Notes on the State of Virginia

by Thomas Jefferson

This American classic is the only full-length book written and published by Thomas Jefferson during his lifetime. Written in 1781, Notes on the State of Virginia was begun by Jefferson as a commentary on the resources and institutions of his home state, but the work’s lasting value lies in its delineation of Jefferson’s major philosophical, political, scientific, and ethical beliefs. Along with his accounts of such factual matters as North American flora and fauna, Jefferson expounds his views on slavery, education, religious freedom, representative government, and the separation of church and state. The book is the best single statement of Jefferson’s principles and the best reflection of his wide-ranging tastes and talents. This edition, meticulously edited by William Peden, was originally published by the University of North Carolina Press in 1955.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History, Politics, Philosophy, Classics, American Revolution

344 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1785

About the author

Thomas Jefferson was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence. Following the American Revolutionary War and prior to becoming president in 1801, Jefferson was the nation's first U.S. secretary of state under George Washington and then the nation's second vice president under John Adams. Jefferson was a leading proponent of democracy, republicanism, and individual rights, and produced formative documents and decisions at the state, national, and international levels. His writings and advocacy for human rights, including freedom of thought, speech, and religion, served as substantial inspirations to the American Revolution and subsequent Revolutionary War in which the Thirteen Colonies succeeded in breaking from British America and establishing the United States as a sovereign nation.
During the American Revolution, Jefferson represented Virginia at the Second Continental Congress and served as the second governor of Virginia from 1779 to 1781. In 1785, Congress appointed Jefferson U.S. minister to France, where he served from 1785 to 1789. President Washington then appointed Jefferson the nation's first secretary of state, where he served from 1790 to 1793. During this time, in the early 1790s, Jefferson and James Madison organized the Democratic-Republican Party to oppose the Federalist Party during the formation of the nation's First Party System. Jefferson and Federalist John Adams became both friends and political rivals. In the 1796 U.S. presidential election between the two, Jefferson came in second, which made him Adams' vice president under the electoral laws of the time. Four years later, in the 1800 presidential election, Jefferson again challenged Adams, and won the presidency. In 1804, Jefferson was reelected overwhelmingly to a second term.
As president, Jefferson assertively defended the nation's shipping and trade interests against Barbary pirates and aggressive British trade policies, promoted a western expansionist policy with the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the nation's geographic size, and was able to reduce military forces and expenditures following successful negotiations with France. In his second presidential term, Jefferson was beset by difficulties at home, including the trial of his former vice president Aaron Burr. In 1807, Jefferson implemented the Embargo Act to defend the nation's industries from British threats to U.S. shipping, limiting foreign trade and stimulating the birth of the American manufacturing industry. Presidential scholars and historians praise Jefferson's public achievements, including his advocacy of religious freedom and tolerance, his peaceful acquisition of the Louisiana Territory from France, and his leadership in supporting the Lewis and Clark Expedition; they give radically differing interpretations of his views on and relationship with slavery.
Jefferson is ranked by both scholars and in public opinion among the upper-tier of American presidents.

Reviews

[Kelly]

A deeply disturbing book that illuminates the dark vision of a founder. Sadly, a somewhat White Nationalist manifesto by the man who penned the DOI. Generations of revisionist history have turned a kind eye towards a man that laid the groundwork for some of the cultural pathology we suffer through today.

[Mohammad Ali Shamekhi]

نمره ی واقعی: دو و نیم

جفرسون در این نوشتار کوتاه به آزادی مذهبی اشاره می کند. او معتقد است فعالیت های ذهنی و رفتارهای بدنی اولا و بالذات تحت سلطه ی قوانین قرار ندارند، بلکه دولت ثانیا و با هدف حفظ حقوق دیگران اموری را که به آزادی دیگران لطمه می زند، محدود می سازد. تازه این محدودیت هم برآمده از خواست افراد است برای حفظ حقوقشان. بر اساس این مقدمات جفرسون معتقد است تبعیض مذهبی در قانون به دو دلیل اشتباه است: اول اینکه مردم خواست محدودیت باورها و فعالیت های ذهنی خود را به دولت محول نکرده اند و ثانیا اینکه اصولا این فعالیت های ذهنی و باورها به محدودیت حقوق دیگران لطمه ای نمی زند - یعنی حتی اگر حق محدودیتش هم به دولت داده شده بود، دولت باز دلیلی برای محدود کردن آن نداشت

