James Savage (1784–1873) was a lifelong resident of Boston who graduated from Harvard University in 1803, studied law, and was admitted to the Massachusetts bar four years later. He made his mark, however, as an antiquarian and public servant. During his long career Savage compiled and edited numerous legal, historical, and genealogical works, including A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England, 4 vols. (1860–62), and two editions of John Winthrop, The History of New England from 1630 to 1649 (Boston, 1825–26 and 1853). He also helped to establish public elementary schools in his hometown, one of the country’s first savings banks, and the Boston Athenæum, and he was a member of the local school committee. Savage served several terms in the Massachusetts legislature during the 1820s and was a delegate to his state’s 1820 constitutional convention. He sat on Harvard’s board of overseers, 1838–53, belonged to the Massachusetts Historical Society for sixty years, 1813–73, and was president of the latter organization, 1841–55 (DAB description begins Allen Johnson and Dumas Malone, eds., Dictionary of American Biography, 1928–36, 20 vols. description ends ; Tribute of the Massachusetts Historical Society to the memory of their Late Senior Member and Former President, the Hon. James Savage, LL.D. [1873], esp. 4–5, 19–20; Harvard Catalogue description begins Harvard University Quinquennial Catalogue of the Officers and Graduates, 1636–1925, 1925 description ends , 112, 184; Boston New-England Palladium, 20 Jan. 1807; Boston Repertory, 17 Oct. 1820; Salem Essex Register, 16 May 1821, 14 May 1827; Boston Columbian Centinel, 11 May 1825; Boston Daily Advertiser, 10 Mar. 1873).

TJ’s message of 6 decr. 1805 to Congress discussed the hostile attitude of the Spanish court toward the United States. The first volume of the State Papers and Publick Documents wrongly suggested that it “probably consisted of but few words,” while the next volume printed the document in full (1:268, 2:4–6).