In this letter to the English radical Richard Price, Jefferson explained how Americans divided along regional lines on the issue of slavery. He predicted that Price’s anti-slavery opinions would find...
Jefferson worried that the Missouri crisis might lead to disunion, as this letter shows. He predicted that any break-up of the Union would be short-lived, but he still feared that...
In this 1818 letter, Thomas Jefferson recalls Benjamin Franklin’s contributions to the American Revolution to a colleague interested in writing its history. He rejects negative suggestions about Franklin’s character, celebrates...
In the 1790s, Jefferson followed the news from Europe, as this letter shows. Here, he applauded the success of the Dutch republicans and worried about the violent excesses of the...
This document records Thomas Jefferson’s farewell address to the citizens of Washington, D.C. as he left the presidency. He reminds his audience of America’s special place in the world and...
In this letter, Thomas Jefferson, the American minister to France, writes to William Carmichael, the American minister to Spain. He notes that he has put aside his previous reservations about...
In this letter, Jefferson explained his opposition to giving final constitutional authority to any single institution or person—in this case, courts and judges. Having an educated citizenry, he argued, was...
In this 1815 letter to the governor of New Hampshire, Thomas Jefferson reflects back on events leading to the separation of the colonies from Great Britain. He notes that his...
This letter shows Jefferson’s commitment to rational inquiry, which was the core of his vision for the University of Virginia. Based on the ideals of the Enlightenment, Jefferson’s belief in...