91Memoranda on the Connecticut-Pennsylvania Boundary Dispute, [17 October 1775?] (Jefferson Papers)
Connecticut is bounded Westward 1. by the N. W. line of Virginia. 2. by the Proviso in the Plymouth grant in favr. of the Southern colony. 3. by the decision of Nicholson & al. pa. 14. declard Western boundary , to which Connecticut assented. 4. by the grant of Pensylvania. N ( DLC ). These notes on the protracted dispute between Pennsylvania and Connecticut over the Wyoming Valley are...
92From Thomas Jefferson to Francis Eppes, 24 October 1775 (Jefferson Papers)
Since my last, we have nothing new from England or from the camps at either Cambridge or St. John’s. Our eyes are turned to the latter place with no little anxiety, the weather having been uncommonly bad for troops in that quarter, exposed to the inclemencies of the sky without any protection. Carleton is retired to Quebec, and though it does not appear he has any intimation of Arnold’s...
93From Thomas Jefferson to John Page, 31 October 1775 (Jefferson Papers)
We have nothing new from England or the camp before Boston. By a private letter this day to a gentleman of Congress from General Montgomery we learn that our forces before St. John’s are 4000. in number besides 500. Canadians the latter of whom have repelled with great intrepidity three different attacks from the fort. We apprehend it will not hold out much longer as Monsr. St. Luc de la Corne...
94From Thomas Jefferson to Francis Eppes, 7 November 1775 (Jefferson Papers)
We have no late intelligence here except of the surrender of Chambly, with 90. prisoners of war, 6½ tons of powder, 150 stands of arms and some other small matters. The acquisition of this powder we hope has before this made us masters of St. John’s, on which Montreal and the upper parts of St. Laurence will of course be ours. The fate of Arnold’s expedition we know not as yet. We have had...
95From Thomas Jefferson to Francis Eppes, 21 November 1775 (Jefferson Papers)
After sealing my last letter to you we received an account of the capture of St. John’s which I wrote on the letter. What I there gave you was a true account of that matter. We consider this as having determined the fate of Canada. A Committee of Congress is gone to improve circumstances so as to bring the Canadians into our Union. We have accounts of Arnold as late as Octob. 13. All well and...
96From Thomas Jefferson to John Randolph, 29 November 1775 (Jefferson Papers)
I am to give you the melancholy intelligence of the death of our most worthy Speaker which happened here on the 22d of the last month. He was struck with an Apoplexy, and expired within five hours. I have it in my power to acquaint you that the successes of our arms have corresponded with the justice of our cause. Chambly and St. John’s have been taken some weeks ago, and in them the whole...
97From Thomas Jefferson to John Page, [ca. 10 December 1775] (Jefferson Papers)
De rebus novis, ita est. One of our armed vessels has taken an English storeship coming with all the implements of war (except powder) to Boston. She is worth about £30,000 sterling as General Washington informs us, and the stores are adapted to his wants as perfectly as if he had sent the invoice. They have also taken two small provision vessels from Ireland to Boston; a forty gun ship blew...
98Memorandum concerning British Forts in the West, 1776 (Jefferson Papers)
there is a bar off Presque isle which prevents large vessels coming near the shore. distance from Pittsbgh to Cayahoga by land 150 miles. There are some morasses on the road, but may be made good for carriages, cayahoga is a deep creek at the dryest season. But the mouth is barred as Presque isle is. in a hard winter they travel on the ice from Cayahoga to Sandusky & Detroit, & slays might go...
99Militia Return as County Lieutenant, 1776 (Jefferson Papers)
Capt Orl[ando] Jeremiah Nichols Clear Jones’s Company Ice-and Snow Clear Joshua Fry Clear 15. William Gaines Clear Alexander Gordon Clear Capt . Wallace’s
100Jefferson’s Militia Return as County Lieutenant, [ca. 1776] (Jefferson Papers)
[ Albemarle, ca. 1776 ] A tabulated return in six columns giving names and numbers of captains, and numbers of first lieutenants, second lieutenants, ensigns, and rank and file, totalling respectively 15, 15, 4, 11, and 863, making in all 908 officers and men. [ At foot of text :] “About three fourths have firearms of some sort.” MS ( DLC : TJ Papers, 6: 1049); entirely in TJ’s hand; undated...
