A journey north : Jefferson, Madison, and the forging of a friendship / Louis P. Masur.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Masur, Louis P., author.

Series:

Oxford scholarship online.

Oxford scholarship online

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826--Friends and associates.

Jefferson, Thomas.

Madison, James, 1751-1836--Friends and associates.

Madison, James.

Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826--Travel--New York (State).

Madison, James, 1751-1836--Travel--New York (State).

Hessian fly.

New York (State)--Description and travel.

New York (State).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (185 pages)

Edition:

First edition.

Other Title:

Jefferson, Madison, and the forging of a friendship

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2025]

Summary:

Between May 21 and June 6, 1791, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison went on a trip together through Upstate New York and parts of New England on horseback. This "northern journey" came at a moment of tension for the new nation, one in whose founding these Virginians and political allies had played key roles. The Constitution was ratified and President Washington was in his first term of office. Along the way they took notes on the ravages of the Hessian Fly, an insect that had been devastating wheat crops. In Vermont, they focused on the sugar maple tree, which many hoped might offer a domestic alternative to slave-grown sugar cane imports. An encounter with a free Black farmer at Fort George resulted in a journal entry that illuminates their attitudes toward slavery and race. Meeting members of the Unkechaug tribe on Long Island led to a vocabulary project that preoccupied Jefferson for decades. The Northern Journey was also about friendship. Madison later recalled that the trip made Jefferson and him "immediate companions," solidifying a bond with almost no peer in the annals of American history, one that thrived for fifty years. Jefferson declared at the end of his life, that his friendship with Madison had been "a source of constant happiness" to him. This book reveals the moment when it took hold.

Contents:

Prologue: Travelers

Before the journey

The journey

At Poughkeepsie : The Hessian fly (May 23)

At Fort George : Prince Taylor (June 1)

At Bennington : Sugar Maple (June 4-5)

At Poospatuck: Unkechaug Indians (June 14)

Epilogue: Farewells

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource and publisher information; title from PDF title page (viewed on March 3, 2025).

ISBN:

0-19-768505-6

0-19-768492-0

0-19-768493-9

OCLC:

1460454471