The Private Jefferson

The Private Jefferson: Perspectives from the Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society

Essays by Henry Adams, Peter S. Onuf, and Andrea Wulf

Preface by Dennis A. Fiori

One of U.S. history’s most eminent figures, Thomas Jefferson is as elusive as he is revered. The Private Jefferson opens a window onto the third president’s inner life by digging into the single largest cache of Thomas Jefferson’s private papers, held—to the surprise of many—at the Massachusetts Historical Society. Essays by Peter S. Onuf (“The State of the World: Thomas Jefferson’s Political Vision”), Andrea Wulf (“Revolutionary Gardens: Jefferson, Politics, and Plants”), and Henry Adams (“The Architectural Jefferson: The Draftsman and His Ideals”) underscore aspects of Jefferson’s character—his unusual creativity and less frequently studied perspectives on the world—rather than retelling the well-known achievements of his political career. The qualities that come to the forefront are, instead, the principles, passions, and faith that suffused his actions as a statesman, including his love of the natural world, and his life-long effort to find a balance between his role on an international stage and his need for a domestic retreat, a reverie for study and experimentation.

Generously illustrated with full color reproductions of architectural drawings, letters, and other manuscripts, The Private Jefferson: Perspectives from the Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society is published as a companion to the MHS exhibition The Private Jefferson: From the Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Both exhibition and book celebrate the Society’s 225th year.

224 pages, 137 color illustrations
$35 Paperback (2016) ISBN: 978-1-936520-09-1
$60 Hardcover (2016) ISBN: 978-1-936520-08-4
Distributed by the University of Virginia Press