Bidspirit auction | Rare Book: Th. Jefferson's Notes

Rare Book: Th. Jefferson's Notes on Virginia, 1800 - Thomas Jefferson's Notes on the State of Virginia. Baltimore: Printed by W. Pechin, 1800. 8vo, 194, [2], 53 pp. Early American edition, containing the Madison's Cave plate, the folding plate of the Manahoac and Powhatan tribes, and the small terminal map. Leather boards with ex libris of Rev. Isaac Minard (1793-1876), Princeton Theological Seminary graduate and Presbyterian minister active in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Nearly every page carries Minard's pencil marginalia, reflecting deep engagement with Jefferson's political and religious philosophy. In the religion chapter at the end, he observes: ”Though Jefferson was certainly an infidel, it is doubtless true that he actually did more for true religion through religious liberty than a great many Christians. Not so much as Madison though.” These extensive annotations, in dialogue with Jefferson's most controversial passages, transform the volume into an important association copy, documenting 19th-century Protestant readings of Jefferson and Madison's role in religious liberty. After the last printed page, Minard has hand-drawn a detailed map. Rare in any state, this Baltimore edition with contemporary clerical annotations offers unique value for collectors and institutions alike. This item can be shipped in-house. Multiple lot combined shipping may require 3rd Party shipping.