Capturing Emotions of the Past: Thomas Jefferson’s Anticipation to Reunite With Family in an 1801 Letter

I love historical letters. So much.

A long while back, my friend Kurt, the historian and actor who portrays Thomas Jefferson in Colonial Williamsburg (CW), got me thinking about historical letters. When it comes to researching Jefferson, he loves to look at "this day in history" in context of his own age and the date... by reading a letter Jefferson wrote or something he did on that day.

It stuck with me, especially when he mentioned that again yesterday.

Actually, it's a practice I adopted myself. Not just for Jefferson letters, but, as you may have seen through the blog, for many people who lived our shared American history! Letters truly are my favorite primary source.

And yesterday, in planning to publish this post on July 16th, I found this one from Thomas Jefferson to his daughter Maria. It was written on July 16th, 1801, from Washington and addressed to Maria at Monticello.

NOTE: Read more about Kurt Smith and his portrayal of Thomas Jefferson by clicking here.

Kurt Smith in CW. Photo credit: Tom McAuliffe

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The letter.

Read it in full, with notes and citations, here. I found it on our National Archives' Founder's Archives website initially, (where the link will take you) but it's also in a book that often sits on my nightstand: The Family Letters of Thomas Jefferson, which you can get here.

(Note: I'm breaking up the one super-long paragraph into several for ease of reading.)

To Mary Jefferson Eppes

Washington July 16. 1801.

My dear Maria
I recieved yesterday mr Eppes’s letter of the 12th. informing me you had got safely to Eppington, & would set out tomorrow at furthest for Monticello. this letter therefore will, I hope, find you there.

I now write to mr Craven to furnish you all the supplies of the table which his farm affords. mr Lilly had before recieved orders to do the same. liquors have been forwarded & have arrived with some loss. I insist that you command & use every thing as if I were with you, & shall be very uneasy if you do not. a supply of groceries has been lying here some time waiting for a conveyance. it will probably be three weeks from this time before they can be at Monticello. in the mean time take what is wanting from any of the stores with which I deal, on my account.

I have recommended to your sister to send at once for mrs Marks. Remus & my chair with Phill as usual can go for her. I shall join you between the 2d. & 7th. more probably not till the 7th. mr & mrs Madison leave this about a week hence.

I am looking forward with great impatience to the moment when we can all be joined at Monticello, and hope we shall never again know so long a separation. I recommend to your sister to go over at once to Monticello, which I hope she will do. it will be safer for her, & more comfortable for both. present me affectionately to mr Eppes, and be assured of my constant & tenderest love
Th: Jefferson

My copy of The Family Letters of Thomas Jefferson

In context of Thomas Jefferson's life in 1801.

Let's give this letter some context.

In March of 1801, Jefferson took office as our third president. This letter was written as he was preparing to meet up with his daughters in August.

You'll notice in the letter he's estimating where Maria will be when the letter arrives. He references receipt of a letter from her husband explaining they'd arrived as far as Eppington (his family home). Also referenced: a letter is being sent to Martha, Maria's older sister - and it includes instructions Jefferson gave to her.

All of this not only giving us insight into:

• Jefferson's life at that moment in time
• the emotion with which he writes his daughter
• his prioritization of and longing for family time
• and of course-- the organizational skills the man has to ensure everything is all set for everyone's arrival

Here he is, months into his presidency, and he's taking the time to do so many tasks related to coordinating a summer reunion.

Questions I now have:

• Why did he find it important to mention the Madisons? Is it friendly chatter or are they heading to Monticello to hang out with the Jefferson clan? Either way, this demonstrates his continued relationship with James Madison, who he grew close with earlier on during the Revolutionary era.
• Why would heading to Monticello be "safer" for daughter Martha? Is he talking about traveling in the "chair" (he also uses the word "comfortable") or the fact she'll be at Monticello?

There will always be more questions... and that's what I love about digging into letters.

Closing it out: related posts.

If you also love letters, here are a few blog posts about early American correspondence- letters that I was compelled to share:

• Anne Cary Randolph's 1808 letter to her grandfather about tulips at Monticello.
• George Washington's letter to Martha before he takes to the battlefield in 1775.
• The 1775 letter from the Committee of Secret Correspondence to one of my favorite Lees, Arthur- our man in London.
• A July 4, 1775 letter from a Philadelphia merchant, who is also a Patriot getting prepared for what's to come.
• A set of letters sharing multiple perspectives on the American Revolution.

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There is a huge practical disclaimer to the content on this blog, which is my way of sharing my excitement and basically journaling online.

1) I am not a historian nor an expert. I will let you know I’m relaying the information as I understand and interpret it. The employees of Colonial Williamsburg base their presentations, work, and responses on historical documents and mainly primary sources.

2) I will update for accuracy as history is constant learning. If you have a question about accuracy, please ask me! I will get the answer from the best source I can find.

3) Photo credit to me, Daphne Reznik, for all photos in this post, unless otherwise credited! All photos are personal photos taken in public access locations or with specific permission.