از سوی دیگر جفرسون معتقد است که محدودیت مذهبی از نظر مضراتش نیز کار نادرستی است: اولا به این دلیل که فرد محدود شده و گمراه نه تنها از این راه هدایت نمی شود بلکه جری تر نیز می گردد؛ و ثانیا به این دلیل که تنوع دینی نه امری منفی بلکه برعکس امری پر از فایده برای دینداران است. این فرقه های دینی هستند که یکدیگر را نقد و تعدیل می کنند. اصولا دخالت دولت در اموری که به دانش و مباحثه و خردورزی مربوط است نتیجه ی عکس می دهد. از این مطلب هم نباید گذشت که کسانی که قرار است محدودیت ها را اعمال کنند خود انسان اند و قضاوتشان بهتر از بقیه نیست

به نظرم مهمترین جمله ی جفرسون در این نوشتار اینه

تنها خطا است که به حمایت دولت نیاز دارد؛ زیرا حقیقت خود از پس مشکلاتش بر می آید

[Caroline]

Read for class. Parts interesting, parts insanely dull. And ridiculously hypocritical.

[Rexor1701]

this book is an important read in it's unabriged version. It illustrates Thomas Jefferson for what he truly was, a racist hippocrite.

[Robin]

Wow the man was racist. Holy yikes y'all.

[Guillermo Pablos Murphy]

Put the book down a bit more than halfway through. Not interested in finishing it in the present moment, but might find need to pick it up again for reference.

The book is interesting in how speaks of the certain kind of man that existed in Jefferson’s time. It is an “Enlightenment book” - concerned with a sort of ‘scientific’ procurement of information and the telling of it in a dry, but accesible manner. It reminds me of reading Voltaire - accesible, but only marginally interesting to a modern reader. Most of the interesting matter comes by reading into the context that spurred its creation, both its author and its time. The most interesting bits are rarely those the author considered so.

Summarily, the book is a series of answers to queries made by a Frenchman about the state of Virginia. Some geographic, some economic, some social or political. It might serve as a useful reference for what an educated and ambitious man of the time thought on certain issues. And it’s interesting as an artefact of a way of thinking and writing.

[Raghad]

Weirdddddd

[Dora Smith]

One of those shocking books I'll always be glad I read

This key historical document was required for a class on southern slavery but until now I never saw a reason to actually read the dry old 18th century document.

Let me begin by stating the book beats Huckleberry Finn, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Catcher in the Rye for how is it anyone is ALLOWED to read this book. It is one of the more shocking things I've ever read in my life. Some things were required just so we could see what thoroughly sick and disgusting people the southern planter elite were.

One does get a clear understanding of what DID go on in Jefferson's mind. He was well educated and a good writer, and liberal by the standards of his time, but- ooh, la, la.

I did not read every word. Some things that stoox out: He wrote in detail about Indians without knowing a thing about them and didn't think they were fully human though they did hsve some basic rights. Black people innately have no emotions. He wrote pages about two Albino women. When they had children with Black men their offspring had odd white spots in various places. He essentially thought Black people are a curiosity. (He wrote at great length about every aspect of the natural world so just couldn't leave out the subhuman people.) White European craftsmen need to be kept in Europe and our colonies just import the finished goods, on account we don't need the effects of their coarse ways!

The general tone and content of the book reveal Jefferson to be as foggy headed and generally sick as many a liberal upper middle class American. Not only is it no surprise he slept with Sally Hemmings, I'd expect him to have slept with his children as well! Yick in capital letters!

[Saul]

Let's start on a positive note with my favorite zinger:

In Great Britain it is said their Constitution relies on the House of Commons for honesty and the Lords for wisdom... which would be a rational reliance if honesty were to be bought with money and if wisdom were hereditary.

