Isaac Gomez to Thomas Jefferson, 28 March 1820
From Isaac Gomez
New York March 28, 1820
Dr Sir
Pardon the liberty I take in addressing you, a Gentn with whome I have not the honour of a personal acquaintance, but Sir knowing the high rank you bear in the Literary World, has induced me to request your polite acceptance of a work I have Just published under the title of “Selections of a Father for the use of his Children,”1 which have the goodness to give a reading, and Sir shall feel highly gratified to be favd with Your oppinion of the same, and the more so should such oppinion meet my wishes, having formd and published the Work for the porpose of giving support to my amiable family a matter in my mind of the highest importance to me, as a Husband and Parent, therefore Yr recommendation my Dr Sir (should my work merit it) would add greatly to my Interest in this affair
With wishing prosperity & Life to You that You may continue to see & receive the blessings of our Dr Country, for which You have done so much
Isaac Gomez Junr
RC (DLC); at head of text: “Thomas Jefferson Esqr”; endorsed by TJ as received 9 Apr. 1820 but recorded in SJL as received two days earlier. Enclosure: Gomez, Selections of a Father for the Use of His Children. In Prose and Verse (New York, 1820; , 14 [no. 916]).
Isaac Gomez (1768–1831), merchant and author, was a native of New York City who had a long career in business there beginning by 1791. From 1794 until at least 1796 he joined Moses Lopez in the firm of Gomez & Lopez. Gomez went to Europe in 1795 and returned to New York by 1798, when he was operating as a commission agent under his own name. In 1811 he was a partner in the firm of Gomez & Vanbeuren. After enduring bankruptcy in 1814, the following year he joined with Isaac Moses to form Isaac Gomez, Junior, & Company. Gomez sold a variety of goods, acted as an auctioneer, and offered financial and real-estate services. He owned seven slaves in 1790 and four in 1810. Gomez died in New York City (Joseph R. Rosenbloom, A Biographical Dictionary of Early American Jews: Colonial Times through 1800 [1960], 45; Elvira N. Solis, “Note on Isaac Gomez and Lewis Moses Gomez, From an Old Family Record,” American Jewish Historical Society, Publications 11 [1903]: 139–44; Jacques J. Lyons, comp., “Items Relating to the Gomez Family, New York,” American Jewish Historical Society, Publications 27 [1920]: 279–317; The New-York Directory, and Register, For the Year 1789 [New York, 1789], 37; The New-York Directory, and Register, For the Year 1791 [New York, 1791], 50; DNA: RG 29, CS, N.Y., New York, 1790, 1810, 1820; Harold C. Syrett and others, eds., The Papers of Alexander Hamilton [1961–87], 21:334, 22:400; New York Daily Advertiser, 7 Oct. 1794, 10 Dec. 1798, 21 Mar. 1800; New York Argus, or Greenleaf’s New Daily Advertiser, 21 Jan. 1796; New York Mercantile Advertiser, 5 June 1806, 1 Sept. 1813; Providence Rhode-Island American, and General Advertiser, 28 May 1811; New York Commercial Advertiser, 22 Apr. 1814; New York National Advocate, 13 Aug. 1814, 15 Mar. 1815; [1815]: 225; [1816]: 223; [1826]: 215; New-York Evening Post, 6 Dec. 1831).
On this day Gomez sent a similar letter and enclosure to John Adams (MHi: Adams Papers).
1. Omitted closing quotation mark editorially supplied.
Index Entries
- Adams, John; works sent to search
- books; for children search
- children; books for search
- Gomez, Isaac; identified search
- Gomez, Isaac; letter from search
- Gomez, Isaac; Selections of a Father for the Use of His Children. In Prose and Verse search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Books & Library; works sent to search
- Selections of a Father for the Use of His Children. In Prose and Verse (I. Gomez) search