Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 70,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World to soldiers’ letters from World War II and Vietnam. Explore primary sources, visit exhibitions in person or online, or bring your class on a field trip.

Back to Collection Search

Madison, James (1751-1836) to Henry Tazewell

High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC04373 Author/Creator: Madison, James (1751-1836) Place Written: Orange Court House, Virginia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 27 November 1797 Pagination: 2 p. : address : docket : free frank ; 23.1 x 16.3 cm.

Summary of Content: Addressed to either Henry Tazewell or John Dawson. Written by Madison, who left the Congress in March 1797. Apologizes for not being a better correspondent. Expresses concerns for Tazewell's health because of "autumnal pestilence of your marshes." Says he has not received word from Philadelphia in quite some time. Alludes to the uncertain political situation in France. Says it is too early to understand events there and how the American public will react to them. Mentions not seeing Jefferson. Believes he is busy with his architectural work at Monticello. Asks that enclosed letters be delivered to Dawson (not included).

Background Information: Signer of the U.S. Constitution. Henry Tazewell was a Senator from Virginia and John Dawson was a U.S. Representative from Virginia.

People: Tazewell, Henry, 1753-1799
Madison, James, 1751-1836

Historical Era: The New Nation, 1783-1815

Subjects: PresidentPoliticsHealth and MedicalFranceQuasi-warGlobal History and CivicsForeign AffairsAmerican StatesmenMonticelloArchitectureBuilding Construction

Sub Era: The Early Republic

Order a Copy Citation Guidelines for Online Resources

Copyright Notice: The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.