Thomas Jefferson Madison James Founding Fathers Patriots Us Complete Set Letters

The Correspondence Between Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Complete 3 Volume hardcover set.

Very good in very good original slipcase. Tight bindings, solid spines, excellent covers, strong hinges & joints, sharp corners and clean unmarked texts. Astonishingly enough, never before have the surviving 1200-plus letters exchanged by the third and fourth presidents been collectively published, and thus the public library that blanches at the steep price for this three-volume set will be shortchanging itself. The letters Jefferson sent during his ambassadorship to France (1785-89) constitute valuable eyewitness summaries of a crucial historical period, as is the case with most of the topics covered in their 50-year correspondence. Editor Smith sorts the epistles chronologically: Madison's confiding to Jefferson, often in their private cipher, here italicized in the text, about the Constitutional Convention of 1787; the duo's opposition to the Federalists in the new government; Jefferson's triumph in the 1800 election; Madison's own two terms as president; and their final collaboration in creating the University of Virginia.

The letters are significant, and even the parsimonious library should invest in a little seed corn. Editor Smith gathers together in three volumes the entire surviving correspondence of these two American giants.

As neither man "ever reduced his thought to a systematic presentation" and as most of Jefferson's political thinking can only be found in his letters, this collection of nearly 1250 letters, covering a great variety of subjects, is a valuable contribution to the study of Jefferson, Madison, and their times. The editor renders this massive collection of letters useful to students and researchers of American history by dividing it into some 50 historical periods, each introduced by an overview that places the correspondence in its proper historical context. Essential for academic libraries and for any library that wishes to strengthen its collection of these two individuals. Complete Set Letters Thomas Jefferson James Madison Founding Fathers Patriots US. This item is in the category "Books & Magazines\Books".