John Jay Papers
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To John Jay from George Washington, 8 June 1789

From George Washington

New York [8] June 17891

Sir,

Although, in the present unsettled state of the Executive Departments under the Government of the Union, I do not conceive it expedient to call upon you for information officially; yet I have supposed that some informal communications from the Office of Secretary for Foreign Affairs might neither be improper or unprofitable.2— For finding myself, at this moment, less occupied with the duties of my Office, than I shall probably be ^at^ almost any time hereafter; I am desirous of employing myself in obtaining an acquaintance with the real situation of the several great Departments, at the period of my acceding to the Administration of the general Government.— For this purpose, I wish to receive in writing such a clear account of the Department at the head of which you have been, as may be sufficient (without overburdening or confusing a mind which has very many objects to claim its attention at the same instant) to impress me with a full, precise & distinct general idea of the United States, so far as they are comprehended in, or connected with that Department.—

As I am now at leisure to inspect such Papers & Documents, as may be necessary to be acted upon hereafter, or as may be calculated to give me an insight into the business & duties of that Department, I have thought fit to address this notification to you accordingly.— I am with due consideration Sir Your Most Hble Servt.

Go. Washington

The Honble John Jay Esqr.

ALS, NNC (EJ: 07243). Endorsed: “Prest. Washington / June 1789”. LbkC, dated 8 June, DLC: Washington; LbkC, DNA: RG 59: Correspondence with the Secretaries of State. At the bottom of the DLC copy appears the notation: “Copies of the above letter was likewise sent to the Secretary of War & The Board of Treasury.” A LbkC of the text sent to the Board of Treasury is in DLC: Washington. According to the Board of Treasury’s response and that of Henry Knox, both 9 June, their copies of the letter were dated 8 June. See PGW: PS description begins Dorothy Twohig et al., eds., The Papers of George Washington, Presidential Series (19 vols. to date; Charlottesville, Va., 1987–) description ends , 2: 455, 456.

1According to the OFA Journal description begins Daily Journals, Office of Foreign Affairs, 1784–1790, 2 vols., Papers of the Continental Congress, RG 360, item 127, National Archives (M247). Accessed Fold3.com description ends (EJ: 03800), JJ on 4 June communicated copies of TJ’s letters from 20 Aug. 1788 to 15 Mar. 1789, with their accompanying papers. GW began his study of State Department affairs by reading and making extracts of this correspondence. At the bottom of the extracts, he wrote: “Finished reading and making the above & foregoing extracts June 8th”. See PGW: PS description begins Dorothy Twohig et al., eds., The Papers of George Washington, Presidential Series (19 vols. to date; Charlottesville, Va., 1987–) description ends , 2: 455. Apparently GW then had the leisure to request additional information from the executive departments, but he soon fell ill and had to postpone work for a time. See GW to JJ, 14 July, below.

2GW was inaugurated on 30 Apr. 1789. It was not until the end of September that JJ was nominated and elected chief justice of the United States. GW named TJ secretary of state at this same time, but TJ did not assume the duties of his office until 22 Mar. 1790. JJ served unofficially as acting secretary of state until that date.

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