To George Washington from John Sinclair, 6 June 1798

From John Sinclair

Whitehall [London] 6th June 1798

Sir

I request your acceptance, of the History of the origin and progress of the Statistical account of Scotland, in the appendix to which, I have taken the liberty of inserting an extract of a letter from you, which materially contributed to induce me to persevere in that laborious undertaking.1 I wish much, that you could prevail on the Government of America, to establish a Board of Agriculture, and to carry on Statistical enquiries. I have little doubt, that if America were to set about these undertakings, that she would not only derive the most essential benefits from them herself, but would also shew an example, that would be very generally imitated by other Nations. Can there be more powerful inducements?2 With great regard, believe me Sir Your faithful & obedient servant

John Sinclair

LS, DLC:GW.

1. Sinclair’s History of the Origin and Progress of the Statistical Account of Scotland (Edinburgh, 1798) was in GW’s library at his death (Griffin, Boston Athenæum Washington Collection, description begins Appleton P. C. Griffin, comp. A Catalogue of the Washington Collection in the Boston Athenæum. Cambridge, Mass., 1897. description ends 183).

2. For earlier references by GW and Sinclair to an American board of agriculture, see GW to Sinclair, 6 Mar. 1797, n.3.

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Source Project: Washington Papers
Title: To George Washington from John Sinclair, 6 June 1798
Author: Sinclair, John
Recipient: Washington, George
Date: 6 June 1798

Reference

Cite as: “To George Washington from John Sinclair, 6 June 1798,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/06-02-02-0241. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Retirement Series, vol. 2, 2 January 1798 – 15 September 1798, ed. W. W. Abbot. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1998, pp. 316–317.]

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