"Freely ye have received, freely give." -Matthew 10:8
Two documents are featured below, both written in the summer of 1774: Draft of a Declaration of Rights Prepared for the Virginia Convention of August 1774, [ca. 26 July 1774] This declaration of rights for the colony of Virginia is aggressive and more assertive that former declarations. This is attributed without disputation to TJ as …
Continue reading “Preparations for the Continental Congress, July 1774”
Resolution of the House of Burgesses Designating a Day of Fasting and Prayer, 24 May 1774 This was a document drafted by several younger, (and no doubt) more zealous members of the House of Burgesses, but was not considered to be the most outspoken of responses to the siege on Boston by the British Government. …
Continue reading “Notes from Colonial Period, Later 1773 – Mid 1774”
From Thomas Jefferson to Charles McPherson, 25 February 1773 TJ is interested in a set of poems translated from what appears to be a Celtic language. He takes so much interest in the source language that he petitions Charles McPherson to send him a catalogue of books for study on the language so that he …
Continue reading “Thomas Jefferson, Colonial Period, Celtic Poetry and Surveyor – 1773”
To Thomas Jefferson from Alexander McCaul, 8 July 1772 Reference to an economic collapse not unlike the housing lending crisis that happened in 2008-2011, where prior to this bills of credit were being issued recklessly. How history does repeat itself, and much more frequently than we care to admit. At least once in a generation, …
Project for Making the Rivanna River Navigable, 1771 A curious document outlining a project proposal to widen a river. (Thomas Jefferson listed this project above the Declaration of Independence in a list of accomplishments in 1800.) What I find interesting is that he observed that with just the removal loose stone from the river bed …
Continue reading “Notes on Thomas Jefferson Docs – River Navigation, Easements,”
Marriage license brought me to consider family life of the time period. Notable that Thomas Jefferson was the beneficiary of large inheritance from his father who died when Thomas was only 14 years old. TJ only married once (Martha Wayles Skelton). Reviewing TJ’s Memorandum Books from 1772 (https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/02-01-02-0006) At first this appears to be only …
Continue reading “Notes on Thomas Jefferson Docs – Dec 1771 & 1772”
(Notes from reading “Social Change in India,” pp. 512-516) To her colleague, Florence penned the essence of her prayers and petitions on his behalf: … I join with you in unceasing fervent prayer, to the Fatherly Providence of us all for your highest success– that is, that you may be enabled wisely, soberly, and continuously, …
Continue reading “Prayers, Records, Facts, and Internal Reforms”
“Social Change in India,” pp 407-411 (These are correspondence letters to an Indian national by the name of Prasanna Kumar Sen regarding legislation that was been enacted in regards to rent reformations in India. Current legislation gave quite a bit of power and leverage to the zemandari class [quasi-landlord/bill collectors] while giving no rights to …
Notes on Florence Nightingale: Vol. 10, p. 313 If educating every village is what is required, then funding must be available for them to access in such a way that they can take decisive action. It’s both a local and federal issue. So it can only be solved by those willing to engage in both.
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-01-02-0023 This first letter of the year 1770 starts with Jefferson recounting the loss of his books and personal writings and records through a house fire. What such a loss as this must do to the soul of a scholar, to know that the only thing left behind is what is recorded within. Of papers …