23 June 1790	551
To David Howell, 23 June 1790	553
To John Coffin Jones, 23 June 1790	554
From Tobias Lear, 23 June 1790	554
Enclosure: D'Estaing to George Washington, 20 March 1790	555
To Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 23 June 1790	559
To Fulwar Skipwith, 23 June 1790	560
To Thomas Walker, 23 June 1790	561
To the President of Pennsylvania, 24 June 1790	562
Enclosure: Account of a Sailor Calling himself Archibald Ross, 10 June 1790	564
From Alexander Donald, 25 June 1790	565
From David Rittenhouse, 25 June 1790	567
From William Short, 25 June 1790	570
To David Rittenhouse, 26 June 1790	574
To George Gilmer, 27 June 1790	574
To Delamotte, 27 June 1790	575
To Robert Leslie, 27 June 1790	576
To David Ramsay, 27 June 1790	577
To Martha Jefferson Randolph, 27 June 1790	577
To George Thompson, 27 June 1790	578
To Benjamin Vaughan, 27 June 1790	578
From John Kemp, 28 June 1790	580
To Elias Boudinot, 29 June 1790	581
From Francis Hopkinson, 29 June 1790	581
From William Short, 29 June 1790	582
From William Short, 29 June 1790	586
To David Rittenhouse, 30 June 1790	587
From Robert Leslie, 1 July 1790	588
To William Short, 1 July 1790	589
From Joseph Barnes, 2 July 1790	590
From Alexander Donald, 2 July 1790	591
From David Rittenhouse, 2 July 1790	594
From James Monroe, 3 July 1790	596
To Francis Eppes, 4 July 1790	598
To Mary Jefferson, 4 July 1790	599
To Nicholas Lewis, 4 July 1790	599
To Edward Rutledge, 4 July 1790	600
Report on Weights and Measures, Editorial Note, [4 July 1790]	602
I. Tench Coxe to John Jay, 25 January 1790	618
II. William Waring's Plan for Weights and Measures, 30 January 1790	619
III. Thomas Jefferson to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, 4 July 1790	623
IV. First State of the Report on Weights and Measures, [April 1790]	624
V. Second State of the Report on Weights and Measures, [April–20 May 1790]	628
VI. James Madison's Queries Concerning the Report, [ca. 20 May 1790]	649
VII. Final State of the Report on Weights and Measures, [4 July 1790]	650
VIII. Thomas Jefferson to the President of the Senate, 17 January 1791	674
IX. Postscript to the Report on Weights and Measures, 10 January 1791	674

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