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CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
The life of Thomas Jefferson peculiarly instructive-illustrated by the
history of his native state. First settlement of Virginia. Difficulties
of the first settlers. Introduction of slaves, and the cultivation of to-
bacco-their influence on the character and condition of the inhabitants.
Towns small and few. Habits and manners of the people. Religion.
Government. Aristocracy. Jealous of their civil rights. Collisions
with the crown. Subsequent harmony until the stamp act.
CHAPTER II.
9
Birth and parentage of Thomas Jefferson. His Education. Sent to
College. Dr. Small. His amusements. Description of his person.
His familiar letters to John Page. Governor Fauquier. Studies law
under George Wythe. Visits Annapolis and Philadelphia. His cha-
racter as a lawyer. Patrick Henry. The stamp act. Is elected to
the General Assembly. It denies the right of Great Britain to tax the
colonies. The members meet at the Raleigh Tavern. Progress of
discontents. 26
CHAPTER III.
1772-1775.
His Marriage. Committees of Correspondence. Boston Port Bill.
Members of Assembly enter into articles of Association. Propose a
General Congress. First Convention in Virginia. His vindication
of the rights of America. Proceedings of the Convention-choose
Deputies to a General Congress. Character of that Body. The Con-
vention of Virginia assemble at Richmond. Its Proceedings. Mr.
Jefferson chosen a Deputy to Congress. The Powder withdrawn from
the Public Magazine by Lord Dunmore. The popular irritation it
B
excited. General Assembly convened. Mr. Jefferson prepares a reply
to Lord North's propositions. Collision between the Governor and
House of Burgesses. Conduct of Lord Dunmore.
CHAPTER IV.
1775-1779.
51
Declaration by Congress of the causes of taking up arms. The mani-
festos of Congress. Mr. Jefferson's share in those papers. Is re-elected
to Congress. His previous views on Independence. Progress of Pub-
lic Sentiment. Proceedings of the Virginia Convention. Declaration
of Independence moved in Congress. Mr. Jefferson prepares the
draught. When adopted and signed. Its character. He retires from
Congress. Elected to the General Assembly of Virginia. Abolition
of entails-Primogeniture. Their effects considered. Church estab-
lishment in Virginia. Its gradual abolition. Entire freedom of religion.
Its consequences.
77
CHAPTER V.
1777-1779.
Mr. Jefferson proposes a general revision of the laws. Appointed one of
the Committee. His objections to Codification. Distribution of the
labour. Character of the Revisal. Edmund Pendleton. Criminal
Law. James Madison. The right of Expatriation declared. System
of Education. Jefferson's opinions on Slavery. Arguments for and
against the practicability of Emancipation. His hospitable and humane
attentions to the English prisoners quartered in Albemarle. Prevents
their removal from the county. 103
CHAPTER VI.
1779-1781.
Mr. Jefferson elected Governor of Virginia. Difficulties of his situation.
George Rogers Clarke. Retaliation on Governor Hamilton and others.
Its effects. Claims of Virginia to the Western Territory. Resisted
by other States. Her cession of the Territory. Difficulty of providing
military supplies and of transporting them. Arnold's predatory incur-
sion. Its success explained. Abortive attempts to capture Arnold.
Invasion under Phillips and Arnold. Their operations. Correspon-
dence between the Governor and General Phillips. Meeting of the
Legislature. It adjourns to Charlottesville. Lord Cornwallis invades
Virginia. The Governor declines a re-election. His motives. Tarlton
detached to Charlottesville. Mr. Jefferson and the members of As-
sembly narrowly escape capture.
125
CHAPTER VII.
1781-1784.
Public discontents in Virginia. Clamours against Governor Jefferson.
He is threatened with impeachment. The charges against him can-
vassed. His vindication. Writes the notes on Virginia. Character
of that work. Is elected to the Legislature. Invites an investigation
into his conduct. The legislature unanimously vote him their thanks.
Is appointed an Envoy to negotiate peace. Declines. The death of
Mrs. Jefferson. His appointment renewed and accepted. His em-
barkation prevented by the news of peace. Is elected to Congress.
Recommends a common money of account-adopted by Congress.
Plan of a standing Executive Committee-its failure. General Wash-
ington resigns his command. Abuses of debate in deliberative bodies.
Debate on the ratification of the Treaty of Peace-its final ratification.
The committees of which he was a member. His report on the foreign
relations of the United States. The Cincinnati Association-it becomes
an object of jealousy. General Washington consults Mr. Jefferson on
this subject. His views. Its dissolution. 149
CHAPTER VIII.
1784-1786.
Mr. Jefferson appointed Minister to France. Embarks at Boston. Meet-
ing with Dr. Franklin in Paris. State of Society there. They endeav-
our to make commercial treaties. Their partial success and its causes.