101Memorandum Books, 1776 (Jefferson Papers)
Jan. 1. Pd. entertt. at Ewens’s 15/7½. Pd. ferrge. at do. 13/1½. 2. Pd. lodging, dinner &c. at Bush town 26/3. Pd. a smith at do. 8/4. Gave servts. at do. 3/9. 3. Pd. a smith at Baltimore 17/6. Pd. dinner, lodgg. breakfast &c. Baltimore £1–13–1½. Gave servt. at do. 1/10½. Pd. ferrge. over Patapsco 6/7. Pd. feeding horses &c. at do. 1/8. Gave ferrymen 1/10. 4. Pd. lodging &c. at Rawlings’s 23/2.
102Refutation of the Argument that the Colonies were Established at the Expense of the British Nation, [after 19 January … (Jefferson Papers)
Queen Elizabeth by letters patent bearing date the 11th. of June 1578. granted to Sr. Humphrey Gilbert license to search for uninhabited countries, and to hold the same to him and his heirs, with all jurisdiction and royalties by sea and land, reserving to the crown of England his allegiance and the fifth part of all the oar of gold and silver which should be gotten there. He had moreover...
103From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Nelson, 16 May 1776 (Jefferson Papers)
I arrived here last Tuesday after being detained hence six weeks longer than I intended by a malady of which Gilmer can inform you. I have nothing new to inform you of as the last post carried you an account of the naval engagement in Delaware. I inclose a vote of yesterday on the subject of government as the ensuing campaign is likely to require greater exertion than our unorganized powers...
104From Thomas Jefferson to John Page, 17 May 1776 (Jefferson Papers)
Having arrived here but lately I have little to communicate. I have been so long out of the political world that I am almost a new man in it. You will have heard before this reaches you of the naval engagement in the Delaware. There are letters in town it is said from General Sullivan which inform that the lower town of Quebec is taken and a breach made in the wall of the upper; but I do not...
105From Thomas Jefferson to William Randolph, [ca. June] 1776 (Jefferson Papers)
Your’s of August I received in this place, that of Nov. 24th. is just now come to hand; the one of October I imagine has miscarried. On receiving the first of these, I proposed to have spoken to the gentleman you mention, as I was then about to return to my own country and had expectations of seeing him. I knew him to be just and good; but I knew at the same time that for some cause or other...
106From Thomas Jefferson to George Wythe, [June? 1776] (Jefferson Papers)
The dignity and stability of government in all its branches, the morals of the people, and every blessing of society, depend so much upon an upright and skilful administration of justice, that the judicial power ought to be distinct from both the legislative and executive, and independent upon both, that so it may be a check upon both, as both should be checks upon that. The judges, therefore,...
107I. First Draft by Jefferson, [before June 1776] (Jefferson Papers)
Whereas George Guelph King of Great Britain & Ireland and Elector of Hanover, heretofore entrusted with the exercise of the kingly office in this government, hath endeavored to pervert the same into a detestable & insupportable tyranny by < neg > putting his negative on laws the most wholesome & necessary for the public good by denying to his governors permission to pass laws of < the most >...
108II. Second Draft by Jefferson, [before 13 June 1776] (Jefferson Papers)
A Bill for new modelling the form of government and for establishing the Fundamental principles of our future Constitution Whereas George king of Great Britain & Ireland and Elector of Hanover Be it therefore enacted by the authority of the people that the said George the third king of Great Britain < formerly holding & exercising the kingly > < power > < office within this colony be , & he is...
109III. Third Draft by Jefferson, [before June 1776] (Jefferson Papers)
A Bill for new-modelling the form of Government and for establishing the Fundamental principles thereof in future. Whereas George Guelf king of Great Britain and Ireland and Elector of Hanover, heretofore entrusted with the exercise of the kingly office in this government hath endeavored to pervert the same into a detestable and insupportable tyranny; by putting his negative on laws the most...
110Notes of Proceedings in the Continental Congress, 7 June–1 August 1776 (Jefferson Papers)
Jefferson ’s extraordinarily graphic account of the debates and proceedings in Congress during two critical months in the summer of 1776 is perhaps the best single source of information concerning the movement toward independence and the formation of the Articles of Confederation, not even excepting the similar notes made by John Adams ( Works , ii , 485–502; also JCC Worthington C. Ford and...
