- PART I.—BEFORE HIS MISSION TO EUROPE, 1773-1783.
- PART II.—WHILE MINISTER TO FRANCE, 1784-1790.
- PART III.—FROM HIS RETURN TO UNITED STATES TO HIS DEATH, 1790-1826.
INTRODUCTORY TO BOOK II.
This division of the work includes all the Correspondence, official and private, of Thomas Jefferson, from 1762 to his death in 1826, which possesses general interest or permanent public value. For the purpose of easy reference, it has been classified as follows:
Part I.—Letters written before his mission to Europe.—The letters included in this division, consist principally of the private correspondence of the Author's youth, and his official letters while Governor of Virginia. The former are interesting mainly as illustrating his character, his views, and his purposes in life. The latter, relating to the period of the invasion of Virginia, and the military operations in the South, possess no inconsiderable historical value.
Part II.—Letters written while in Europe.—The letters included in this division, relate principally to the objects of his mission to Europe—his efforts to extend the commercial relations of this country with the European nations—the history of particular treaties of commerce—piratical depredations upon our commerce by the Barbary States—our Foreign Debt—our relations generally with Europe—the rise and progress of the French Revolution through its early stages—his views of the Confederation and the new Constitution—the political and social condition of Europe, &c., all interspersed with the reflections by the Author upon every variety of topic, literary, scientific, social, and political.
Part III.—Letters written after his return to the United States to the time of his Death.—To the great majority of readers, this will be found to be much the most interesting division of the work, ranging, as it does, over the whole field of Literature, Philosophy, Science, Religion, Morals, History, and Politics, and embodying the mature views of the Author upon nearly all the great Constitutional questions which have arisen under our Government, and many of the most important problems which have agitated the world.