I am rejoiced to find by your Mamma’s letter, that you intend to “turn your spinning wheel,” the more we are qualified to help ourselves, the less dependent we are upon others, from the present temper of old England, it looks as if we should be less her customers than formerly. Manufactures of all...
I am rejoiced to find that you intend to turn your spinning wheel; the more we are qualified to help ourselves, the less dependent we are upon others; from the present temper of old England, it looks as if we should be less her customers than formerly. I would recommend...
3To James Madison from John Armstrong, 30 March 1809 (Madison Papers)
By the same vessel I propose con[s]igning to your patronage, a machine of prodigious consequence to us under our present circumstances—combining great usefulness & little expence, and meant to take the place of the common small Spinning-wheel in the manufacture of flax, tow and hemp. It occupies little more room than the Old spinning wheel, is put and kept in motion by any old or young Negro...
4To James Madison from William Bentley, 2 July 1810 (Madison Papers)
...& the resistance of the Merchants, to whose habits he has no indulgence from inclination, or his manner of life, observed “The Worst Embargo upon our Country would be upon our plows & our spinning wheels. We should have no Embargo at home. We should dispise to give any nation any advantage over us from anything; it could possess. A Free people will never think themselves dependant upon any...
5Ferdinando Fairfax to Thomas Jefferson, [ca. 20 January 1812] (Jefferson Papers)
Indeed the common Spinning-wheel must be kept with care: and
how much better will the one in question repay every care!
6Enclosure: Thomas Jefferson’s Appraisal of Chattels at Belmont Estates, [after 5 October 1810] (Jefferson Papers)
1. spinning wheel for cotton, & 2. wheels for spinning flax, with cotton & wool cards.
7To James Madison from Benjamin Hawkins, 13 October 1811 (Madison Papers)
...be used by the troops of the United States in marching from post to post as the public good may require.” In return for opening the road, the Creek Indians were to receive between 1812 and 1814 one thousand spinning wheels, one thousand pairs of cotton cards, and a quantity of iron, at a cost Hawkins estimated to be $4,350.62 (Hawkins to Eustis, 3 Oct. 1811, Grant,
8Thomas Jefferson to William Thornton, 14 January 1812 (Jefferson Papers)
...a single yard of coarse goods (blankets excepted) & but little will be wanted of goods of midling qualities. for the fine we must depend on the town manufactories. most of us are still however at the old spinning wheel & hand cards. a few neighbors of us are setting up some spinning jennies, next in simplicity to the spinning wheel. but I have seen in the hands of a friend an advertisement...
9Thomas Jefferson’s Instructions for Poplar Forest Management, December 1811 (Jefferson Papers)
machines; spinning wheel [index entry] spinning wheels [index entry]
10Thomas Jefferson to John McAllister (1753–1830), 24 December 1814 (Jefferson Papers)
and apprenticed there as a turner, spinning-wheel maker, carpenter, and joiner. He immigrated to
11Thomas Jefferson to Samuel P. Parsons, 19 April 1814 (Jefferson Papers)
2. his has a single wheel only, as light as a cotton spinning wheel, about 2.f. distant from the beam, turning an axis not bigger than the wrist, with a broken joint in that axis enabling the wheel to mount over stones & moderate stumps without interrupting the motion of the...
12Memorandum Books, 1811 (Jefferson Papers)
Left with Jeremiah A. Goodman 20.D. for seed wheat, spinning wheels &c.
13Thomas Jefferson to James Ronaldson, 11 October 1812 (Jefferson Papers)
...manufactures, to which the high duties, you mention, will contribute, while they also enrich our treasury. we always manufactured a great deal in this state in the houshold way: but this was on the old Spinning wheel. the introduction of machines into our families is becoming common. those of 6. spindles suit the smaller families. I have 36. spindles going myself & shall soon add 18....
14From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 27 June 1809 (Madison Papers)
To me he adds, “By the same vessel I propose consigning &c. a machine of prodigious consequence under present circumstances, combining great usefulness & little expence, and meant to take the place of the common small spinning Wheel in the manufacture of flax tow & hemp. It occupies little more room than the old spinning wheel, is put & kept in motion by any old or young negro wench, gives you...
15James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 27 June 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
...prodigious consequence under present circumstances, combining great usefulness & little expence, and meant to take the place of the common small spining Wheel in the manufacture of flax tow & hemp. It occupies little more room than the old spinning wheel, is put & kept in motion by any old or young negro wench,
16From James Madison to Hobohoilthle, [6 November] 1809 (Madison Papers)
...will then have food and cloathing and live comfortably. The President advises you to do this. He knows that his red Children can live well if they will follow his advice. Colo. Hawkins will give you Cards and Spinning-wheels and Looms to weave in. Some of your white brothers are also poor, but their fathers put them to such work as is fit for them and they live very well.
17To James Madison from Gabriel Richard, 12 October 1810 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
...U.S. government still wishes to charge rent he asks that the improvements made to the farm be considered as an equivalent. Otherwise, he can only pay the rent by selling “the best part of our apparatus as Spinning wheels, looms, Electrical Machine &c. which shall prove exceedingly fatal and hurtfull to so valuable an Institution.”
18Gabriel Richard to Thomas Jefferson, 9 November 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
I have already expended great deal of money to buy an Electrical machine, an air-Pump, an optics, a Spinning Jennie of 24 Spindles Cotton, wool, Spinning wheels, Cards, cloths for children, Timber, Shingles, Boards nails Glass, for Some buildings to be erected for the Indian School, and many other articles.
19James Ronaldson to Thomas Jefferson, 26 December 1811 (Jefferson Papers)
who have the misfortune of being prisoners of war in foreign countries—Should be instructed to provid them with spinning wheels, cards, knitting needles, wool, flax & Cotton, with these
simple means the poor fellows could C