Previous image preload Next image preload
Back to catalog
Lot 70
image_0 image_1
James Madison Offers Blurb for New Booklet on Tobacco Farming
James Madison Offers Blurb for New Booklet on Tobacco Farming
image_0 image_1
Description:

James Madison Offers Blurb for New Booklet on Tobacco Farming

"it is the most intelligible and valuable view of the whole process that has ever been given to the public."

Former President James Madison wrote this brief letter from his home at Montpelier to his friend and fellow Virginian Peter Minor about Minor's new publication on tobacco. In May 1822, Minor published in Baltimore a 24-page pamphlet with the lengthy title of Notes on the Cultivation and Management of Tobacco, From the Plant Bed to the Prize; According to the Most Approved Practices in Albemarle, and the Adjacent Counties in Virginia, Prepared by Peter Minor, Esq., at the Particular Instance of the Editor of the "American Farmer," With Whose Permission They are Now Published in This Form by W. F. Redding.

JAMES MADISON, Autograph Letter Signed, to [Peter Minor], June 3, 1822, Montpelier, Virginia. 1 p., 7.25" x 7.25". Expected folds; a few stains and a minor tear on right edge, not affecting text; very good.

Complete Transcript
Montpellier June 3, 1822
Dear sir
I have recd the copy of your Notes on the Cultivation and management of Tobacco, for which I return my thanks.
I should not do justice to the publication were I to say less than that it is the most intelligible and valuable view of the whole process that has ever been given to the public. It will be useful to practical planters, and does every thing that could be done to gratify the curious who are not so.
With great esteem & friendly wishes
James Madison

Historical Background
In August 1813, Thomas Jefferson wrote to then-President James Madison about the appointment of a principal assessor for Albemarle and three neighboring counties in Virginia. The person whom several "leading men of our county" recommended was Peter Minor, whom Jefferson described as "a farmer, an excellent one, a man of sound judgment, honest, independant, and well acquainted with the value of the taxable subjects. He was brought up to the law, but declined entering into the practice, clear of any passions which might produce bias and the strict justice of his character so well known that his decisions will satisfy those submitted to them." Despite Jefferson's recommendation, Madison appointed William Armistead as principal assessor.

Three years later, in a letter to Secretary of the Treasury Alexander J. Dallas, Jefferson again recommended Minor for the position of principal assessor, after Armistead had resigned and both Jefferson's son-in-law Thomas Mann Randolph and Randolph's son Thomas Jefferson Randolph had held the position. Dallas's successor, William H. Crawford, offered the position to Minor, who declined it because of other commitments.

Minor was a close friend of Thomas Jefferson and a frequent correspondent with both Jefferson and Madison on agricultural matters, though this letter is not included in Madison's papers. Six weeks after Madison wrote this letter to Minor, Jefferson wrote a similarly friendly letter to Minor from Monticello: "They tell us, and rightly, that one good turn deserves another. on this authority I ask the acceptance, by your son, of a keep-sake from me. it is an article of the tackle of a gun-man, offering the convenience of carrying the powder & shot together. I presume he is a gun-man, as I am sure he ought to be, and every American who wishes to protect his farm from the ravages of quadrupeds & his country from those of biped invaders. I am a great friend to the manly and healthy exercises of the gun. will you be so good as to be the channel of my conveying to him this offering, and of my thanks for the elegant and comfortable hat he was so kind as to send me, and to accept for yourself the assurances of my great friendship and respect."

In May 1822, the Baltimore Patriot & Mercantile Advertiser included a brief review of Minor's booklet and noted that "the author of this work has had the benefit of long experience in this business; and his ‘notes' display a scientific and investigating mind." The newspaper recommended the work "to the patronage of our country patrons; and are confident they will not be disappointed in the value of its contents."

James Madison (1751-1836) was born in Port Conway, Virginia, and graduated from Princeton University in 1771. He entered politics in 1776 and represented Virginia in the Congress of the Confederation from 1781 to 1783 and again from 1786 to 1787. Madison played a major role in the 1787 Constitutional Convention, for which he later became known as the "Father of the Constitution." He authored the Federalist Papers along with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay. Madison helped found Thomas Jefferson's Democratic-Republican party in opposition to Hamilton's financial proposals. Madison represented Virginia in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1789 to 1797. Madison's served as Jefferson's Secretary of State (1801-1809) and then succeeded him to the Presidency for two terms (1809-1817). Madison's administration saw the culmination of Anglo-American tensions that resulted in the War of 1812, which officially began on June 18, 1812, and concluded with the Treaty of Ghent on December 24, 1814. The last years of Madison's second term saw the transition to the Era of Good Feelings, as the Federalist Party declined. When he left office, Madison retired to Montpelier, his tobacco plantation in Virginia. He also assisted Thomas Jefferson in the establishment of the University of Virginia, where Madison succeeded Jefferson as rector when Jefferson died.

Peter Minor (1783-1827) was born in Virginia to Revolutionary War veteran and legislator Colonel Garrit L. Minor and his wife Mary Overton Minor. Peter Minor married Lucy Walker Gilmer in 1806 and three years later built a plantation named Ridgeway in Albemarle County, Virginia, a few miles from Charlottesville. He served as the secretary of the Agricultural Society of Albemarle from 1818 until his death. He was also the treasurer of the Rivanna Navigation Company, and in 1819, Minor served as secretary of the first meeting of the Visitors of the University of Virginia, which included both Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. In the 1820 census, Minor is listed as the owner of 29 slaves. In July 1826, Minor sent the news by telegram to Baltimore of Jefferson's death.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

May 31, 2023 11:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000