Thomas Jefferson was instrumental in rebuilding the Library of Congress when he sold the bulk of his book collection to the United States government in 1815.
Jefferson's interest in the geography of North America doubtlessly came from his father Peter Jefferson, who employed himself as a surveyor of boundaries and maker of maps from 1745 to 1750.
By Ann Lucas Birle and Endrina Tay
Last week, we had the privilege of being the first Monticello staff to set eyes on the more than 70 Jefferson books that we recently discovered at Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL). We flew to St. Louis early on Valentine’s Day on February 14 to see firsthand the volumes Jefferson once owned in his library at Monticello during his retirement.
