Thomas Jefferson is my favorite founding father.
The fourth of July may be the birthdate of the USA, but is is also the anniversary of the death of it’s author of freedom.
The eloquent Declaration of Independence defines Thomas Jefferson as a writer. It also defines him as a political philosopher. But the Thomas Jefferson I most admire is the reader.
At a time when books were luxury items of great expense, he privately curated the most complete literary collection in North America. His library was diverse, relevant, and well catalogued. Reading was his joy. “I cannot live without books” he said.
What was his life in Paris like? After his wife died, he sank into a deep depression. Some historians even say he was suicidal. Paris may have saved his life. He knew Paris long before Ernest Hemingway, Scott Fitzgerald, and Gertrude Stein. We know he participated in the salon culture. A careful reading of Thomas Jefferson’s work shows the influence of the early French revolutionary thought. How all those new ideas must have caressed his brooding mind.
On a lighter note; French literary salon culture also influenced his beverage of choice. “Coffee- the favorite drink of the civilized world” he exclaimed. To this day students, book lovers, and writers all over the world seek out the coffee shop to sip elixirs concocted from the magic beans. Books and coffee just go together.
His love for books was second only to his love for the United States of America. When the Library of Congress (then just a small reference collection housed in a single room of the capital building) was destroyed by invading British soldiers in 1814, Thomas Jefferson offered his own, magnificent library to the state. Congress appropriated $23,950 to Jefferson in compensation for the treasure. Not that the country fully appreciated it. The collection ignited a national controversy.
As a scholar, Thomas Jefferson was fluent in five languages (and less than fluent in several others.) His library included foreign books in English, French, Spanish, Italian, Greek, Latin, Welch, Gaelic, and Arabic. He also collected books of competing theories and diverse sciences. Some books represented threatening philosophies that challenged the politics of a young America. Addressing this, Thomas Jefferson wrote, “I do not know that it (his library) contains any branch of science which Congress would wish to exclude from their collection; there is, in fact, no subject to which a Member of Congress may not have occasion to refer.” In time, the nation embraced this celebration of literature and took pride in their diverse and eclectic library.
Today, the Library of Congress is the largest library in the world. In keeping with Thomas Jefferson’s spirit, it collects and curates a diverse and complete literary collection. Contrary to popular belief, the Library of Congress does not have a copy of every book ever published in the USA. It is an enormous, but carefully curated collection. While it’s first purpose is to serve the research and informational needs of congress, it also has a second objective; to cultivate a universal collection of human knowledge for the nation.
For the nation; that is me. That is you. Yes- the Library of Congress serves the people as well. It is a repository of all human knowledge and you can tap into it. (Visit my post HERE to learn how to get a Library of Congress Reader Card.) The largest library in the world is open to every United States citizen.
If you are in Washington DC, you can go to the Library of Congress and see what survives from the original 6,487 volume Jefferson library. His books are arranged, using the catalog system of his own invention. The permanent exhibit is one of Washington DC’s most popular attractions. As I stood within the circle of shelves, I couldn’t help but wonder what Thomas Jefferson would have thought of “his” library today. And I smiled.