Jefferson has a lot to say about Virginia. Some of it is really interesting, like his discussion of the rivers and passes in the mountains. Some of it is dull, like his list of every Act of Parliament that impacted the borders of the state. Some of it is inspired, like his analysis of the moral corruption of slavery or comparison of fauna in the two hemispheres. I was interested in his agricultural analysis, where he thought tobacco farming would die out in favor of wheat farming; that didn't happen at all. He also thought Virginia (and Kentucky, which was part of it) would make good horse-raising country, which did happen.

Unfortunately, there's also a lot of racist rubbish. Jefferson should really know better; in fact, he does know better. He analyzes the great scholars and artists produced by white Americans, black Americans and native Americans, noting that perhaps we don't expect black Americans to be doing so well, what with the centuries of grinding oppression. But he shrugs off this better judgment in favor of familiar racism. Too bad.

[Karen Koppy]

Jefferson wrote this book as a compilation of data about the natural resources and economy of Virginia and his argument about the nature of the good society. He asserted his beliefs in the separation of church and state, constitutional government, checks and balances, and individual liberty.
And if you really want to know what he thought about slavery and black people in general read this book. What a racist! You don't have to read the whole thing - it's ridiculously boring with tons of lists and references. Just read the parts that will enlighten you about his racist views.

[Tiffany]

A resource to understand life in early virginia

Compuled as a series of queries and answers, this resource is best used to get a feel for early Virginia - the thinking of its leaders, the nature of civil and common life. I came to this resource because it was a source for another book I was read on American slavery. In thid book, slaves are just a piece of property handled as casually as you would land and animals. And dissected and evaluated as you would an interesting specimen in a laboratory. It's clear through these notes and other material that we have glamorized the founding fathers of this nation, and have whitewashed our early history to make it more pleasant.

Because this resource is in a journal style, you do need to have a general understanding of colonial America and bring a researcher mindset. You do not just read this pamphlet as one would a novel. If you have the patience and can weed through the more mundane material (like detailed decription of waterways and animal life), you can glean some nuggets that will challenge your thinking about racism and its roots.

[Alan K]

Jefferson at his Best- Well, Maybe Not His VERY Best

Well there WAS that Declaration of Independence thing. Put this was a surprisingly enjoyable , readable and informative book about the state of Virginia which gave ample evidence of the analytic mind of Jefferson.

Invests euro when so many of us seem to hold people liable for having opinions that are socially out of date today, I found it surprising to see opinions from Jefferson on the slavery issue which appeared to be very progressive. This is especially so considering that these opinions are nearly 2 and a 1/2 centuries old. It would be a good idea to keep in mind that even in some of the opinions which would not be at all acceptable today were acceptable to many people not that long ago.

Jefferson covers plenty of ground, much of it fascinating in describing his state. Glad I read it.

[Andrew Noselli]

This was more of a geographic survey and demographic history than a literary or philosophical work which would have allowed Jefferson's personality and cultural background to be fully in evidence. Although I have yet to familiarize myself with his voluminous epistolary correspondence regarding administrative, business and military matters, it seems from this work, together with his autobiography, that Jefferson was as much of a learned gentleman as any of the founding fathers, although he was probably outshone as a writer by John Adams, and was indubitably less of a social visionary than Abraham Lincoln in regard to black emancipation; however, I still think he was a true American and a great leader. It's a shame we don't have the privilege of reading more books by him. I'm sure he could have written an 18th-century version of "The Art of the Deal."

[Preston Scott Blakeley]

“Um, hello there Mr. Europe sir, I wanted to remind you that we have mountains here in the Americas and, because I have traveled the entire stretch of the continent, from Maine to Virginia, I can assure you, good lad, our mountains—the Appalachians—are just as tall as those in Zermatt… I mean, I swear. They literally look just like the Alps. This book is NOT a publicity stunt, despite your seriously unfounded claims to the contrary… these sublime United States are no different than Switzerland. And you can trust me, the President of the United States, because I am really, really good guy—and these are BIG mountains—and I definitely never create propaganda for national concerns. No president would ever do THAT.”

