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Thomas Jefferson Twice Signed Autographed Letter Leading up to the Revolts in Vermont and the Treaty of Paris, with his Attempt to Cultivate Harmony on our Borders
Thomas Jefferson Twice Signed Autographed Letter Leading up to the Revolts in Vermont and the Treaty of Paris, with his Attempt to Cultivate Harmony on our Borders
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Description:

Jefferson Thomas

Thomas Jefferson Twice Signed Autographed Letter Leading up to the Revolts in Vermont and the Treaty of Paris, with his Attempt to Cultivate Harmony on our Borders

 

An extraordinary twice signed autographed letter on laid paper, 7" x 8.5." Dated "July 9, 1792," and signed within the body of the letter twice by Thomas Jefferson, once as "Th Jefferson," and once using his initials as "Th J." Letter with typical handling marks and expected folds. Lovely strong contrasting ink, with clear bold signatures. Accompanied matted together with a lovely color print of Jefferson, 6" x 8.5." matted to a completed size of 20" x 14." Not examined out of mat.

 

Written during the era of the Revolutionary War, and before Jefferson began President. The background leading up to this letter has Jefferson returning to the US in 1789 to find he was appointed Secretary of State, consumed with affairs of France as the revolution there took a violent turn and threatened to involve the United States in a war with Britain.

This letter written by Jefferson to the Governor of Vermont addresses Mr. George Hammond, who arrived from England only two days before Jefferson, and was the first British minister to the United States. Hammond came armed with instructions to discuss the controversies surrounding the Treaty of Paris, to consider the U.S. proposals for a commercial treaty with Britain, to offer British mediation to resolve the conflict between the United States and the western Indians, and to oppose adoption of any congressional legislation that might be injurious to British trade and navigation. Hammond’s dealings with TJ were singularly devoid of any substantive diplomatic agreements, in no small part because of the clandestine interference of the Secretary of the Treasury in many of the ongoing negotiations between the British minister and the Secretary of State.

 

On the specific local front of the Vermont, the lines of land ownership was cause for extreme dissention. The town of Alburgh, Vermont was revolting against British occupation.

 

Found within the Jefferson letters on Founders.gov is a letter written to Jefferson by Hammond on July 5th saying in part "some persons, acting under the authority of the State of Vermont have attempted to exercise legal jurisdiction within districts now occupied by the King's troops, and have committed acts of violence on the persons and property of British subjects."

 

To which Jefferson responds to Hammond that he has written to the Governor of Vermont on July 9, 1792:

 

Sir

It is extremely to be regretted, that while the grounds of difference between our respective countries are under amicable discussion, any circumstances should arise on either side, which might excite questions of still greater delicacy or tend to disturb or imbarrass[sic the course of the discussion. We have no information on our part of the facts which are the subject of your letter of the 5th. but the Governor of Vermont will be immediately applied to for such information, on the receipt of which no time shall be lost in taking thereon those measures which shall appear proper. In the meantime I can assure you with truth of the real wish of our government to avoid whatever might affect the old, or excite new questions between us, and of our sincere dispositions to cultivate harmony on our borders and a friendly understanding in general between the two nations. The present imbarrassment[sic, arising so unexpectedly, is a proof how important it is to hasten to a conclusion the general settlement of our rights…

 

Our letter offered here is a fantastic twice signed and autographed letter by Jefferson taking in the third person, written on the same day of July 9, 1792 addressing this discourse:

 

"Thomas Jefferson has the honor to present his respectful compliments to Mr. Hammond, and to apologize for not having sooner answered his note wishing for a conference on the subject of his letter of the 5th inst. the subject being new, Th J. could not be assured of expressing to Mr. Hammond in conversation, sentiments which should be really those of the government until there should have been a consultation on them, and that consultation on them, and that consultation has been retarded by particular accidents till this morning. He has not lost a moment therefore in forwarding the answer, and he has written to the Governor of Vermont as therein mentioned.

 

July 9, 1792"

 

 

The subject of controversy was over the town of Alburgh Vermont, one of the sub-divisions of the commonwealth which first became known when, in 1781, a charter was granted. This very northern township in Vermont occupied a singular and interesting situation with reference to the disturbances on the northern frontier. The lands here were occupied and settled by the English and a few French under the Caldwell titles, and these settlers were in actual possession when Governor Chittenden grated the town in 1781; and the settlers too, had not only possession, but as well a sort of local or town organization, with such officers as were authorized under British customs and laws. But when the proprietary under the Vermont charter sought and assumed to create titles of their own, and put settlers on the lands under those titles, then the provincial authorities, from their point of view, saw a flagrant breach of the treaty provisions, and they therefore thought fit to possess the territory with troops and exercise surveillance over the region, both of land and lake. Their garrisons were maintained at Dutchman's Point, in North Hero, and at Point au Fer, in New York state opposite to Alburgh. In addition they exercised a general surveillance over the whole country of this town, and Isle La Motte and North Hero as well. But there were no overt acts of hostility, nor conflicts of authority, until the settlers under the Vermont charter attempted to organize the town in 1792 (which is the basis of this letter by Jefferson and the ensuing exchange of letters between Hammond, himself and the Governor Vermont). The period of the British surveillance commenced in 1783 and was continued until 1796, when, in compliance with the terms of Jay's treaty of amity and commerce with Great Britain, the troops were withdrawn and the Vermont authorities left in undisputed possession of the town.

 

A fantastic letter written directly by Jefferson in the midst of a violent uprising by the local Vermonters to British occupation. Jefferson attempts to negotiate and assert a settlement, claiming  a desire to cultivate harmony on our borders and an understanding between our nations. We know this did not end well, and took the Treaty of Paris and the subsequent Jay Treaty to finally resolve this dispute.


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