111I. Composition Draft of That Part of the Declaration of Independence containing the Charges against the Crown, 11 June–4 … (Jefferson Papers)
Whereas George Guelph King of Great Britain & Ireland and Elector of Hanover, heretofore entrusted with the exercise of the Kingly office in this government, hath endeavored to pervert the same into a detestable & insupportable tyranny < has kept some colonies without judiciary establmts > < judges dependant > refused judiciary establmts to some without unjust & partial judges dependant...
112II. Fragment of the Composition Draft of the Declaration of Independence, [before 29 July 1776] (Jefferson Papers)
re-established them in po[wer …] < this conduct and > at this very time too, they are permitting their < sovereign > chief magistrate to send over not only soldiers of our < own > common blood but Scotch & foreign mercenaries to < destroy us > invade and deluge us in blood. < this is too much to be borne even by relations. enough then be it to say, we are now done with them. > these facts have...
113III. Jefferson’s “original Rough draught” of the Declaration of Independence, 11 June–4 July 1776 (Jefferson Papers)
A Declaration of the Representatives of the United States of America , in General Congress assembled. When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for a people to advance from that subordination in which they have hitherto remained, & to assume among the powers of the earth the equal & independant station to which the laws of nature & of nature’s god entitle them, a decent respect...
114Major Sherburne’s Testimony on the Affair at the Cedars, [17 June 1776] (Jefferson Papers)
The place called the Cedars is on the river St. Lawrence, about 43 miles above Montreal. At this place Colo. Bedel was posted with 390 men. He had here laid off some works of defence inclosed the greater part of them with picquets and the rest with lines of earth and had two canons mounted. Colo. Bedel having received intelligence on Wednesday the 15th. of May that the enemy were approaching...
115To Benjamin Franklin from Thomas Jefferson, [21 June 1776?] (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society This note has probably far more importance than appears on the surface, because the likelihood is that Jefferson enclosed with it his draft of the Declaration of Independence. The evolution of that document has undergone repeated and microscopic analysis. A number of minor questions remain unanswered, but the general outline is clear. On June 7 the issue of...
116From Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Franklin, [21 June 1776?] (Jefferson Papers)
The inclosed paper has been read and with some small alterations approved of by the committee. Will Doctr. Franklyn be so good as to peruse it and suggest such alterations as his more enlarged view of the subject will dictate? The paper having been returned to me to change a particular sentiment or two, I propose laying it again before the committee tomorrow morning, if Doctr. Franklyn can...
117From Thomas Jefferson to Edmund Pendleton, [ca. 30 June 1776] (Jefferson Papers)
I this day received information that the Convention had been pleased to reappoint me to the office in which I have now the honor to be serving them and through you must beg leave to return them my sincere thanks for this mark of their continued confidence. I am sorry the situation of my domestic affairs renders it indispensably necessary that I should sollicit the substitution of some other...
118Notes of Witnesses’ Testimony concerning the Canadian Compaign, [1–27 July 1776] (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. John Blake. July. 1. 1776. He lives at Montreal. A merchant. Has lived there almost from the year 1760. Was a great scarcity hard cash, could not supply troops with clothes or food, wood. He lent 471–18–9 and 394–15–3 in January. If had been cash in Canada, provisions might have been had. He has lent individuals of army 130. half Joes. Continental bills would not have passed in Canada. A...
119From Thomas Jefferson to William Fleming, 1 July 1776 (Jefferson Papers)
Your’s of 22d June came to hand this morning and gratified me much as this with your former contains interesting intelligence. Our affairs in Canada go still retrograde, but I hope they are now nearly at their worst. The fatal sources of these misfortunes have been want of hard money with which to procure provisions, the ravages of the small pox with which one half of our army is still down,...
120Proposed Resolution for Rotation of Membership in the Continental Congress, [before 2 July 1776] (Jefferson Papers)
To prevent every danger which might arise to American freedom by continuing too long in office the members of the Continental Congress, to preserve to that body the confidence of their friends, and to disarm the malignant imputations of their enemies It is earnestly recommended to the several Provincial Assemblies or Conventions of the United colonies that in their future elections of...