Thomas Jefferson Papers

Thomas Jefferson to Nathan Pollard, 30 October 1821

To Nathan Pollard

Monto Oct. 30. 21

Th:J. returns his thanks to mr Nathan Pollard for the vol. of Reports he has been so kind as to send him as a specimen of the printing by the Franklin press. he had before observed1 that we were indebted to that press for the republicn of the valuable hist of Virga by Capt Smith, and is happy to see that art rising in this state from it’s former too humble condn. with his thanks he prays mr Pollard to accept his respectful salutns.

Dft (MHi); on verso of RC of Pollard to TJ, 18 [Oct.] 1821; dateline at foot of text.

Two years previously the franklin press produced the first American edition of the works of John Smith (ca. 1580–1631) in two volumes. The first was The Trve Travels, Adventvres and Observations of Captaine Iohn Smith, in Europe, Asia, Africke, and America, and the second was The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Iles (Richmond, 1819; for an earlier edition of the latter, see Sowerby, description begins E. Millicent Sowerby, comp., Catalogue of the Library of Thomas Jefferson, 1952–59, 5 vols. description ends no. 461) (Richard Beale Davis, “The First American Edition of Captain John Smith’s True Travels and General Historie,” VMHB description begins Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, 1893–  description ends 48 [1939]: 97–108). TJ subscribed to the work (TJ’s Transactions with James Leitch, 6 Mar.–30 May 1820, and note).

1Preceding two words interlined in place of “known.”

Index Entries

  • Franklin Press (Richmond firm); printing house search
  • Gilmer, Francis Walker; Reports of Cases Argued and Adjudged in the Court of Appeals of Virginia search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Books & Library; receives works search
  • Pollard, Nathan; as printer search
  • Pollard, Nathan; letter to search
  • printing; in Va. search
  • Reports of Cases Argued and Determined in the Supreme Court of Appeals of Virginia search
  • Smith, John (ca.1580–1631); The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles search
  • Smith, John (ca.1580–1631); The True Travels, Adventures and Observations of Captaine Iohn Smith, in Europe, Asia, Africke, and America search
  • The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles (J. Smith) search
  • The True Travels, Adventures and Observations of Captaine Iohn Smith, in Europe, Asia, Africke, and America (J. Smith) search
  • Virginia; printing in search