Publishes his notes on Virginia.. Theory of the degeneracy of animals
in America. Statue of Washington. Remains sole minister. Nego-
tiations against the tobacco monopoly. Asserts the doctrine of free
trade. His qualifications of it. His opinion of a navy. Sends a model
for the capitol at Richmond. The Barbary powers. Proposes a plan
of resistance by combined forces. Causes of its failure. His multifa-
rious correspondence. Negotiations with the Barbary states. Confer-
ence with the French minister on American commerce. Oglethorpe's
heirs. Case of Lister Asquith. Taste for country life.
CHAPTER IX.
1786-1787.
174
Mr. Jefferson joins Mr. Adams in London. Their cold reception. Policy
of the British government towards America. Treaty with Portugal
not ratified. Unsuccessful negotiation with the Tripoline minister.
Mr. Jefferson's description of England. His contributions to the En-
cyclopedie Methodique. The progress of population in the United
States. Inland Navigation. Elk horns. Live oak. Fossil shells.
Debts of Virginians. New federal government for the United States
proposed. Houdon's statue of Washington. Proposes a donation to
La Fayette. British debts in Virginia. Objects to the proposed extent
of some new states. His opinion of the powers of Congress. Act of
religious freedom. Popular instruction. Harbour of Cherbourg. Phi-
losophical dialogue. Easterly winds. Connexion between the Atlantic
and Pacific. The Cincinnati. His schemes of future happiness. As-
sists Ledyard, the traveller-his enterprises. Complains that his de-
spatches had been published. Carriage wheels. 198
CHAPTER X.
1787.
Political troubles of France. Meeting of the Notables. Shay's Insur-
rection in Massachusetts. Newspapers. Thoughts on Government.
Navigation of the Mississippi. Visits the South of France. His
style of travelling. Nismes. Secret overtures from a Brazilian and
a Mexican. His views of the new Constitution of the United States.
Debt due to French officers. Is joined by his younger daughter. Note
to the French minister. Cultivation of the vine and olive compared.
His opinions on the power of coercion on the states-Moral philosophy
-Religion-Travelling. Advice in a law question. Statuary costume.
Increasing discontents in France. Effects of European wars on the
United States. Progress of the French Revolution. Letter to Mr.
Wythe. Imports the bones of a Moose. Imputed project of the Eng-
lish ministry.
226
CHAPTER XI.
1787-1789.
Mr. Jefferson's views of the Federal Constitution. His two principal
objections. Visits Holland. National credit in Amsterdam. Prisoners
in Algiers. Plan of liberating them. Expenses of American ministers.
Consular convention. Gordon's History of the American Revolution.
Some opinions in physical science-faith in its improvements. Silas
Deane's letter book. Claims of French officers. Memoir on the ad-
mission of American fish oil into France. Asks leave to return home.
Views of the future policy of the United States. Progress of the
French Revolution. Meeting of the states-general. Scarcity of
bread in Paris. Complaints of French officers against the United
States.
252
CHAPTER XII.
1789-1790.
Further opinions on the Federal Constitution. Mr. Madison's and Mr.
Jefferson's respective views on Declarations of Rights. Discoveries
and improvements in Science. Progress of the French Revolution.
Mr. Jefferson submits a Bill of Rights to La Fayette. Visits Versailles
almost daily. Connexion of Lake Erie with the Ohio. Views of the
French Revolution. Titular distinctions in the United States. The
doctrine that one generation cannot bind another. Mr. Madison's
views on this subject. Further objections to the doctrine. State of
parties in Paris. His mode of passing his time there. Leaves France.
Stops at the Isle of Wight. Arrival at Norfolk. His papers narrowly
escape conflagration. Return to Monticello. Reception by his slaves.
Appointed Secretary of State. Marriage of his eldest daughter. Sets
out for New York. Interview with Dr. Franklin.
CHAPTER XIII.
1790.
274
Mr. Jefferson arrives at New York. Sketch of parties after the Revo-
lution. Sense of the necessity of union. Local jealousies. Federal-
ists and anti-federalists. Partiality for the British Constitution. Illu-
sions of rank. Mr. Jefferson's sentiments. Proceedings of the first
Congress. Impost. Permanent seat of government. Mr. Hamilton's
report on public credit. Discrimination in favour of the original public
creditors proposed by Mr. Madison. Arguments for and against it. -
Public opinion on the question. Assumption of state debts. Mr. Jef-
ferson's impressions of the arguments urged for and against the
assumption. The proposition rejected. Mr. Jefferson joins in affect-
ing a compromise. Merits of the question. Local division of the
parties. 305
CHAPTER XIV.
1790-1791.
Mr. Jefferson's party attachments. Injurious effects of the assumption.
Leading measures of Congress. Discriminating duties. Commercial
retaliation proposed. Closed doors of the Senate. Navigation of
the Mississippi. Diplomatic intercourse with England. Mr. Jeffer-
son's reports on a copper coinage-on weights and measures-the
fisheries. Excise. Mr. Hamilton's report on public credit. He pro-
poses a national bank. Arguments for and against its constitutional-
ity. Letter to the National Assembly in memory of Franklin. Navi-
gation of the Mississippi. Tonnage duty. Political sentiments of John
7