Thomas Jefferson to John Harvie, 14 January 1760
To John Harvie
Shadwell January 14th. 1760.
Sir
I was at Colo. Peter Randolph’s about a Fortnight ago, & my Schooling falling into Discourse, he said he thought it would be to my Advantage to go to the College, & was desirous I should go, as indeed I am myself for several Reasons. In the first place as long as I stay at the Mountains the Loss of one fourth of my Time is inevitable, by Company’s coming here & detaining me from School. And likewise my Absence will in a great Measure put a Stop to so much Company, & by that Means lessen the Expences of the Estate in House-keeping. And on the other Hand by going to the College I shall get a more universal Acquaintance, which may hereafter be serviceable to me; & I suppose I can pursue my Studies in the Greek & Latin as well there as here, & likewise learn something of the Mathematics. I shall be glad of your Opinion And remain Sir
Your most humble Servt.
Thos. Jefferson junr.
RC (Appleton Family Papers, 1504–2008, Trustees of Reservations); endorsed. Printed in 1858 in , 1:19, from a copy furnished by TJ’s grandson George Wythe Randolph of Richmond; addressed: “To Mr. John Harvey, at Bellemont.” Printed in 1892 in , 1:340, from a copy furnished by Dr. J. S. H. Fogg of Boston; lacks closing and signature.
This earliest surviving letter of TJ’s, written at the age of sixteen from the home of his birth, is addressed to one of his guardians and reports a discussion of his education with another guardian—Col. Peter Randolph, 1708–1767, of Chatsworth on the James, cousin of TJ’s mother Jane Randolph (, 1:19; , 11).
TJ’s early biographer Henry S. Randall suggested that “junr.” in the signature was to distinguish TJ from a first cousin of the same name (, 1:19–20; , 1:214, 216; , 3:304, 308n).
[Ed. note: Revised text and annotation, 2025; originally printed in Volume 1 from , 1:340.]