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Thomas Jefferson Exceedingly Rare Autograph Manuscript Notes on His Private Papers Signed ("Th: J") Within the Text....
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Description
Thomas Jefferson's handwritten notes on his private papers, including "Rough draughts, notes &c. while Member of Congress & Minister Plenipo. at Paris. 1775-1789" -- which would include his rough draft of the Declaration of Independence, the founding document of the United States and one of the most influential documents in world history
Thomas Jefferson Exceedingly Rare Autograph Manuscript Notes on
His Private Papers Signed ("Th: J") Within the Text. No place,
no date [but likely Washington or Monticello, after 1804]. One
page, approximately 6 x 8.25 inches.Headed "A" and presumably being the identification of a bookcase, the manuscript lists the contents of nine shelves as follows:
1. Law cases, opinions and tracts.
State Revolutionary proceedings.
Draughts, Notes &c. relating to Revised Code.
Documents for Notes on Virginia.
Papers of Old Congress.
Notes and scraps literary.
Rough draughts, notes &c. while Member of Congress & Minister Plenipo. at Paris. 1775 - 1789.
Reports, Opinions, State papers. quere if Duplicates?
2. Annapolis accts. Paris accts. Petit's household accts at Philadelphia.
J. Barnes's Accounts and Vouchers.
Bank Accounts.
My Account with the U.S.
Rapin's, Dougherty's, LeMaire's books of Household Accts.
3. Acc books to wit P. Jefferson, J. Harvey, N. Lewis, Th: J's family letters, plantation papers, Pocket Mem'm books.
4. Account books, Voluminous papers.
5-8. Dead papers in Accompt. 1764 - 1804 while residing at or visiting Monticello.
9. Trust Papers. Skelton. Wayles. Mazzei, Short, Kosciuzko."
Upon his death on July 4, 1826, and per the terms of his will, Thomas Jefferson's papers passed to his grandson Thomas Jefferson Randolph. "Dispersed and confused as Jefferson's personal archives have become since 1826, they must have presented at his death an exemplary picture of systematic arrangement. A single fragment of what was probably a comprehensive catalogue of his records shows in part what that arrangement was." (Papers of Thomas Jefferson [Princeton Univ. Press, 1950] vol. 1, p. xiii). The present manuscript in Jefferson's hand is that mentioned fragment.
Of particular note, among the contents of Shelf 1, Jefferson lists "Rough draughts, notes &c. while Member of Congress & Minister Plenipo. at Paris. 1775 - 1789". This would include Jefferson's rough draft of the Declaration of Independence, the founding document of the United States and one of the most influential documents in world history. What Jefferson called his "original Rough draft", is currently preserved at the Library of Congress.
The Second Continental Congress charged the Committee of Five - Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman - with authoring the Declaration of Independence. Adams persuaded the committee to place Jefferson in charge of authoring the document's original draft, which the Second Continental Congress later edited. Jefferson mostly wrote the Declaration between June 11 - 28, 1776, from the home he was renting in Philadelphia.
Of the founding fathers, Jefferson perhaps most espoused the ideas of Enlightenment and the Age of Reason, particularly the importance of scientific method and reductionism. Coined "one of the most systematic of men" by Jefferson historian Dumas Malone, the organization of his papers reflected that ethos. "Jefferson kept his papers in drawers or bundles on shelves, dividing them into those public in nature and those private. His public correspondence was in combined chronological and alphabetical arrangement by the periods of his public service, while his private correspondence was alphabetical by correspondent. Numerous separate categories existed for reports, opinions, drafts, notes, accounts, deed papers, and trust papers. This arrangement apparently survived virtually intact until the first major skewing of the papers at the hands of the Congressional library committee and its agent, Henry A. Washington, after purchase by Congress of the bulk of the papers in 1848."
A historic Jefferson manuscript with direct association to the Declaration of Independence.
Condition: Matted with an engraved portrait. Trimmed irregularly with pin holes, some toning and scattered foxing.
References: https://small.library.virginia.edu/collections/featured/the-thomas-jefferson-papers/
Auction Info
2024 July 25 Historical Platinum Signature® Auction #6294 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
July, 2024
25th
Thursday
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