Wow, I loved this quote from Jefferson! What a book!

[Trew Wilkinson]

One of the things I appreciate the most about Jefferson is the delightful fluency of his style. Rarely did I feel like I was slogging through tedium. His sensitive and careful form of argument prevents many unexamined assumptions, and though I think I had expected a more starkly chauvinist perspective, it was tremendously nuanced and often agnostic in its conclusions.

We are exposed to thoughts ranging from trade routes, the character of mammoths, relations with Indians, economy, governance, homelessness, freedom of religion, the question of slavery and race, the establishment of formal education and cultivation of genius. Climate, geology, ecology, horticulture.

For good reason considered an indispensable primary document of the region and era from a soaring mind.

[Pamela]

This book was "homework" for an anti-racism class that I took online with The Rev. Dr. Jackie Lewis. It was eye-opening, heart-breaking, and so sad to see that one of our founding fathers had such disregard for both the Native Americans and the African Americans with whom he dealt. In this time of such civil unrest, it was humbling reading to raise my awareness - once again - of the premises on which our country was built...
...all (white) men (who own land taken from the Native Americans) are created equal.

[Jdb]

3.5 stars

A remarkable short book demonstrating the breadth of Jefferson’s intellectual curiosity.

There a several comments about the black slaves which would be considered racist under a 2020 microscope but not so in 1782 in Virginia. Jefferson examines them as a scientist might but they are jarring to modern eyes and reflects the ignorance of the time.

Still, how does he reconcile these thoughts and still state that “all men are created equal” applies to blacks too?

Historical figures are complex just like all of us are.

[JacksonG]

Intensely skim worthy for a large part of it, but then you come across one of the most consequential and/or thoughtful passages ever written by an American.

His writings on slavery, in particular queries 14 and 18, constitute the partial origins of American racial ideology. Which, it should be said, are horrifying. Rational and scientific, but horrifying and wrong. Exemplary of how logic and rationality can be terrible when employing the myth of race as datum.

But again, most of it is not that deep and pretty dry.

[Steven Maikoski]

For the true history buff

In this book Thomas Jefferson repeats questions given to him from different sources and answers each in good order. He covers a lot of details concerning the state of Virginia, including the many tribes of American aborigines, the construction of various buildings, the proposal for an educational system within the state, and remarks about slavery. It was very interesting.

[Lee Murray]

An odd little book, consisting of replies to 23 queries concerning the state of Virginia.

Simultaneously interesting and tedious, it covers everything a citizen of 1781 could possibly want to know from currency, political structure, opinions on education, employment, workforce, the financial impact of slavery—it’s all here.

Not an easy read. Sometimes very tedious. Worth the time.

Recommended.

[Davina Dickerson]

Reading this book for my Southern Literature class, I was amazed at how much good there was within some of Jefferson’s work; however, the closer I looked, the more I noticed how extremely hypocritical and insensitive Jefferson was. He spends an entire query discussing how God will judge White America harshly for their treatment of slaves and indigenous people, yet he continued to let them be subjected to horrors on his own property. He gets two stars (and that’s just me being nice).

[Kristin]

Unless one is reading this for research, it is likely not worth the effort. So much detail, much of which would be uninteresting to most 21st century readers, I would guess. A few centuries will do that to a work of non-fiction. I mostly kept reading to aid in getting to sleep.

[Rachel]

Thomas Jefferson was an incredibly racist human and it was sickening to read his opinion of POC. He made sure to point out that American slavery definitely wasn’t that bad because the Romans treated their slaves way worse. Disgusting.

[Valerie]

Although I don't agree with everything Jefferson wrote here, I appreciated the insight this work gives into the third president's mind as well more generally for the people of this time period.

[Dave Benner]

Perhaps the most important book of the 18th century.

[Abigail Douglas]

Disturbing but historically speaking, very interesting

[Lukas Evan]

White guys, am I right?

[iman]

i hate this man and his stupid school

[Elize]

Fuck jefferson all my homies hate jefferson

[Fred Fanning]

This book was written by Thomas Jefferson. In it he outlines information about Virginia. The information is detailed and well presented.