The Papers of Thomas Jefferson

A definitive scholarly edition of the correspondence and papers of Thomas Jefferson

The Senate confirms John Armstrong and James Bowdoin as commissioners to negotiate with Spain and James Monroe and William Pinkney to do the same with Great Britain. In speeches in the House of Representatives, John Randolph attacks the administration’s measures and declares that the president has lost the confidence of the cabinet. Jefferson shrugs this off, maintaining that Randolph can pull away only a few Republicans. In the approaches to New York harbor, a shot from a British warship causes the death of an American mariner. Jefferson issues a proclamation that calls for the apprehension of Henry Whitby, the captain of the warship, and bars his ship and others with it from American ports and waters. Congress passes an act to limit the navy to 925 seamen, capping the number of ships and raising Jefferson’s concerns in light of a potential war with Tunis. He plans to use gunboats and militia to protect Orleans Territory in the event of conflict with Spain. Aaron Burr calls on him and hints that he could do “much harm.” Jefferson’s mentor George Wythe dies by poisoning, leaving Jefferson his books. Jefferson plans and begins to lay out the large garden for vegetables at Monticello.