Thomas Jefferson to Madame de Tessé, March 20, 1787

Thomas Jefferson to Abigail Adams, February 22, 1787

Two ladies, two letters, two hundred and twenty years ago, and many things to say. During the winter of 1787 while living in France, Jefferson wrote two of his more oft-quoted letters, which include some of Jefferson's thoughts on Shay's Rebellion, Roman architecture, and the French nobility, all served with a good dose of charm. His letter to Madame de Tessé includes his declaration of love for the Maison Carrée, which he used as the model for his design of the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, Virginia.