President Thomas Jefferson Accepts a Gift of Spanish Figurines from the US Consul at Malaga Spain (Arranges With the Collector of the Port of Philadelphia to Have Goods He Is Importing Shipped by Sea and Not Land)

Thomas Jefferson

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He writes Peter Muhlenberg that the shipment of the fragile pieces must go by sea, ?as it?s contents will not bear a transportation by land??We obtained this letter from the Muhlenberg descendants and it has never before been offered for saleThomas Jefferson was an avid importer of European goods throughout his life, reflecting both his personal tastes and his belief that America should absorb the best of European culture and craftsmanship. Wine was one of his greatest passions. He traveled through French and Italian wine regions while serving as U.S. Minister to France and became one of early America's most knowledgeable wine connoisseurs. He imported Bordeaux, Champagne, Burgundy, and Italian wines, and kept detailed records of vintages and shipping.There were other categories of Jefferson?s acquisitions. Jefferson amassed one of the largest private libraries in America, much of it sourced from Parisian booksellers. He also imported paintings, busts, and prints from Europe, many of which he displayed. Jefferson had a deep interest in science and ordered items like thermometers, telescopes, surveying equipment, mounting for his polygraph, and other precision instruments that weren't yet manufactured in the U.S. He received shipments of foodstuffs, furniture, mirrors, clocks, and decorative items, some of which he had custom-made in France to his own specifications. An enthusiastic horticulturist, Jefferson imported seeds, cuttings, and plants for Monticello's gardens, always experimenting with European varieties alongside native species.William Kirkpatrick was a merchant and shipper who had settled in M?laga, Spain, and built a successful business there, including a vineyard and a cotton plantation. Once Jefferson became president, Kirkpatrick cultivated a friendly relationship with him, in part through gifts of wine. As early as September 1803, Kirkpatrick shipped Jefferson a selection of wine from his family's own vineyards, including a special cask of aged M?laga wine from the 1747 vintage, describing it as a rarity Jefferson wouldn't otherwise find in America.Kirkpatrick also was serving at that time as United States Consul at M?laga, a post he held from 1800 to 1817, during which he was a strong advocate for the U.S. Navy's role in combating the Barbary corsairs. The First Barbary War (against Tripoli) was ongoing at exactly this moment, and M?laga's position on the Mediterranean/Atlantic approach made Kirkpatrick's consulate operationally useful to the U.S. Navy's Mediterranean squadron for provisioning, intelligence, and logistics.Rev. John Petter Gabriel Muhlenberg, known generally as Peter Muhlenberg, was a member of Pennsylvania?s prominent Muhlenberg political dynasty. His brother Frederick was the first speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Peter became a respected figure in the newly independent United States. During the early years of the Revolution, he was a follower of patriot Patrick Henry. His contributions to the revolutionary cause included service as the chair of the Committee of Safety in Virginia?s House of Burgesses (1775) and as a member of Virginia?s provincial convention in 1776. From 1776 to 1783, he also served in the Continental Army, as colonel, brigadier-general, and finally as a major-general. Muhlenberg took part in the fighting at Charleston, Brandywine, Stony Point, and Yorktown, and spent the winter at Valley Forge with George Washington. Later, back in Pennsylvania in 1784, he was elected him to Pennsylvania?s Supreme Executive Council, the state?s governing body under its first constitution. At the end of his three-year term, Muhlenberg served as vice president of this body. Shortly thereafter, Muhlenberg, as an anti-Federalist, was elected a Pennsylvania representative to the U.S. Congress, serving from 1789 to 1795 and again from 1799 to 1801. He was considered a key figure in the Democrat-Republican party of Pennsylvania, managing Thomas McKean?s successful campaign f.

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• Titre: President Thomas Jefferson Accepts a Gift of Spanish Figurines from the US Consul at Malaga Spain (Arranges With the Collector of the Port of Philadelphia to Have Goods He Is Importing Shipped by Sea and Not Land)