Thomas Jefferson Papers
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Dominick Lynch to Thomas Jefferson, 14 June 1817

From Dominick Lynch

New york 14th June 1817

Sir,

“The American Society for the Encouragement of Domestic manufactures,” instituted in this city, sensible of the zeal you have uniformly displayed in the promotion of every object, connected with the Welfare and Independence of our country, had the honor to elect you a member, at their last meeting, convened,1 for the purpose of initiating into the Society James Monroe, President of the United States—

It would afford me the highest gratification, to announce to the Society, your assent to become one of its members—

I have the honor to remain With respect & consideration Sir, your Obet Servt
D. Lynch Junr
Secretary2

RC (CSmH: JF); at foot of text: “Mr Jefferson”; endorsed by TJ as a letter from “Lynch D. (Secy Amer. soc. fr ncorgmt domest. manuf.)” received 24 June 1817 and so recorded in SJL. Printed in New-York Evening Post, 4 Aug. 1817, and elsewhere.

Dominick Lynch (ca. 1787–1837), wine merchant, was born in New York City. He attended Georgetown College (later Georgetown University) late in the 1790s and by 1809 had returned to his native city and started a firm that eventually specialized in wine. Lynch was secretary of the American Society for the Encouragement of Domestic Manufactures from its founding in 1816 until about 1820. He served as secretary of the North River Steamboat Company and as a director of the North River Insurance Company and the New York branch of the Second Bank of the United States. In 1825 Lynch arranged what was reputedly the first Italian opera performance in New York. He died in Paris (John Gilmary Shea, Memorial of the First Centenary of Georgetown College, D. C. [1891], 26–8; Thomas F. Meehan, “Catholic Literary New York, 1800–1840,” Catholic Historical Review 4 [1919]: 407–8; Scoville, New York Merchants description begins “Walter Barrett” [Joseph Alfred Scoville], The Old Merchants of New York City, 1863–69, repr. 1968, 5 vols. description ends , 1:169–71; Longworth’s New York Directory description begins Longworth’s American Almanac, New-York Register, and City Directory, New York, 1796–1842 (title varies; cited by year of publication) description ends [1809]: 248; [1827]: 314; New-York Gazette & General Advertiser, 11 May 1810; New York Commercial Advertiser, 6 Dec. 1816; New-York Columbian, 20 Jan. 1818, 23 May 1821; New York National Advocate, 24 Nov. 1819, 28 Jan. 1820; New York National Advocate [country edition], 10 Dec. 1822, 2 Dec. 1823; New-York Spectator, 11 Sept. 1837).

The American Society for the Encouragement of Domestic Manufactures was organized in New York City late in 1816, with Daniel D. Tompkins as its first president. It frequently petitioned the government for protection of domestic manufactures by means of tariffs on imports and increased duties on imported goods sold at auction (New York Commercial Advertiser, 6 Dec. 1816; New York Columbian, 10 Dec. 1816; note to William Sampson to TJ, 9 Jan. 1817; JHR description begins Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States description ends , 10:304–5, 11:130, 13:447, 14:24–5, 15:163 [29 Jan. 1817, 10 Jan. 1818, 24 Apr., 21 Nov. 1820, 21 Jan. 1822]; New York Mercantile Advertiser, 2 Mar. 1818; New-York Columbian, 22 Nov. 1819; Murray N. Rothbard, The Panic of 1819: Reactions and Policies [1962; repr. 2007], 210; JS description begins Journal of the Senate of the United States description ends , 9:50 [27 Dec. 1819]; Memorial of the American Society for the Encouragement of Domestic Manufactures [Washington, 1822]).

President james monroe attended the 13 June 1817 meeting of the American Society for the Encouragement of Domestic Manufactures while in New York City on a tour of the northeastern states. In a speech after being made a member, he stated that “he duly appreciated the objects of the Institution, which were particularly dear to him, from their being intimately connected with the real Independence of our Country.” Monroe assured his audience “that he would use his efforts as far as the general interest of the country would permit, to promote the patriotic and laudable objects of the society.” James Madison, TJ, and John Adams were then unanimously admitted as members, and copies of the above letter were sent to all three (New-York Evening Post, 14 June, 4 Aug. 1817; Madison, Papers, Retirement Ser., 1:57–8, 74–6; Adams to Lynch, 23 June 1817 [Lb in MHi: Adams Papers]).

1New-York Evening Post here adds “on the 13th inst.”

2Word not in New-York Evening Post.

Index Entries

  • Adams, John; and American Society for the Encouragement of Domestic Manufactures search
  • American Society for the Encouragement of Domestic Manufactures; identified search
  • American Society for the Encouragement of Domestic Manufactures; members of search
  • American Society for the Encouragement of Domestic Manufactures; TJ’s membership search
  • Lynch, Dominick; and American Society for the Encouragement of Domestic Manufactures search
  • Lynch, Dominick; identified search
  • Lynch, Dominick; letter from search
  • Madison, James (1751–1836); and American Society for the Encouragement of Domestic Manufactures search
  • manufacturing; encouragement of in U.S. search
  • Monroe, James; and American Society for the Encouragement of Domestic Manufactures search
  • Monroe, James; presidential tour search